Week 2 at Bridge House

Sunday and Monday we spent with our friend Wendi, from Mt Beauty.  She caught the train out from London for the night.  I pinched Wendi a few times while she was here just to make sure she really was here.  It seems so odd to meet up so far away from home.

Sunday we enjoyed a carvery lunch and a pint of cider at a nearby village pub before heading into Ipswich to walk around the market (part of the Ip-Art Festival), thanks to Mum for that information.  I had Skyped with her earlier that morning and she told me about the market.  Isn’t the electronic world we live in amazing!

Monday morning we went for a walk along the river - at the end of Mill Lane.

Just like a Midsommer Murder crime scene

I forgot to take a photo of Wendi while she was here – talking too much (I know you find that hard to believe).  After our walk we went to Lilian’s allotment and picked silver beet, broad beans and strawberries.  We made a frittata using the silver beet and broad beans for lunch.

The strawberries I used that night in a dessert called Eton Mess for Lilian and her American friends – I’ll tell you about dinner in a minute.  Anyway, Wendi knew the name of the dessert.  I was describing it to her as Karen (our August Surrey housesit) made it for us for dinner when we stayed the night with her a few weeks ago.  So with the name, I Googled and viola! 

Dinner Monday night was with Lilian, Autumn and Daniel.  Lilian did an exchange in San Francisco (Kentwell Hall exchange) and stayed with Autumn and Daniel.  They are here for a short holiday, more business than holiday.  Both are very creative and arty.  Autumn designs corsets, corsets you say, yes corsets.  Lilian says her work is amazing and she sells to a Parisian clientele and would like to open a shop in London.  They spent the day with Lilian at Kentwell and she was keen to show them her house so they stayed Monday night.  They were a lovely couple and the conversation over dinner was interesting.  Autumn asked for the Eton Mess recipe.  For the main I made chicken with green olives, rice with almonds and a green salad.  I am enjoying cooking again even though I have not really missed it, because time goes so fast and before you know it I will be cooking again everyday.  Got to make the most of not having a routine. 

Other outings during the week were Helmingham Hall Gardens and the Ipswich markets.  Ipswich high street has market stalls four days a week, selling anything from fruit and veg, clothes, tools, books etc.  The fruit and veg are so cheap and ready to eat, no leaving it on the windowsill for days to ripen.

On Wednesday we visited Helmingham Hall.  It is a privately owned home with beautiful grounds and gardens.  It is a half hour drive from here.  Jim selects alternative routes on the SatNav so we end up on country roads and not the motorways.  You get to drive through lots of cute villages with very little traffic.

http://www.helmingham.com/history.asp

Please look at all the photos of the gardens.  It is a late late spring here so the flowers are still looking good.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimhappy/

Helmingham Hall

In between our outings I have been weeding in the backyard and at the allotment and Jim does what he does best – watching TV, surfing the net and generally being our IT person (loading photos on Flickr etc).

Today, Friday we are off to the local pub ‘The Bramford Cock’ for a carvery lunch.  Did I mention carvery lunches are all the go here.  It is a bargain at 12 pounds ($18) for two – see what it tastes like.  Unfortunately it is another grey day.  The sun came out yesterday morning for an hour.  We (Jim, myself and Florence) all sat out in it until it hid behind the clouds for the remainder of the day.  Florence continues to be a gracious old lady, coming to us when she wants food or attention.  Today is another grey day with drizzling rain.  Another typical Summer's day in England - so they say.