Norfolk, February 2006

Sand and seals (but no sun) | 11 Feb 2006

Kiril finally received his (very) long-awaited birthday present and we spent a weekend in Norfolk - also a chance for me to provide further proof that we do have countryside in the UK. Our hotel, Strattons in Swaffham, was everything we had anticipated: luxurious, highly individual and wonderfully cosy. The restaurant was excellent and the star dish of the weekend was Kiril’s cauliflower crème caramel: the texture of the dessert with a sweet, delicate flavour of cauliflower. Len, co-owner and waiter, was most entertaining with his imaginative descriptions of cheese tastes and aromas, whilst pre-dinner drinks in the lounge with its velvets, brocades, antique bric-a-brac and open fire was a welcoming touch.

During the weekend we visited Wells-next-the-sea, a delightful Georgian seaside town where we had a most impressive lunch in the Crown pub (on the village green). Other highlights included a trip on one of Bean’s Boats to the seal colony at Blakeney Point. As the tide rose, the sun came out and watching the seals basking in the late-afternoon rays, or popping up their heads aside the boat to see what was going on provided great entertainment. These must be the most photographed seals in the country but they deal with the pressure admirably. The only honking on our trip came from the little girl trying to communicate with the oblivious creatures.

A long walk on Holkham beach was bracing. The vast expanse of flat sand is liberating as much as bleak, though this is certainly not a spot for sunbathing or sand castles, or at least not in February. Further inland, we discovered Castle Acre with its stunning medieval castle (built soon after 1066) and priory. Sadly, it was too wet for photographs of these archetypal romantic ruins.

Locations Visited: Swaffham

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