Norfolk -29-30 July

Dallas and Cathy-Sheringham
Cathy and Hughe's house
Norfolk village
Cromer-Norfolk

July 29
This morning we left Steve and Kate’s and caught the train to Norfolk to stay with Kathy and Hugh. The train ride to Norwich was very pleasant through picturesque countryside. From Norwich to Sheringham we boarded a different train and were joined by many English people and their families going to the beach at Cromer. And yes, they fulfilled all of the stereotypes we have of the Brits going to the beach. The fellow sitting opposite us we in a sports jacket and polo shirt, beach shorts and shiny black shoes with ankle socks!
We finally arrived at Sheringham to be met by Kathy and Hugh and taken to their house. After we settled in we had a wander around Sheringham, looking at the ruins of an old priory dating back to medieval times. We walked into town and Hugh quickly steered us towards his favorite pub for a pint. We headed back to their place and then traveled to Morston and had dinner at a pub called "The Anchor". Later we stopped at a little village on the edge of an estuary called Blakeny that was once a major fishing port before the harbour silted up. This is a very cute village with beautifully restored houses built back in the 1600s.
We returned to Sheringham. Hugh slipped out for another pint while he put the car away!
July 30.
We had originally planned to stay with Kathy and Hugh for two nights, but somehow they thought it was only one and so had planned to drop us off near Stansted on the way to visiting his mother. We hurriedly made accommodation arrangements near Stansted for an extra night and carried on as if this had been part of the plan.
This morning, before we left, Kathy drove us into Cromer, a very popular holiday spot for the Brits-acres of caravan parks and B and Bs everywhere. The beach has a entertainment pier, with many people fishing and catching crabs with nets, dropped about 30 metres below them into the water. The beach was brown sand with rocky breaks along the shoreline to hold the sand in place. Not many people brave the sea as the water is coming directly across from the North Sea- freezing cold. But all happily sunbathing and getting very red and burnt. The shoreline is lined with little sheds that people own, all chained to an impressive concrete wall so they do not get washed out to sea in a storm.
While the three of us were doing this, Hugh was downing a quick pint in the pub and buying the
supplies for lunch. We had a tasty salmon steak, cooked with pesto and cheese, fresh spuds and beans, followed by fresh strawberries and cream !
On the trip across to Stansted, we stopped at a great little village called Thaxted. This village has a great cathedral that is being restored that dates back to the medieval period. There is also one of the original windmills, restored, not far from the cathedral. A huge construction for grinding wheat that one can only marvel at the engineering feat of creating it without today’s technology.
Time for quick ale and then on to our B and B for the night, Stansted Guesthouse. We threw our things in the room and then walked about 15 minutes down the road for a pub meal and a taste of the local waters. The air is hot and humid, not good for sleeping.