Today's destination is the Life Boat Inn in Thornham and a visit to the beach at Hunstanton. Check out the cool place names I saw on the way. King's Lynn is especially interesting because it's where the Pilgrims launched and probably where my really, really old armchair is from.
The Life Boat Inn and Pub is located on the North Sea near a wide inlet named The Wash.
The original part of the inn and pub (pictured above) was built in the 16th century with perhaps a few additions and upgrades since. I loved how the low ceilings gave each room weight and the worn and warped floorboards made it tough to walk straight. Signs above each door and passageways warn, "Duck and/or Grouse”. Anyone over five feet tall will get a good smack on the head if they don't duck.
Everyone was happy with their lunch except one person, who will remain nameless. The Ploughman’s lunch turned out to be the award-winning meal (photo above) which Win and Val were clever enough to order. The huge plates were weighed down with no less than a pound of cheese which Bob eyed furiously during the entire meal, much to everyone's disapproval. Included was a cottage loaf, salad, Branston pickle, and apple and pickled onion.
Sadly, Bob had made a disastrous mistake by ordering the Underwhelming Club Sandwich (above) which he quickly demolished and began scoping out everyone else's lunch. When he began making pathetic whining noises Win was forced to relent and give him most of her cheddar cheese thus bringing us all peace and quiet for a short time.
I had an interesting meal of curried sweet potatoes, creme fraiche, rice pilaf and toasted rocket. I was hungry, but ambivalent about the meal. I might be craving tofu.
The afternoon mitigation walk is essential on this trip. The vast troughs of food we consume is terrifying. I'm guessing today's walk will burn off at least five percent of the calories. We drove to Hunstanton to the infamous cold and windy beach locals call Sunny Hunny. This is a popular destination drawing visitors from miles around despite its reputation as a cold, windy, sandblasted experience. Today was calm, sunny, warm and splendid, inspiring my complete skepticism about the miserable Palin family visits of the past.
Cliffs full off shell fossils line the beach and rocky tidepools proved worthy hiding spots for crabs (photo credit to Bob, bravery credit to me)
At the entry to the beach path was this sign for the north end of Peddars Way, the walking path that runs 46 miles from Tethford to the south, through Swaffham and up to this point. I'd love to walk the whole length... but only if it avoids sections of roadway. The drivers here are insane.
After the beach walk we went to the café at the end of the carpark and Larry gleefully bought this sausage roll. It's nothing more or less than a lump of sausage meat rolled up in puff pastry and baked. Yes, it is really as disgusting as it sounds. Bob ate his fair share, and noted, “I‘ve had much better. Mum and Valerie make them with real sausage and pie pastry". If he was hinting, no one noticed."
On the way home I saw this wattle fence. They’re everywhere.
Tomorrow is the big 80th birthday bash for Win, then I'm headed to the East coast to see what's there. Meanwhile, I am still on the search for a stout beer in this county. So far I haven't found one and am resorting to drinking Aspall cider (or cyder as it's sometimes spelled). The cider is pretty darn good and goes with just about everything. It reminds me of a neighbor's homemade cider in Maine. When I was a kid, Albert Sewell made some strong cider from his own apples. It was fizzy, tart and had a bite.
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