Week 3 our final week at Bridge House

Is the weather balmy (pleasantly warm) or balmy (eccentric) or is it muggy?

People the world over are obsessed with the weather and the English are no different.  It is so funny to hear people say ‘Isn’t it balmy?’ or “Isn’t it muggy?’

Just the other day I heard a lady say to her friend ‘Oh, it is muggy today’ in her cute English accent.  Jim and I just looked at each other and shook our heads.  Maybe they use the word ‘muggy’ in a different context to us because Jim and I were wearing three layers.

One thing people the world over all agree on is, that the weather is balmy (eccentric) and not as we know it.  We have heard it so many times since we have been here that England use to have a summer (a decade ago).  Where did it go????

This week our outings were Felixstowe, Southwold and Cambridge.  We drove to Felixstowe on Sunday morning for a walk along the beachfront.  It is a typical English seaside resort with the pier and amusement centre, fun park and beach huts. 

On Wednesday we went to Southwold, the home of Adnams Brewery.  We took the brewery tour.  It was easy to get Jim to pose and smile for the camera on this outing.  I can’t remember a single fact about the beer making process but the history of the brewery and the yeast used was fascinating.  Southwold is on the coast and the beachfront is similar to Felixstowe, which is just up the road. 

Yesterday, Thursday we visited Cambridge, another beautiful city with amazing old buildings.  We had lunch at a pub overlooking the River Cam.  Then we took a punt up the ‘backs’.  It is called the ‘backs’ because the sights along the river are the backs of the colleges.  The colleges were having open days so the city was very busy. 

In the middle of Cambridge City the market place was busy with the usual stalls we have seen at other village markets except here a few stood out - scarves (an essential English piece of clothing all year round, a poetry stall (after all we were in Cambridge), and a barber.  The barber caught our eye.  It was time again for Jim to have a trim so we decided to wait.  She was quite busy.  It was worth it for the entertainment value and the haircut was not bad.  She was a punk turned yogini (female yogi).  She has been back in England for 2 years after living in Cali (California) for the past 20 years where she found yoga and before that she had been a punk growing up in England. 

Lilian has been here (at her house) for the past few days with us.  Kentwell did not have many mid week school tours this week and she wasn’t feeling so well so has spent the days resting.  We said goodbye to her this afternoon as she drove back to Kentwell for the weekend.  It is the final weekend for the season.  When we went back in the house she had left us a thank you card and gift of cheeses, beer and cider.  It is nice to be appreciated. 

Tomorrow the Bramford Fun Day is being held in the church grounds at the end of the street.  I can’t wait.  It should be a ‘fun day’ with the teddy bear parachuting (out of the church tower) competition and meet The Stig not to mention homemade cakes.  I must admit we have been eating a lot of home made cakes these past six weeks since our arrival in England.  Jim is set to watch the final of the Lions Tour tomorrow night on You Tube.  He says it is a better picture than streaming live.

We leave Bramford on Sunday, that is the end of our house sit.  It has been so enjoyable to be in the one place and all our sight seeing has been within an hours drive. 

Next stop Brighton 2 nights, Isle of Wight 4 nights and Saltash 1 night with Karen, Dave and the kids.  We board our cruise (aka overnight ferry) from Plymouth to Santander, Spain on Sunday afternoon.  From Santander we catch a bus (2 hours) to San Sebastian for 10 nights.

Please visit our Flickr site and view the sets Felixstowe, Adnams Brewery and Cambridge 

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

Felixstowe beachfront with beach huts

Sun bathing????

A happy Jim at beer tasting at Adnam's Brewery

The Wren Library at Cambridge

Punting on the River Cam