Hi Everyone! I am going to make this one just a picture-story, since we are getting packed up and headed out for another Belgian adventure! The weekend before last, we went camping here for the first time, in celebration of Jeff's birthday. I could write a whole post on the topic of what is considered "camping" here in England, but it will have to wait!
(But I will say this: Would you call this a campground?! If so, then you are probably not American. P.S. We had to pay $30 to pitch our tent here, in this field, near the road.)
But the views were still pretty wonderful.
And (hardly!) sleeping in a tent made this guy happy. I love making him happy.
Weird campsite aside, we were just a short drive from the beach!
I made the Birthday Man lamb kebabs right on the beach. So good!
There are a few nice things about shingled beaches.
1. No sand in your food.
2. The beautiful tinkling sound that the rocks make as the waves wash up on the shore. Such music!
3. Incredibly clear water.
Also, throwing the rocks is unbeatable fun.
(Wondering about that plastic-bagged foot? We had our first serious child injury the morning that we were getting ready to go. Amelia cut her foot pretty deeply on some glass. I thought for sure she'd need stitches, and we went to the ER. An hour later, she was taped up and calm, but could not get that foot wet for a week. She was a very good sport.)
Instead of swimming, she interviewed fishermen.
So, is there anything more luxurious than getting to stay at the beach and watch the sun set, after a couple hours of swimming in clear waters?
No, I don't think there is. Well, maybe fishing at the same time!
We went back to our tents, and had a long night of trying to sleep. But I did love looking up at the stars and chatting with Jeff at 3 a.m.
Nice and early, though, we headed back to the beach.
And then there were the morning fishermen.
We had driven around quite a bit trying to find a petrol canister for a little camping stove-- to no avail. But, once again, the little porta-que saved the day!
Right up there with beach sunsets on my lists of favorite things is breakfast at the beach.
Oh, and this little one:
OH, and THIS!
What an amazing feeling, just floating there...
What a wonderful weekend...
Beautiful, green fields... We will have to visit Cromer one more time before it gets too cold to swim, cook on the beach, and stay for the sunset.
(But I will say this: Would you call this a campground?! If so, then you are probably not American. P.S. We had to pay $30 to pitch our tent here, in this field, near the road.)
But the views were still pretty wonderful.
And (hardly!) sleeping in a tent made this guy happy. I love making him happy.
Weird campsite aside, we were just a short drive from the beach!
I made the Birthday Man lamb kebabs right on the beach. So good!
There are a few nice things about shingled beaches.
1. No sand in your food.
2. The beautiful tinkling sound that the rocks make as the waves wash up on the shore. Such music!
3. Incredibly clear water.
Also, throwing the rocks is unbeatable fun.
Instead of swimming, she interviewed fishermen.
So, is there anything more luxurious than getting to stay at the beach and watch the sun set, after a couple hours of swimming in clear waters?
No, I don't think there is. Well, maybe fishing at the same time!
We went back to our tents, and had a long night of trying to sleep. But I did love looking up at the stars and chatting with Jeff at 3 a.m.
Nice and early, though, we headed back to the beach.
We had driven around quite a bit trying to find a petrol canister for a little camping stove-- to no avail. But, once again, the little porta-que saved the day!
Right up there with beach sunsets on my lists of favorite things is breakfast at the beach.
Oh, and this little one:
OH, and THIS!
What an amazing feeling, just floating there...
What a wonderful weekend...
And would you guess what the landscape behind the beach looked like?
Beautiful picture essay! We can tell you had a great time... Love the pictures of you and Amelia! --Anonymous, aka Dad
ReplyDeleteYes, it sure was fun! That nice warm, clear water definitely brought back fond memories of spending the day in the ocean in the Philippines.
DeleteI can see the advantage of your no-sand beach, though sitting on those little rocks doesn't look too comfortable:) Beautiful scenery! PS I think in the US we would call that a primitive camp site -- only for the hardiest of campers.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I did miss the powdery sand in De Haan, but the pebbles have their advantages. It was SO nice to not even think about keeping sand out of the food!
DeleteWow, that is stunning. What a weekend! Love the pictures.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it was our best beach experience of the summer-- and we have sampled so many beaches this year!
DeleteThis reminds me of the time after Jesus' resurrection, when He cooked the disciples fish on the beach shore (without a porta-que) LOVELY!! I love the one with Amelia holding your face & her interviewing the fisherman! The sunset was amazing! What a fun weekend!
ReplyDeleteYes! We did cook fish on the beach with no equipment back in the Philippines-- the best way to do seafood, in my opinion!
DeleteSuch gorgeous photos!! I haven't done much camping, but your photo essay made me want to.
ReplyDeleteOh, you should definitely go for it, Katie. My husband always went camping up in the mountains (in California, usually) but I mostly remember camping on beaches, or in the desert. Camping in a field so close to civilization was a little different for both of us, but I think we might actually be able to just pitch a tent on the beach in the future (really wish I had known this!)
DeleteWhat an interesting campground! The beach is nice... I'd love some of those rocks, I love the yellow sunset and your laughing face with Amelia. And happy birthday to Jeff! What a nice way to celebrate it. Love the view of what's back of the beach... I'm enjoying all your everyday pictures of England, not just the classic ones I already know and admire. Thanks, Ariana!
ReplyDeleteLove you...
Yes, the campground WAS pretty interesting! The surprising thing about it was that I found it by searching "wild camping Norfolk." Most campgrounds here are like a very manicured park, where you pitch a tent on mowed grass, and there are laundry facilities, etc. Not at all what Jeff and I are used to! This was "wild" in that there wasn't a bathroom on site, and the only amenity was a water spigot. I did expect a whole lot more wildness than what we got. I think no one here would want to camp somewhere more than a few hundred yards from a pub!
DeleteI've been cooped up and grumpy with the flu today, and longing for the seaside -- how fun to pop over here and be whisked away vicariously. I feel refreshed. (:
ReplyDeleteAnd oy, I love your coffee ingenuity!
Oh, so sorry to hear that you are sick! Glad I could take you away from it, even for just a minute.
DeleteAnd being able to make coffee on the beach was such a luxury-- the birthday boy would have been bummed out if we had to skip that one. :)
Very fond memories of campsites like this every year for our family holidays. Basic but fun and interesting at least!
ReplyDeleteYes, I like the very basic-ness of the campsite. In the future, though, I'd love to find a spot a little further from the road/ town!
DeleteIt looks like absolute perfection!! Truly!
ReplyDeleteYes, our first family camping trip ended up being super fun and sweet!
Delete