Sea Interlude

May I share my recent jaunt with you? (There is no fabric or stitch in this post)
It was not, as I had planned , a trip to the laburnum Arch in Bodnant Gardens, but a visit to Norfolk for 4 days.
My husband had a meeting on Thursday so I spent the morning in Norwich where I saw different laburnums..surprisingly white not the usual yellow.


The Cathedral is spectacular, but you need a monocular to see the bosses in the vaulted ceiling.

The cloisters are lower and its much easier to see them. Rather over restored here is one of them, a green man.

After two days we moved on to the coast.
The land of Farrow and Ball.
No woodwork remains unpainted.
Lichen, Ball Green, Old White, Bone, Mouse's Back....you name the colour, you will find it on the North Norfolk coast, along with some of nature's own spectacular hues.

We stayed in Cley(pronounced to rhyme with 'fly')next-the-Sea, where there is a famous windmill which we could see from our window.

Its not 'on Sea' you notice because areas of marshland fill the spaces between the village and the tide. High dykes take paths from one village to the next in a circuitous route. One mile by road from Cley to Blakeney; by coastal path its two point one miles.

Worth every step.

Cley beach is a shingle bank built up by the tide over many years.



Cue the Sea Interlude.
Click the picture to enlarge it. (You may have to open a new window to do both)

Sunny but cold.

On the way there we'd spotted Seagates Irises and made a promise to ourselves to get some on our way back.


There were irises as far as the eye could see in every colour and combination of colours.



It reminded me of my work with fabric, choosing or coming across unexpected combinations.
My favourite, 'Copatonic.'


In Norwich our accommodation was smart and chic and had everything we could have wanted including a huge shower in a stone tiled bathroom.Little armchairs and tables and chairs in the room, and internet access.
In Cley the carpets were thin, there was a gap between the door and the frame, there were no chairs in the room or coat hooks on the door so we piled our jacket on top of our suitcase, the shower leaked and there was nothing but a small bar of pink soap to use in it.
And yet, I preferred it and felt more comfortable and relaxed there.
I don't know what that says about me.
I must say here that we both found everyone we met in Norfolk most welcoming and friendly.

The cat is out of the bag now.
I am in Quilting Arts Magazine in the June/July issue. Well, my work is .
Thank you to all those people who have e-mailed me to congratulate me.

Talking of cats..Jools has been missing since we got home.
UPDATE:He's back..large as life and twice as bossy.