Monday 13th July

I’ve really been missing the seaside during lockdown so, on a whim, Husband decided on an overnight trip to north Norfolk; booking one night at The Globe Inn, a gastro pub/boutique hotel which sits on a pretty green square in central Wells-next-the-Sea.

First port of call on arrival was the beach!! Although I do always ‘like to be beside the seaside‘, we never just sit on the beach, but it was 117 days since I last saw the sea – as I waved farewell whilst driving alongside The Med – so it was great to just sit and take in its many delights over lunch.

We arrived with all the kit – chairs, windbreak and a posh picnic which included several items home-grown in the garden by Husband – potatoes, beetroot and shallots. If only we’d remembered his home-made sausage rolls from the freezer, we wouldn’t have had to succumb to the bought variety!

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OK, it rained a bit but, hey, what’s a little bit of damp! The only disaster was no bubbly to celebrate being ‘beside the seaside’. Also, technically, the piece of water you can see is the ‘The Run’, the entrance to Wells-next-the-Sea harbour, but the patch right in distance is the actual sea …………….. no actual waves though. It was still a ‘best bit’, especially not having seen the sea since leaving the Mediterranean on 18th March.

After lunch, a wander around Wells-next-the-Sea, including the harbour front, its quaint streets and shops. The photo of the empty High Street below was taken early evening but, still, not many people during the day either.

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Dinner in the pub; their restaurant was fully booked but we were lucky in finding a nice table in the bar as, due to Coronavirus, tables were limited. (Restaurants only re-opening on 4th July having closed on 23rd March). Nice food – another time, good to know, you really don’t need a starter. Phew!

Tuesday 14th July

After a Full English we checked out and set off for Sheringham and a flat white coffee right on the seafront, with waves too!! (Waves were in the sea, not in the coffee). A mosey along the High Street and into the amazing hardware store – Blyth & Wright – http://www.blythandwright.co.uk a must visit destination in Sheringham – don’t you just love a proper hardware store? This one is enormous and their website actually says “I bet we’ve got it!” – awesome.

And then a glimpse of a steam train on the ‘Poppy Line’ – they seemed to have a nice number of people considering the virus situation and it was a Tuesday out of official school holidays. Lovely wooden carriages.

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And, finally, on to Cromer with its pier and promenade – because, of course, ‘I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom …..‘.

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As a finale, we sat like two old codgers, in our chairs, beside the car, in a grassy car park, on top of the cliff, where we ate our – freshly made – Cromer crab sandwiches, looking out over the sea. A jolly time!!