Monday 25 May 2015

Aldeburgh.

For me, and for the farmer too, one of the nicest things about going on holiday is the coming back home.   We were away eleven days and that is just about long enough for us.  (and long enough for the grass on our lawns too!)

But Aldeburgh really is a lovely place to be.   The weather was decidedly warmer than it is back up here and we managed to dodge the showers as most of them took place while we were in having lunch somewhere, or just back at our hotel.

Here are some of the things we found so enjoyable about the area:

The colour of the place.  Most of the cottages are colour-washed in blues and pinks and ochres, the shingle is a sandy colour, the sea is a sandy colour - there is an over-riding gentleness to the colour everywhere, which is very restful.

Visiting the site of Sutton Hoo and the excellent museum was certainly one of the highlights.

I'm sure everyone knows that Aldeburgh was where the composer, Benjamin Britten, lived with his partner Peter Pears for well over twenty years.   Visiting his house and touring his studio and looking at the excellent exhibition with taped commentary through earphones was always going to be one of the highlights and it didn't disappoint.

And last, but by no means least, just gently riding round the beautiful Suffolk countryside - so different from our own here in The Yorkshire Dales,  was a delight.   Narrow country lanes, very little traffic, hedges white over with hawthorn blossom, lane-sides frothed with cow parsley, purple and white lilac in bloom everywhere, horse chestnut trees in flower -some with white 'candles' and some with pink or red, field after field of arable land (we have so little of it up here), lots of it sown with bright golden rape in full blossom, I shall remember it all forever. 

Here are a few more shots:
This is the side view of Britten's house, but the Wisteria was so beautiful I thought you (and probably they when they lived here) would like this view the best.
The Maggi Hambling shell on the beach - a contentious issue I believe in the town, but the farmer and I loved it - most impressive.

21 comments:

Gwil W said...

Lovely reminder of my own holiday there a few years ago. Very pleased to see the shell is still on the beach.

A Heron's View said...

Wonderful piece of sculpture, I can see why you and the farmer appreciated it and glad that you both had a good holiday.

Sue in Suffolk said...

I think the main objections locally to the scallop were that it was a huge piece of empty beach and people wanted it left as that and wanted the scallop to go somewhere in the town. The noises about it seem to have died down lately.

Elizabeth said...

Yes, the wisteria is beautiful.
I can see why the shell was controversial - but really in the placement rather than the actual thingI imagine.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

So glad you enjoyed your holiday. The wisteria looks gorgeous. I would love to visit that area some day.

Heather said...

Love the beach sculpture and the wisteria. Ours is just starting to fall which makes a mess but is a small price to pay for all that beauty. I always enjoy the differences from home which I notice when away on holiday. What a treat to visit the Sutton Hoo museum.

Joanne Noragon said...

I can see why Adlebrough is so easy to look at. Perfectly lovely.

galant said...

Envious of your visit to Aldeburgh ... love the place even though we live by the sea in Torbay. But the sea at Aldeburgh is a truly 'working' sea. I used to love to watch the fishermen take out their boats early morning from our bedroom at the Wentworth Hotel. Best of all, the walk from Snape to Iken, or along the coast to Thorpeness.
Worst moment - falling on the muddy path around the reed beds at Snape Maltings and husband and I almost going into the deep water - a very frightening moment. We recovered ourselves, covered in river mud, smelling vile, and went with as much aplomb as possible into the Akker Bilk concert! At least in the dark we couldn't be seen, covered head to toe in mud. Husband was all for not going in, but I said No, the Queen was startled when on trooping the colour day many years ago, some chap let off a pistol close by; she didn't come over all wimpish, she carried on. So I said we'd only got mud on our clothes - we would attend the concert! And we did.
Margaret P

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful time - love the shell and the wisteria is amazing - the bricks are the perfect background.

George said...

Glad you had a lovely holiday, Pat. Makes me want to go to Suffolk and Aldebrough.

jinxxxygirl said...

Ahhh Holidays.... always good to leave and good to come home.. win/win... That wisteria is gorgeous. Hugs! deb

The Weaver of Grass said...

Loved your story about Snape Margaret P. It is lovely to be back home again with the memories of our visit.

Frances said...

Thank you for the glorious photographs from your holiday. Aldeburgh is another place I've never visited, but do yearn to see. Your post has added to that yearning.

But, of course, how lovely to return home.

Best wishes.

mrsnesbitt said...

http://www.nolonstacey.com/#welcome

Hi Pat - I have e-mailed this link over to you. Truly amazing work on Hares.

donna baker said...

I love the shell on the beach. Wonderful place for it. I wish there was a map app for Great Britain that could be placed on the sidebar, so I could see all the wonderful places I read about.

Rachel Phillips said...

All those boroughs and burghs and broughs can be such a challenge, why even Wembley couldn't get it right today, Middlesborough v Norwich they said. Still it doesn't really matter, Norwich won and I am sure Middlesbrough will be back next year. Good to see you back Weave...

Cloudia said...

Most enjoyable. Thanks





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ALOHA from Honolulu,
ComfortSpiral
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angryparsnip said...

Beautiful, wonderful and with all the blooms so lovely.
I can't remember if you took Tess. So if you didn't a very happy welcome home.

cheers, parsnip

The Weaver of Grass said...

We didn't take Tess on holiday with us - she goes into kennels in the Dales, where she always seems very happy. But it is lovely to have her back - she has settled in immediately.

Cro Magnon said...

Beautiful Wisteria; ours is long finished. Not sure about the Hambling; although it's a sea related subject, I think it would look better in a town square.

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Hi. Hi. Hi.
Glad you are back and had such a nice trip and brought back such interesting pix for us to see!
:) m & jb