Life's Surprises - or Maybe Shocks!

Have not felt like posting this last week. Alan developed some serious and unpleasant medical issues and with visits to casualty and subsequent visits to him in hospital have felt drained and anxious. More tests tomorrow and again in 2 weeks time. Will know how soon he can return home after tomorrows tests. Faith as intact as ever but emotions in meltdown!So glad that my faith is based on what I know and not how I feel.

A Walk Around Southwold

 On our way to Aldburgh we drove a little further up the coast for a walk around Southwold. It is very different to Aldburgh but nevertheless has a flavour of it's own.

A very interesting feature is the fact that the lighthouse is in the town and not perched on the edge of a cliff as most are.

My plan here was to take you with me on the walk. However I am still figuring out the workings of this 'blogger in draft' format so in order to do this you will need to scroll to the end of the post and do it backwards in order to accompany me from start to finish. Blogger altered the positioning of my photographs and is not letting my move them.

Back to the car and on to Aldburgh

An interesting store cupboard in the tea shop rest room

Having brought a picnic we ate it here before commencing our walk

The beginning

My Garden at the end of May

 Came to my computer with the express wish to visit my blogging buddies and ended up playing around with 'blogger in draft' templates. I have resisted changing my template as I prefer to have something simple so that the accent is on my posts and not the background. Having found a simple one I went for it on impulse. From there I thought I would try the 'blogger in draft' formatting. I did try this when it was first added but was too impatient to play around with it so gave up.  Here I am having another go and learning as I go along. In so doing I have randomly selected some current scenes from my garden as a test post. Hope you enjoy.

The tomatoes are on their way

This is the Strawberry bed full of lettuce that has germinated
from last years discarded compost

The above shows a Blackbird's nest and if you

look carefully it has used plastic to line it

The sad thing is that a Magpie raided the nest

A Robin has been more careful and built a nest
behind this ivy

50th Anniversary at Aldeburgh

Having celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary with a party for 37 friends in December and later in the Spring, afternoon tea at Mulberry House, it was now time to enjoy the last of our celebrations at our chosen hotel, The Brudenell in Aldeburgh. The party was a gift from our children, the afternoon tea was a gift from friends and one night at the hotel a gift from a group of friends, the second night being our gift to each other.



We arrived at our hotel mid-afternoon, having visited Southwold, a seaside resort a little further up the coast first. Aldeburgh being not too far away, we visited places on the way and on the way back with the intention of doing nothing once there but walk and relax and enjoy the sea air.



I had packed only winter clothes as we were experiencing cold weather, and being away for only for 2 nights and staying on the edge of the North Sea did not think I would need anything else, but yes you guessed, the weather turned warm and sunny. Not complaining but wished that I had listened to that last minute thought of 'throwing in something cool!'

The hotel had been closed for refurbishing from New Year until Easter so everything was new and looking very different to how it was on our last visit when celebrating my 70th birthday. It had kept it's seaside theme but with a more modern look.

Even waves in the carpet

The hotel staff knew we were celebrating so left us a hand painted watercolour card with scenes of some of the beach front houses.

The chocolates came with the room

Where we sat and gazed at the sea

With tea brought up on arrival

Just listening to the waves through the open window night and day was one of my favourite things

Anne Semonin toiletries - French and pretty expensive

We took breakfast indoors, it has the sense of being on a ship without the motion

but we could have eaten outdoors

In the evening I chose fish on both nights. Always think this a good option when it is straight from the sea. Here we have my half eaten Line caught cod, Asparagus with Canellini beans and Pea sauce and garnished with Truffles (which I had already eaten). Truffles are such a delicacy and cost 350 pounds per kilo! Delicious but the tiniest amount is enough.

As part of the modernisation the hotel has stopped using white tablecloths - just as well as many dishes are now served on slate! Alan had a plate as he had Rack of Lamb, lamb dumplings and crispy Lamb balls with vegetables.

A beach sculpture in memory of the Composer Benjamin Britten who once lived here. The town still holds music festivals in his name. The text which cleverly shows up against the sky says - "I hear those voices that will not be drowned"

Gulls in flight

An old 'lookout tower' now converted into a holiday cottage.

More 'lookout' towers also converted into comfortable holiday cottages. These towers were meant to defend the country from French invasion but that never happened.

The old town pump on the left.

The cottage at the top on the right hand side is the second home of friends of my daughters.

Just as we were getting into the car to leave the Lifeboat was launched. We did not stay around to see the outcome as we had plans for the day.

Lots of photos of this town in previous posts under 'Suffolk' so concentrated here only on the hotel and the beach.