Tuesday 29 September 2009
Sunday 27 September 2009
Lazy Sunday
Sometimes domestic bliss appears from the most unplanned sources.
This morning we got up late - we haven't for ages and when we did eventually stir we discovered just enough ingredients in the house to make a pretty decent brunch which even included fruit juice and fresh coffee.
Then we headed out to find pine cones, (part of my christmas craft endeavors) and went up to the plantation by Wyevales garden centre where we wandered through the trees and again i really wished I had my fast camara to capture the birds and squirrels which were everywhere. The trees were amazing and it was very peaceful - leading me to conclude my tranquillity research was right describing even small places can truly be oases of calm.
As is happening so frequently at the moment I saw something amazing in the woods. Picking pine cones is a very peaceful activity and involved scouring the ground carefully but also moving carefully so as not to cruch any good cones. I noticed a squirrel jumping down a tree which seems to be moving oddly so I watched a little more carefully, in the mother squirrels mouth was a small baby squirrel with small ears and a little tail which was waving around as the mum bounced along the ground before bouncing up another tree. Lovely.
After collecting a few cones (will photograph tomorrow) and after he'd nibbled at a few sweet chestnuts we headed to the garden centre round the corner where we spent an hour browsing and eventually bought some cut price flower seeds, and some shallots, garlic, winter peas and green manure for the veg match as well as a fleece cloche. I am hoping to spend the next couple of days tidying and preparing the garden for winter.
I then had to go off and run a few errands and he stayed at home to wash the car and managed to fix the oven too. Getting back I put a beef casserole on and made a crumble from mums apples, did some recipe hunting, and checked on the sloes before we make sloe gin & sloe vodka tonmorrow evening. It really is the little things which count - fresh food & good wine!!!
Tomorrow I promise - I will spend some time in my garden!
This morning we got up late - we haven't for ages and when we did eventually stir we discovered just enough ingredients in the house to make a pretty decent brunch which even included fruit juice and fresh coffee.
Then we headed out to find pine cones, (part of my christmas craft endeavors) and went up to the plantation by Wyevales garden centre where we wandered through the trees and again i really wished I had my fast camara to capture the birds and squirrels which were everywhere. The trees were amazing and it was very peaceful - leading me to conclude my tranquillity research was right describing even small places can truly be oases of calm.
As is happening so frequently at the moment I saw something amazing in the woods. Picking pine cones is a very peaceful activity and involved scouring the ground carefully but also moving carefully so as not to cruch any good cones. I noticed a squirrel jumping down a tree which seems to be moving oddly so I watched a little more carefully, in the mother squirrels mouth was a small baby squirrel with small ears and a little tail which was waving around as the mum bounced along the ground before bouncing up another tree. Lovely.
After collecting a few cones (will photograph tomorrow) and after he'd nibbled at a few sweet chestnuts we headed to the garden centre round the corner where we spent an hour browsing and eventually bought some cut price flower seeds, and some shallots, garlic, winter peas and green manure for the veg match as well as a fleece cloche. I am hoping to spend the next couple of days tidying and preparing the garden for winter.
I then had to go off and run a few errands and he stayed at home to wash the car and managed to fix the oven too. Getting back I put a beef casserole on and made a crumble from mums apples, did some recipe hunting, and checked on the sloes before we make sloe gin & sloe vodka tonmorrow evening. It really is the little things which count - fresh food & good wine!!!
Tomorrow I promise - I will spend some time in my garden!
Saturday 26 September 2009
Perfect Day
We have spent the last few weekends exploring Norfolk and avoiding the city centre crowds, we didn't really need anything and with the heat of the summer gone then September has been very pleasent for bike rides and general outdoor things, not much gardening has been going on but that is all about to change. However there comes a point where work shirts need to be purchased and we had to source some borax to improve the ecoballs.
We headed into Norwich to attend the Japanese Day at the forum which was a tenting and also really good fun. We watched a sushi demonstration and got to eat some too, and 'he' was lucky enough to actually get his food at Wagamama while in actual fact they forgot mine which I wasn't too impressed with. I do think that Wagas is a great place to eat but the Norwich franchise is appalling and i seriously recommend that people try Shikis if they are after a traditional Japanese menu.
The lunchtime hiccup was forgotten once we got on our bikes and headed 11 miles out of the city to South Burlingham for afternoon tea with family. The ride was glorious and fairly traffic free, cyling through Brundell, Strumpshaw and Lingwood I realised I had never ever visited these villages. After tea and cake and looking at wedding pictures we headed home through reds and oranges, it was a truly fabulous sunset and I wished I had my camara with me.
Stopping at Thorpe St Andrew by the river we ate fish and chips watching the sunlight fade and as the houseboats started up their woodburners a pall of pale smoke weaved across the river. Cycling slightly more slowly home we made it just as the light went completely - looking on the map we worked out that we had in fact cycled 25 miles!
We headed into Norwich to attend the Japanese Day at the forum which was a tenting and also really good fun. We watched a sushi demonstration and got to eat some too, and 'he' was lucky enough to actually get his food at Wagamama while in actual fact they forgot mine which I wasn't too impressed with. I do think that Wagas is a great place to eat but the Norwich franchise is appalling and i seriously recommend that people try Shikis if they are after a traditional Japanese menu.
The lunchtime hiccup was forgotten once we got on our bikes and headed 11 miles out of the city to South Burlingham for afternoon tea with family. The ride was glorious and fairly traffic free, cyling through Brundell, Strumpshaw and Lingwood I realised I had never ever visited these villages. After tea and cake and looking at wedding pictures we headed home through reds and oranges, it was a truly fabulous sunset and I wished I had my camara with me.
Stopping at Thorpe St Andrew by the river we ate fish and chips watching the sunlight fade and as the houseboats started up their woodburners a pall of pale smoke weaved across the river. Cycling slightly more slowly home we made it just as the light went completely - looking on the map we worked out that we had in fact cycled 25 miles!
Friday 25 September 2009
Carpe Diem
Following my redundancy in April, I have been re-employed in the Suffolk coastal town of Lowestoft - the 12 hour days were starting to get too much so I now only work three days a week and today was one of them. I leave at 7am and get home at about 6 if I work through my lunch hour, it feels as though I lose touch with the outside world and so enjoy the walk to and from the station through the city up through the Cathedral. Today however we decided that we would walk the 'Riverside' walk which starts by the Complete Angler and winds its way under willow trees to Cowgate past Pulls Ferry.
The first section was peaceful, but the often forgotten section from Bishops Bridge through to Jarrolds mill past Cow Tower (seen above) was really beautiful and it made the whole world ok and was a wonderful start to teh weekend - we saw a family of swans and found a fabulous hidden pond which i never knew about. Turning to take the photo above we thought we were having something thrown at us when we realised we were standing under a conker tree! Never one to look a gift conker in the mouth we gathered a few up and i might try to use them in Christmas decorations. Seeing as how my hunt for pine cones is going really badly, they used to be everywhere when i was little, where oh where have the little cones gone?!
The first section was peaceful, but the often forgotten section from Bishops Bridge through to Jarrolds mill past Cow Tower (seen above) was really beautiful and it made the whole world ok and was a wonderful start to teh weekend - we saw a family of swans and found a fabulous hidden pond which i never knew about. Turning to take the photo above we thought we were having something thrown at us when we realised we were standing under a conker tree! Never one to look a gift conker in the mouth we gathered a few up and i might try to use them in Christmas decorations. Seeing as how my hunt for pine cones is going really badly, they used to be everywhere when i was little, where oh where have the little cones gone?!
Thursday 24 September 2009
CPRE Food Event
We spent yesterday evening at a very fascinating workshop about local food and the impacts it has on the area which was hosted by the CPRE at the Workshop on Earlham Road - its all to do with Mapping Local Food webs click here for more info!.
This was partly a tenting in terms of us getting out and doing things together, but it was also very interesting to meet people who might think along the same lines as us and my lil sis came along as well so it was great to catch up. There were structured activities to gauge people opnion on how local food affected the environment, society and economy and the buffet was stocked with local produce. Which was delicious.
This was partly a tenting in terms of us getting out and doing things together, but it was also very interesting to meet people who might think along the same lines as us and my lil sis came along as well so it was great to catch up. There were structured activities to gauge people opnion on how local food affected the environment, society and economy and the buffet was stocked with local produce. Which was delicious.
Sunday 20 September 2009
Indian Summer Part II - Sloes!
Today we (nearly) lept out of bed in search of the elusive sloe. We have come to the conclusion that we will be having a traditional Christmas and celebrate all we love about Norfolk & English winter traditions. My Sarah Raven Christmas book has been well read and we've decided that we would try and make sloe gin & sloe vodka for Christmas, and having been told in some quarters that they were over, and other quarters that they wouldn't be ready yet we weren't sure if we'd missed the Sloe boat.
It was a cool start to the day but by the time we got up to Itteringham where we had asked a friendly farmer to help us to locate some sloes it had got really quite warm. In fairness I didn't know what a sloe looked like and so once the townies had been dropped by a hedge bursting with sloes we were left to get stung, scratched, prickled and generally made to work for our sloes. I was really surprised by the size of the little beggars and also the tenacity with which they clung to the hedge, the sheen on them was translucent and they are really pretty.
After picking some rosehips (not enough as I discovered when we got home) we headed up the Wolterton Park Harden open day where we immediately sought out lunch. The garden is rented out by the owners to a couple who grow enough to run Barker Organics. After lunch we toured the organic garden learning quite a bit about biodynamic gardening in the process. Growing up we were taken to almost every estate kitchen garden in England (well it felt like it sometimes) and while the Barker garden does not resemble one tiny bit the traditional national trust tidy type kitchen garden I can honestly say I have never been in a kitchen garden with so much wildlife. I saw a goldfinch for only the second time, robins, bees,(honey and bumble), and the various sunflowers were amazing, although they didn;t have any black ones like we grew this year.
After wandering around the stalls where we saw a whole host of amazing produce and crafts made in Norfolk we meandered home to an amazing supper of organic sausage, apple (mums tree), and Norfolk onion casserole. With it we had mustard mash made with our potatos - i can honestly say it was the best mash I have ever tasted! We had carrots plucked from the ground moments before going in the pan - he has to go and pick them by torchlight as the evenings have started catch us unawares.
By next weekend I hope to have my cloches which i'll need for winter growing - because of the veg patch dimensions then I have to cut accross my normal beds but if thats what it takes to get veg over the winter then so be it!
Oh and the sloes? 2.85KG - about 6 75cl bottles worth - Roll on Christmas!!!
It was a cool start to the day but by the time we got up to Itteringham where we had asked a friendly farmer to help us to locate some sloes it had got really quite warm. In fairness I didn't know what a sloe looked like and so once the townies had been dropped by a hedge bursting with sloes we were left to get stung, scratched, prickled and generally made to work for our sloes. I was really surprised by the size of the little beggars and also the tenacity with which they clung to the hedge, the sheen on them was translucent and they are really pretty.
After picking some rosehips (not enough as I discovered when we got home) we headed up the Wolterton Park Harden open day where we immediately sought out lunch. The garden is rented out by the owners to a couple who grow enough to run Barker Organics. After lunch we toured the organic garden learning quite a bit about biodynamic gardening in the process. Growing up we were taken to almost every estate kitchen garden in England (well it felt like it sometimes) and while the Barker garden does not resemble one tiny bit the traditional national trust tidy type kitchen garden I can honestly say I have never been in a kitchen garden with so much wildlife. I saw a goldfinch for only the second time, robins, bees,(honey and bumble), and the various sunflowers were amazing, although they didn;t have any black ones like we grew this year.After wandering around the stalls where we saw a whole host of amazing produce and crafts made in Norfolk we meandered home to an amazing supper of organic sausage, apple (mums tree), and Norfolk onion casserole. With it we had mustard mash made with our potatos - i can honestly say it was the best mash I have ever tasted! We had carrots plucked from the ground moments before going in the pan - he has to go and pick them by torchlight as the evenings have started catch us unawares.
By next weekend I hope to have my cloches which i'll need for winter growing - because of the veg patch dimensions then I have to cut accross my normal beds but if thats what it takes to get veg over the winter then so be it!
Oh and the sloes? 2.85KG - about 6 75cl bottles worth - Roll on Christmas!!!
Saturday 19 September 2009
Indian Summer Part I
We have had a lovely day relaxing with the amazing weather which I feel is giving us a second chance to get a crop out of the veg patch, I have decided on Carrots, Potatos, Onions, Garlic, Shallots, Broad Beans and early sowings of a few companion flowers. I spent the morning on a few errands, stopping at the HFG (Horstead Farm Group)Farm Shop at Beeston where I bought some Pinneys Smoked Salmon for a few luches, some blueberry lemonade (which was 'interesting'), cheese scones for him and some corn thins for me which are truly delicious. The food is good value and we like to buy local, it will be this which I think pushes us into getting a freezer.
When I got home we ate lunch in the garden, and surveyed the last of our crops. The tomatos are still going strong, as are the carrots, and the onions are storing ok in the ground. I picked up the last of the shallots to keep indoors and discovered that teh sweetcorn should probably have been eaten last weekend as they have now started to turn. Never mind - they did remarkably well given how little water they had and we got 9 cobs which could have been eaten. The beans, courgettes and peas were a HUGE dissapointment this year and next year I intend to keep a much closer eye on them.
The day was rounded off by an early evening BBQ at a friends - local food at theirs too and it tastes just so good. I know scientific studies have shown that there is no difference between organic and non-organic but the taste is just outstanding. And its noce to think it hasn't had to travel. Had we been a little more organised we would have biked over there but perhaps another day.
When I got home we ate lunch in the garden, and surveyed the last of our crops. The tomatos are still going strong, as are the carrots, and the onions are storing ok in the ground. I picked up the last of the shallots to keep indoors and discovered that teh sweetcorn should probably have been eaten last weekend as they have now started to turn. Never mind - they did remarkably well given how little water they had and we got 9 cobs which could have been eaten. The beans, courgettes and peas were a HUGE dissapointment this year and next year I intend to keep a much closer eye on them.
The day was rounded off by an early evening BBQ at a friends - local food at theirs too and it tastes just so good. I know scientific studies have shown that there is no difference between organic and non-organic but the taste is just outstanding. And its noce to think it hasn't had to travel. Had we been a little more organised we would have biked over there but perhaps another day.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Splish Splash
After yesterdays outing we had a lazy morning sorting out food for the week (which we have found significantly cuts down on food waste) and deciding on plans for the day. Plans for a paddle on the river in my cousins canoes were decided upon and I went off in waterproof trousers to do a couple of hours on the River Bure down river of Belaugh.
The river was a nice height and we had decided before setting off to try and find the entrance to the Crostwick Beck but this was twarted by gates accross the entrances to lots of interesting inlets. We did however discover Nortons Broad which had very unsportingly had a huge gate instaled accross the channel to stop us reaching it. We are fairly certain that tidal water cannot be owned so I might write to ask the Broads Authority and ask about Dobbs Beck.
On the trip we saw a kingfisher which was so very beautiful and two herons which were remarkably tolerant of our presence. We saw fish glide under us as we set off and as we paddled closer to Wroxham we duly thanked the fishermen who pulled in their lines so we could pass. Canoeing is a very eco friendly way to travel - and so quiet that even the most easily spooked wildlife will allow one to paddle quite close.
The river was a nice height and we had decided before setting off to try and find the entrance to the Crostwick Beck but this was twarted by gates accross the entrances to lots of interesting inlets. We did however discover Nortons Broad which had very unsportingly had a huge gate instaled accross the channel to stop us reaching it. We are fairly certain that tidal water cannot be owned so I might write to ask the Broads Authority and ask about Dobbs Beck.
On the trip we saw a kingfisher which was so very beautiful and two herons which were remarkably tolerant of our presence. We saw fish glide under us as we set off and as we paddled closer to Wroxham we duly thanked the fishermen who pulled in their lines so we could pass. Canoeing is a very eco friendly way to travel - and so quiet that even the most easily spooked wildlife will allow one to paddle quite close.
Saturday 12 September 2009
Green Build
The dawned bright and dry and after getting up early to make the picnic we set off for the 10.45 to Sheringham from Norwich station with our bicycles. The train was very busy & we were pleased we had booked our bike reservations yesterday.
Getting off at Roughton Road we were struck by the incredible peace of the station (the platform is effectively a bridge over the road), and checked the map before heading off to Felbrigg. We met up with family when we arrived and toured the event discovering a HUGE tomato, owls made from milk bottles and after checking out the norfolk food stall we decided it was lunchtime and sat down to eat some cheese rolls, pepper crisps, homegrown tomatos, fresh fennel tabbouleh and REALLY delicious cakes!
Post lunch we investigated the owls and after discovering the bird box stall we decided to make some bird boxes for £3 each. Then we asked some pertinent questions at the Edwards cob tent (we both love cob/glass deisgns) see http://www.edwardscobbuilding.com/, and spoke to a lovely person on the NNDC pledge tree who is currently building her own house and had useful ideas as to how we could get the land we want to live in. We saw recycled wooden kitchens, picked up some really fun cardboard cut outs which I'll post the link up for when I pick up the leaftlet http://www.mini-scrapbox.co.uk/.
Pedelling back to the station I was struck by the surrealness of the platform, I put a few ladybirds who were in danger of getting squashed on some bramble bushes and 'him' was so struck by teh quiet he stated that it was this kind of quiet he wanted. There were birds singing and I suspect roughly twice an hour the silence would be broken - but it was a glorious day out and definately a tenting. Coming home we tok the last of the tomatoes for dinner and I think we'll have the last of the carrots tomorrow.
Next week - foraging!
Pictures to follow :)
Getting off at Roughton Road we were struck by the incredible peace of the station (the platform is effectively a bridge over the road), and checked the map before heading off to Felbrigg. We met up with family when we arrived and toured the event discovering a HUGE tomato, owls made from milk bottles and after checking out the norfolk food stall we decided it was lunchtime and sat down to eat some cheese rolls, pepper crisps, homegrown tomatos, fresh fennel tabbouleh and REALLY delicious cakes!
Post lunch we investigated the owls and after discovering the bird box stall we decided to make some bird boxes for £3 each. Then we asked some pertinent questions at the Edwards cob tent (we both love cob/glass deisgns) see http://www.edwardscobbuilding.com/, and spoke to a lovely person on the NNDC pledge tree who is currently building her own house and had useful ideas as to how we could get the land we want to live in. We saw recycled wooden kitchens, picked up some really fun cardboard cut outs which I'll post the link up for when I pick up the leaftlet http://www.mini-scrapbox.co.uk/.Pedelling back to the station I was struck by the surrealness of the platform, I put a few ladybirds who were in danger of getting squashed on some bramble bushes and 'him' was so struck by teh quiet he stated that it was this kind of quiet he wanted. There were birds singing and I suspect roughly twice an hour the silence would be broken - but it was a glorious day out and definately a tenting. Coming home we tok the last of the tomatoes for dinner and I think we'll have the last of the carrots tomorrow.
Next week - foraging!
Pictures to follow :)
Wednesday 9 September 2009
Sunday 6 September 2009
Autumn?
The weather has changed this week - it is cooler and has been wetter but most noticeable is how windy its been. In addition our food has changed, we have had a couple of casseroles and tonight we had our first crumble with the apples foraged from my mums garden - I picked them from the tree at mums we used to have a treehouse in, and the bramblebries from the railway yesterday.
However our crab apple is really greening up with even a few blossoms, and i'm going foraging either this week or at the weekend after Green Build 2009. This is a fabulous source of information for green builds and although I've not been to it at Felbrigg I hope it'll be reasonable weather and we'll be going up by train.
However our crab apple is really greening up with even a few blossoms, and i'm going foraging either this week or at the weekend after Green Build 2009. This is a fabulous source of information for green builds and although I've not been to it at Felbrigg I hope it'll be reasonable weather and we'll be going up by train.
Saturday 5 September 2009
Foraging by Bike (Not really a gardening post!)
We went on a bit of a cycle ride today..
35 miles!
We decided to get out for the day and explore some of what Norfolk has to offer using the old Marriott's Way line from Norwich - Themelthorpe - Reepham - Aylsham then Bure Valley Cycle Path from Aylsham - Buxton - Colishall - Wroxham. This was definitely a tentings expeditiona to get out and enjoy the countryside and I am pleased to say it was really fabulous.
Starting out at half ten (the result of a few beers the night before) we joined the Marriotts Way proper at Halfords Roundabout at ten to eleven, a bit later than planned! We were amazed at the clearness of the river at the first crossing and only the fact that we were meeting someone further west stopped me from some serious poohstick fun. Cycling on we quickly left the traffic and at twenty past eleven we stopped for a drink on the bridge before drayton to admire the conservation work on Costessy meadows.
We then had quite an adventure of getting the bikes up and down on and off the old railway to navigate gaps where the line had been built on, this didn't pose any serious problems but care did need to be taken on eth stony slopes up and down from the trail. The stretch through Thorpe Marriott was really a wide tree lined avenue, the feeling of being in a forest with the ghosts of trains going past seemed more real here and all the way through to Attlebridge where the line came to an abrupt halt opposite a campsite set up in the old station. The map we had was the OS 134 25000 and not detailed enough for us to realise we had to go slightly north, then west to rejoin the trail, signage wasn't good at this point.
Coming up through Lenwade there was a real feeling of landscape conflict with wide open lakes next to massive industrial sites with vast gantries and enormous waste tailing's. Pushing on we stopped for a drink and to meet up with my cousin at WHitwell Station just before the "Themelthorpe Curve" . By this point we had almost cycled halfway and my legs were really beginning to tire, after another couple of miles on reasonable track we stopped to eat lunch in a field, the tomato's I had picked from eth greenhouse this morning were delicious in our rolls. Although it was indeed warm in the sun, there was a cool breeze and most of the railway was covered in green making the cycle way something ever so slightly mystical.
Moving through Reepham we came off the trail for a few meters before cycling a very diferent landscape up to Aylsham, the ground was much sandier and we could tell we were crossing between river valleys rather than up or down one. Looking around the hedgerows were groaning under the weight of sloes, berries and rosehips (AKA sloe gin, sloe vodka, rosehip syrup & bramble wine) and had I been better prepared I would have brought much more back with us. Getting to Aylsham my cousin left us and we took a slightly reduced pace around Aylsham before suddenly arriving at Tescos where we stocked up on more liquids.
We then started on the Bure Valley, we just missed a train as we were leaving and kept hoping for another to pass us but as the miles were eaten up this seemed unlikely, I used to live at Burgh and we paddled the river from Dunkirk in Aylsham to Mayton Bridge for my hen day so its a stretch i know very well. I spent much of this section looking for familar buildings and really enjoyed the totally different perspective we got from being high on the embankments. We crossed the mermaid and looked down on its clear waters where fish could be seen basking, and we admired the little station at Buxton. There were lots of butterflies and dragonflies and just past Haubois we saw a train - wow they move!
Soon after we stopped for a breather, although the Bure Valley section was shorter we were quite tired and so I collected bramblebries and he sat in the shade and watched me! We decided to then really push on to try and catch the 16.27 from Wroxham back to Norwich, riding the bikes back up from the station was done cautiously as we were both a bit saddlesore by this stage!
It was a lovely day which was even better for my cousin being able to join us for part of the route and we also managed to find a whole tub of bramblebries - or blackberries to the uninitiated, these were intended for a blackbry and apple (from mums garden) crumble but after resting for a bit there was no way on earth i was fit for cooking. I shall instead cook them for supper tomorrow evening - a reminder of our day on the railways.
35 miles!
We decided to get out for the day and explore some of what Norfolk has to offer using the old Marriott's Way line from Norwich - Themelthorpe - Reepham - Aylsham then Bure Valley Cycle Path from Aylsham - Buxton - Colishall - Wroxham. This was definitely a tentings expeditiona to get out and enjoy the countryside and I am pleased to say it was really fabulous.
Starting out at half ten (the result of a few beers the night before) we joined the Marriotts Way proper at Halfords Roundabout at ten to eleven, a bit later than planned! We were amazed at the clearness of the river at the first crossing and only the fact that we were meeting someone further west stopped me from some serious poohstick fun. Cycling on we quickly left the traffic and at twenty past eleven we stopped for a drink on the bridge before drayton to admire the conservation work on Costessy meadows.
We then had quite an adventure of getting the bikes up and down on and off the old railway to navigate gaps where the line had been built on, this didn't pose any serious problems but care did need to be taken on eth stony slopes up and down from the trail. The stretch through Thorpe Marriott was really a wide tree lined avenue, the feeling of being in a forest with the ghosts of trains going past seemed more real here and all the way through to Attlebridge where the line came to an abrupt halt opposite a campsite set up in the old station. The map we had was the OS 134 25000 and not detailed enough for us to realise we had to go slightly north, then west to rejoin the trail, signage wasn't good at this point.
Coming up through Lenwade there was a real feeling of landscape conflict with wide open lakes next to massive industrial sites with vast gantries and enormous waste tailing's. Pushing on we stopped for a drink and to meet up with my cousin at WHitwell Station just before the "Themelthorpe Curve" . By this point we had almost cycled halfway and my legs were really beginning to tire, after another couple of miles on reasonable track we stopped to eat lunch in a field, the tomato's I had picked from eth greenhouse this morning were delicious in our rolls. Although it was indeed warm in the sun, there was a cool breeze and most of the railway was covered in green making the cycle way something ever so slightly mystical.
Moving through Reepham we came off the trail for a few meters before cycling a very diferent landscape up to Aylsham, the ground was much sandier and we could tell we were crossing between river valleys rather than up or down one. Looking around the hedgerows were groaning under the weight of sloes, berries and rosehips (AKA sloe gin, sloe vodka, rosehip syrup & bramble wine) and had I been better prepared I would have brought much more back with us. Getting to Aylsham my cousin left us and we took a slightly reduced pace around Aylsham before suddenly arriving at Tescos where we stocked up on more liquids.
We then started on the Bure Valley, we just missed a train as we were leaving and kept hoping for another to pass us but as the miles were eaten up this seemed unlikely, I used to live at Burgh and we paddled the river from Dunkirk in Aylsham to Mayton Bridge for my hen day so its a stretch i know very well. I spent much of this section looking for familar buildings and really enjoyed the totally different perspective we got from being high on the embankments. We crossed the mermaid and looked down on its clear waters where fish could be seen basking, and we admired the little station at Buxton. There were lots of butterflies and dragonflies and just past Haubois we saw a train - wow they move!
Soon after we stopped for a breather, although the Bure Valley section was shorter we were quite tired and so I collected bramblebries and he sat in the shade and watched me! We decided to then really push on to try and catch the 16.27 from Wroxham back to Norwich, riding the bikes back up from the station was done cautiously as we were both a bit saddlesore by this stage!
It was a lovely day which was even better for my cousin being able to join us for part of the route and we also managed to find a whole tub of bramblebries - or blackberries to the uninitiated, these were intended for a blackbry and apple (from mums garden) crumble but after resting for a bit there was no way on earth i was fit for cooking. I shall instead cook them for supper tomorrow evening - a reminder of our day on the railways.
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