 |
| Cottage garden at the front of the house |
MWNN and I returned to the holiday cottage we'd sampled in April. It was as lovely as we remembered it, spacious, warn and with a cottage garden that wrapped around three sides.
 |
| Checking out the beach Friday evening |
We walked the beach on most days. Rain stopped play on only two out of the fourteen. The day we arrived, we picked up the keys and went straight down to our favourite spot on the beach.
 |
| Foot spa |
On some days, we had a foot spa in the sea. Sea water works wonders on the hard skin on heels.
 |
| 'nother foot spa |
The sea temperature wasn't warm for my first foot spa but it wasn't freezing.
 |
| Ron enjoying water play |
Ron really enjoys his trips to the beach. Like previous visits, he was sociable with the dogs he met (mostly) and was keen to join in their games.
 |
| Ooh look, balls |
His interest was captured during one afternoon tea session at the new cafe. It has a putting green and, on Sunday, their were lots of tourist playing, taking things very seriously.
 |
| Need a ball boy? |
Despite the fact that people were knocking little balls into holes and the balls obviously needed fetching, Ron behaved immaculately and made no sound while watching play.
 |
| Fishing boat on River Blyth |
We saw lots of wildlife again, including a stoat crossing the road at the RNLI station in the Harbour, and a seal swimming up the River Blyth after the fishing boat.
 |
| Feeding time |
MWNN was well known to the gulls by the end of the first week. He took our stale bread to feed them on many days.
 |
| Mine. No mine! |
Jouveniles and adults, little terns, and starlings all jostled for their share and there were many squabbles.
The humans ate out quite often, too. Afternoon tea at the Cafe on the Green.
Two Magpies Bakery provided afternoon tea cakes for eating in the conservatory.
The bakery lost Brownie points, however, as it no longer provides ciabatta bread. MWNN and I find their sour-dough based breads too heavy. However, they still do an award winning wholemeal loaf that is quite wonderful.
 |
| View from table in the Sole Bay Inn |
We enjoyed lunch at the Sole Bay Inn on three occasions (once with friends of MWNN).
Sole Bay has a lot of regulars there at lunchtime. One very aged man arrives for an after-lunch drink on a mobility scooter and is always escorted in and out by the bar staff or a local.
The food (served all day) is good, home-cooked pub fare and the best Adnam's on-tap in the town (Adnams Brewery is opposite the pub).
The specials board offered Dover Sole with seasonal vegetables - when in Southwold, opting for the fish special is usually the best choice.
 |
| Coasters |
Coasters is another favourite lunch spot. It's dog-friendly and, with parking in the town centre limited to 30 minutes, is an ideal venue for us. The day we ate there, we'd left the car at the car park on Ferry Road. Lunch was a welcome break before the walk (about a mile) back to the car.
 |
| Tempura King Prawns |
Coasters serves excellent Tempura King Prawns and a good battered cod. The downside is that there is no beer on tap. MWNN tried a Calvors Lodestar Festival Ale. I had a sip and found it reasonably pleasant. Fruity rather than bitter, and very smooth.
 |
| Beach-combing |
So, what did we do for two weeks in Southwold? Not a lot. There was no pressure to do anything. We built up our stamina for walking again and enjoyed some fine beach-combing.
 |
| Presents and cards |
I had a quiet birthday celebration on 2nd and was surprised and pleased to receive cards and flowers at Goose Corner.
 |
| Late afternoon shadows, MWNN and Ron |
As with many of our visits to Southwold, the weather was very kind to us.
 |
| In the Harbour Car Park |
We enjoyed most days at the beach, taking a picnic lunch down at the Harbour Car Park.
 |
| Ice-creams on the beach |
The first week of our holiday was in The Season and there were lots more people in the town and on the beach, particularly in the sunny weather. The beach cafes were doing a roaring trade. We had to wait for a 'table' to have a bacon roll for lunch on the sunniest of all days, but it was worth the wait.
Most of the beach huts damaged in the winter storms have been replaced or re-furbished.
We noticed that there are more for hire this year. With prices starting at about £220 a week, no matter what the time of year, we decided to stick to our arrangement of holiday cottage + Berlingo.
 |
| Manadalay |
Some of the houses on the beach at the Harbour end, are also for hire. These were evacuated in the floods, and some are still in need of restoration.
Mandalay seems to have escaped relatively unscathed.
 |
| Common Seal Harbour entrance |
To say I enjoyed the fortnight would be an understatement.
I love being so close to nature and am looking forward to spending time on our narrowboat when she finally reaches her mooring in Northamptonshire.
Before then, I am preparing to 'ghost' The Daughter on her six-day 184 mile run, starting this weekend.
