An evening stroll up the pier
We were really blessed with perfect British Summer weather last week, even into the evenings. We enjoyed a lovely walk one evening and found ourselves back down at the beach and went for a wander along the lovely pier at Southwold. It’s a very interesting place – unlike any other pier I’ve visited elsewhere. Watch this space, there’ll be more coming up soon about this great venue.
Willow dragon
On Tuesday morning we drove to Potter Heigham and collected a day boat we’d hired to spend the day cruising the Norfolk Broads with four other Postcard family members. We have hired a small boat for a few hours before but this one was a bit bigger (to take 6 adults and 3 children) and we were able to explore a lot more. We moored up at St Benet’s Abbey and had a walk up to the ruins.
I had never heard of St Benet’s before this visit and it was a really beautiful surprise. It was so peaceful and really picturesque. A local community project had produced this great willow dragon sculpture with yarn, ribbon and fabric woven into the willow body. There’s a local legend that a dragon lives in the tunnels below the Abbey and this was their representation of the mythical creature.
Rainbow cloud at sunset
Can you see the vertical rainbow in the cloud to the right of the biggest mast? I have never seen anything like this before. We had walked along to the harbour on the River Blyth from our little holiday home in Southwold one evening to get dinner at the Harbour Inn. As we sat outside on the picnic tables waiting for our food to arrive, I spotted the rainbow in the sky and thought it was just my sunglasses playing tricks on my eyes so paid it little attention until Mr Postcard spotted it and said he could see it too.
Unfortunately the photo doesn’t do the colours full justice but you can still just make it out. Have you ever seen such a thing before at sunset?
Now that’s a beach…
I’m afraid this section deserves two photos (Sunday Eights again this week…) This is the beautiful wide sandy beach at Gorleston-on-Sea. I know Gibraltar’s very proud of its beaches and rightly so, but come on… that is a BEACH! Also that’s a beach at peak season and there’s still loads of space. It’s even got a small paddling pool for young children and a boating lake (below).
A trip up the lighthouse
After two weeks admiring the lighthouse from below, both at night and during the day, we finally decided to climb it on our final day. It is a really elegant building and our tour guide was excellent, injecting humour into his extensive knowledge about the important role the lighthouse plays (thank you Brad).
I thought it would be a piece of cake to climb the 155 (I think) steps to the top, what with all my Med Steps training. What I hadn’t taken into account was the fact that the handrail on the stairs was a little lower than I would have liked and I had to walk up and down the staircase afraid to look down and pressed like a limpet to the wall! I’m such a wimp. I was very glad to be back on the ground at the end. The view from the top was worth it though.
All good things come to an end
It took 11 hours door-to-door, taxi, plane, taxi – one of the down sides of living so far away from family, but we finally made it home to Gibraltar from our summer holiday in England late on Friday evening. The day began with handing in the keys to our home for the past two weeks in Southwold, then our final Adnam’s breakfast (don’t tell anyone, but we’ve had a few Adnam’s breakfasts during our stay). We then got a taxi to drive us all the way from Southwold to Gatwick Airport.
As we set off the rain started, so I guess it was time for us to leave ;-). We had never seen Dartford Bridge before and the Little Postcards were all very impressed as we crossed the Thames and headed closer to the airport. Then as we flew south, a chance look out of the plane window gave me my last glimpse of the English south coast. So long England, we’ve had a wonderful month… I hope it won’t be too long until next time.
Post holiday blues
I know I’m spoiled, I’ve just had a fab month away in England, and I have returned to our lovely home in Gibraltar but I’m feeling a little blue. I have nothing at all to complain about but I do miss our family back in England and I miss lots of other things about living there. See I told you I was spoiled – how can I say that with this kind of view from our windows? I’m sure I’ll soon snap out of it once the reality of the huge pile of laundry has reduced and we get back into our routines!
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have had a good week.
Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series featuring seven photos from the past seven days. It was created by Natalie at Threads & Bobbins, pop along to her blog to find out more.
I have really enjoyed tagging along on your holiday and yes you are bound to feel blue having left your family in England, it happens to us all. Once you are back in your routine and the children return to school you’ll feel better, then you can start planning your next getaway!
Oh I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it too 🙂 it’s been truly wonderful. And yes, I think you’re right about getting back to normal.
Lovely pictures. I think the mountain of washing has something to do with post holiday blues. You will soon be better.
Thanks, it’s going down slowly… X
Ahhhh, don’t feel blue! You have had an amazing month in the UK with your family. And you have also given myself and others a huge amount of joy sharing your beautiful pictures. You have shown me a few places that I will try to visit soon, thank you. Hold on to the lovely memories and cherish the time that you have just enjoyed. xx
Thank you, what a lovely thing to say x
Beautiful pictures and I’m enjoying seeing Norfolk! Your family will have to hop on a plane and visit you next.:)
Yes definitely – first lot are booked in for the end of Sept, so not too long to wait x
Spectacular on all counts! Thank you for taking us along. I have a longstanding love of lighthouses, and was so impressed with this one. (And I feel your limpet pain regarding the steps up). What a lovely surprise to see a vertical rainbow! Happy memories for you, as you knock down laundry mountain! 😉
My pleasure – I’m glad you’ve enjoyed tagging along. Off to hang out a bit more now 😉
The post holiday blue’s are totally understandable. You really did so much whilst in England and leaving family is always sad. Hope you ease back into Gibraltar routines smoothly 🙂
Thanks Eleonora x
Doesn’t everyone get post- holiday blues? Grass is always greener, and all that. It never lasts long, and anyway, you had the best of our weather. It’s raining again now, so feel free to rub it in with your glorious extended Gibraltarian Summer for as long as you like:)
Oh thank you. If it’s any consolation it’s overcast, windy and very humid here today, so it’s not too pleasant! I’ll take your rain if you fancy swapping 😉
gorgeous photos and magnificent sky ^^
Thanks Claire 🙂
You really made the most of your trip. I usually try to fit too much in to a short week and then return home exhausted. If we didn’t have so many animals it would be easier to take a longer time to visit but, there you go. You were so lucky with the weather – especially during the last week – and that beach! I’d never heard of it before. That was some taxi drive you took to the airport but I guess with all the cases and the small postcards it was the most practical solution. Never mind the washing – what about the ironing?
Oh yes we certainly did. We were lucky that Bunny went to stay at a friend’s house for the 2 weeks that Mr Postcard was with us.
The weather was just amazing, just one wet day out of the last 14! And not many in the first fortnight either. It really helped us make the most of the trip and get out and about. Gorleston is right next to Great Yarmouth, it lies on the opposite bank of the River Yare. Most tourists head for Yarmouth, I don’t think many people know it’s even there!
Taxi was the best option for us, train meant changing in London and negotiating the Tube, and hiring a car which was large enough to take us and all our luggage was more expensive than a taxi! I was slightly dreading it as I thought 3+ hours in a taxi would be fraught with the little ones, but they were brilliant.
I’m keeping the ironing to a minimum (what looks ok without is being put away straight away). Life’s too short…
Oh I feel for you, it is always a bit of a bump coming home after a lovely holiday, especially when you are so far from good friends and family. It might be a beautiful view, but there is no place like home, and home is where your loved ones are.
That is so true. At least I have 4 of them with me here in Gibraltar so I guess I have two homes 😊
Glad you’ve had a good holiday. Know it must be hard having to leave family behind. Hope you perk up soon.
Thanks Bekki, I feel much better now, the laundry pile’s decreasing and my Mum & Dad are flying over in a month so not too long to wait… 🙂
Good. Getting on top of things is grounding and a month will soon pass 🙂