Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!

Keith and I didn't have a brilliant night's sleep as we were woken by the very noisy gulls at 4am and the bed was a bit smaller than ours at home!

We were up by 8am though and after cooking breakfast and having showers we managed to get out for about 11am which wasn't bad! Keith suggested another fact-finding trip for pubs so we headed off into the countryside, passing through the very pretty villages of Thorpeness and Aldringham. Ahead of us we could see Sizewell B, one of the UK's nuclear power stations and it did look quite menacing as we got closer!

We meandered through some more villages and then turned onto the busy A12 to head for Southwold. We'd been to this lovely little seaside town many times before and parked where we always leave the car, right by the beach. The place was quite busy as the weather was lovely and quite warm, about 23-24c. We walked past the beach huts towards the pier and I looked out for the ones I'd photographed a few years ago and which grace the header on this blog.

After buying a tube of sun-cream and some sun-glasses (Sophie had left hers at the house!) we went out onto the pier and made straight for the quirky amusement arcade that has some very different games to play. Sophie walked an imaginary dog while Mike had a go at a shooting range. Sophie and I also went to a little photo booth where various pics were taken of us, all making for hilarious viewing!

We strolled towards the end of the pier and I treated myself to a new scarf which matched the tee-shirt I was wearing. At the very end is a stone pillar on which you can throw coins - we all had a go and most of them ended up in the sea!

Keith treated the three of us to an ice-cream and it was delicious - really creamy and soft. After we'd enjoyed our treat we walked into the town via the promenade and collected some stones to add to our seaside heap in the garden. It's tradition! A lot of people were enjoying the sunshine on the beach and sitting outside the beautiful beach huts that line the promenade. I would love to own one!

In the town we decided to visit The Lord Nelson pub for a pint of Adnams. It's something we've never done before and Adnams virtually runs the whole town so we really should drink the beer that's made in the town! The pub was quiet and we sat inside in the cool for a little while before heading back to the pier.

I took this photo and managed to get in the way of a man in his car...he was not amused!

Southwold street scene

Sophie was a bit hungry and fancied some hot chips so we ordered them from the fish and chip restaurant at the start of the pier and sat outside to eat them.

By now it was almost 3pm so we decided to head back to Aldeburgh and rather than take the busy A12 again we drove through some beautiful countryside and admired some gorgeous villages including Westleton. Before heading to the house we decided to go and have a look at the "Scallop", which is situated on the beach near to the town and was created in stainless steel by artist Maggi Hambling in honour of Benjamin Britten who lived in Aldeburgh.

People are encouraged to climb on it and sit on it whilst gazing out to see and it has its fans and critics!

By now the sky was looking ominous again so we headed back to the house for showers and a couple of hours of relaxing before going out in the evening. We'd decided to head straight for The Mill Inn and have a drink and a meal there. It was lovely to be able to walk and not worry about driving and on the way we took some photos of the town.

High Street

A sweet little house I'd like to rent!

A young seagull (we think) who was mewling like a kitten

Keith went ahead while the children and I meandered along taking photos. It was a good thing he did as there were very few tables available for a meal and we managed to push two together. John had recommended the pub but we weren't that impressed, to be honest. Although it had recently been taken over by a young couple they weren't the most professional of landlords and it was difficult to tell the staff from the customers as they weren't wearing a uniform and weren't that smart! Sophie and I shared a bottle of Chardonnay while Keith had a beer and Mike enjoyed a pint of cider. We chose scampi (Mike and I), fish and chips (Keith) and a chicken burger (Sophie) from the uninspiring menu and the food was OK but certainly nothing spectacular. We also had desserts - Brioche bread and butter pudding for Sophie and I and a chocolate crunch tart for a still hungry Mike!

It was popular, though, with lots of people eating and drinking but we don't think Aldeburgh is renowned for its pubs, which was a bit of a shame.

When we emerged after our meal, the sky had turned a beautiful blue and the beach was looking lovely.

We strolled slowly home and Keith bought Mike a pizza as he was still hungry! He's a growing lad!