26 hours in Suffolk

Last weekend we drove to the Suffolk coast (Walberswick to be exact) to meet our friends SA & Y for some fish & chips by the sea. We lucked out with the weather, just like last time we went.

After lunch we went for a little walk to see what else was around, and saw these weather worn fishermen huts along the way.

And through this restaurant window I spotted these two, perfectly colour coordinated with the chairs 💙💙

To get from the car park to the fish & chips place you had to cross the water on the blue boat you can see to the right here. Thought it quite a racket as it cost us £20 for six people to cross back and forth. We’re clearly in the wrong business. For this weekend trip I thought I’d switch out my lens on the camera to a 50mm, and after having been shooting on a wider lens for years, I immediately regretted my decision. The pics I took on the boat are too tight, and there was no room for me to simply take a few steps back. What a fool.

Never mind. On land I can always take a step backwards to fit everything in.

Y looking through an abandoned house; pretty amazing huh? We couldn’t quite figure out if it had been just used for storage or lived in. Looking through the windows I couldn’t see a kitchen or any fireplaces, so I doubt that it was ever residential (or at least not in winter).

Time to say hello to the sea.

Hello sea 👋🏽

O did his usual thing of dipping his toes in. Good attitude to have in life.

Back at SA & Y’s house. Such a great one.

Ruby the dog needed a walk (or run rather) when we got back, so me and SA went out for a late afternoon walk in the surrounding fields, just us ladies. Everything is so green at the moment; that special intense new green that only exists when everything is freshly sprouted, but eventually grows less bright as summer takes hold. I love how nature just does it’s thing, like magic, every season.

Hey Rubes, how goes it? You’re very cute, aren’t you?

Nice bit of evening light on some painted poppies.

After dinner we played Syringe. Such a brilliant game - I recommend it wholeheartedly. Basically you write down a category of something and then something within it that you don’t show anyone (for example: countries - France, cars - Ford, fruit - passion fruit) and then you walk round the table with a syringe filled with water. If anyone guesses what you wrote down, they get squirted with water, and if no one does you have to squirt yourself in the face. So simple, and

so

much

fun.

SA and I used to work on interior design projects together years ago, and her and Y’s house is full of nice stuff. I seriously need to know where this lamp shade is from (she couldn’t remember - doh).

Ruby supervising the breakfast chefs.

Another lampshade shot, just because.

On Sunday morning we drove to Framlingham Castle to have a wander in the gardens.

It’s medieval innit

and built in the 1200’s. Crazy.

It’s also the only castle I’ve ever seen giving you the finger. With both towers. Do we think that it was a way of saying eff you to unwanted intruders (I know they’re chimneys but let’s pretend, as it’s funnier than the truth)?

We didn’t go inside the castle (but I kind of wish we had now, as my inner pensioner would have loved it); instead we walked around the lake. This dude was just setting up - not a bad spot either.

Window shopping in Framlingham. Lovely building too.

And finally, right before we left, a Polaroid being taken for O’s wall of friends and family that he’s got up in his room. A sweet ending to what felt like much longer than 26 hours, and I mean that in the best possible way.

It's a Suffolk thing

suff_1500.jpg

So many of our friends have left London over the years, and last summer our peeps SA and Y packed up their London life and moved to Suffolk. It had been on the cards for years but Covid sped things up. A few weeks ago we finally got to go for an overnight visit, and it was so nice to see them and their kids again. We began our stay with a no-cook lunch - the best kind of lunch.

suff-3_1500.jpg

Since we saw them last summer there’s been a new addition to the family - Ruby.

suff-4_1500.jpg

She and Mr Famapa became friends immediately.

suff-5_1500.jpg

Even though he lost her ball.

suff-2_1500.jpg

Digression. Don’t know what these are, but they were pretty.

suff-7_1500.jpg

In the early evening we went for delicious pizzas at @theshedsframlingham and the super relaxed setting was just perfect.

So crazy that our kids are or are close to becoming teenagers. Seeing how much this young lady has changed in the past year is quite something. It’s Oomoo’s turn soon (well, not that soon, we’re 18 months away…). Gulp.

suff-10_1500.jpg

One middle aged lady with a camera was enjoying the planting very much.

suff-9_1500.jpg

Very much.

suff-12_1500.jpg

After the meal some chose to digest their meal playing football.

suff-13_1500.jpg

Nut jobs.

suff-16_1500.jpg

We were incredibly lucky with the weather; this summer has been British to say the least. Maybe it’s a Brexit thing? Luckily the fire pit at SA and Y’s made it possible for us to continue sitting outside for the rest of the evening.

suff-17_1500.jpg

What you looking at Ruby?

suff-18_1500.jpg

Whatever it was - a cuddle was even better.

suffo-6_1500.jpg

Y going in to get provisions.

suff-19_1500.jpg

It got late.

suff-20_1500.jpg

Click click. We started playing the Intro Game where you have to guess the song from the first beat of the intro. SA and I were very good, and I may say so myself. It’s amazing that you can recognise a song in a second or two. Of course we’re talking 80’s and 90’s music here. We didn’t attempt any songs from after then.

suff-21_1500.jpg

The fire had me mesmerised in between.

suff-22_1500.jpg

Day 2. How’s this for a conservatory/dining room? Drool.

suff-23_1500.jpg

It was way too hot to sit in though.

suff-24_1500.jpg

Had a look through SA’s interior books, and this portrait of an elderly couple in the Apartamento book, made me fast forward a few decades - I really like her style.

suff-25_1500.jpg

Stop Hammock time.

suff-27_1500.jpg

Summer and friends are the best.

Hope we get to see them again soon.

Escape from the city

garden_1500.jpg
kitchen_1500.jpg
fire_1500.jpg
twister_1500.jpg
y_1500.jpg
horse_1500.jpg
tree_1500.jpg
running_1500.jpg

Back in October, me and the Oomster (sadly Mr Famapa couldn’t make it) drove up to Suffolk for a weekend away at our friends SA and Y’s new place. They’ve been dreaming about getting a little spot away from the city for ages, and finally last year it all fell into place. In no time whatsoever, SA fitted out the whole house (she’s an interior designer by trade, so no wonder), and I was all heart eyes, both inside the house and in the garden. We spent a couple of nights there, eating like kings, playing games and walking in the surrounding fields, saying hello to the occasional horse. I can’t wait to go back once the weather warms up, for as much as I love our pocket of London, getting away from it every now and again is a real treat.