Escape to the beach...

Day 58

Sophie took today off as she had a couple of days of holiday to use up by the end of the month. As the temperatures were set to soar to about 28c today we decided to head for the coast and go to Winterton-on-Sea.

We are now allowed to drive to take exercise and we can also visit parks, the countryside and beaches to sit and enjoy the sunshine. We wanted Mike to come with us, but as there were no pubs included in the visit, he stayed in bed!

We left at 9am after putting together a picnic and a flask of coffee to drink on the way. On previous trips we'd stopped at a huge monument in Thetford forest, so we decided to have a halt there again. The traffic was light on the A14 and this time we could see the new layout of the road. The last time we'd travelled on this stretch of the A14 was when we came back from celebrating Mike's birthday in London on the 26th January, the last time we'd driven any distance!

Once on the A11, we started looking out for the war memorial and saw it in the distance, but as the road had been widened into a dual carriageway, we could only stop at a layby a short distance away. It didn't look too nice, so we re-joined the road and carried on.

Keith mentioned a small road that branched off the A11 so we turned off and eventually found a layby overlooking some fields. It was lovely to have a coffee and a chicken roll!

After our short break, and fortified by the coffee and snacks, we drove on so I could turn around safely and found another, much better layby! Typical!

We arrived at Winterton-on-Sea at about lunchtime and found the car park almost full! We parked on the grassy dunes and walked down to the beach, passing the Dunes Cafe which was busy doing take-away food. Loads of people were still arriving with dogs, children and beach paraphernalia.

There was a lot of work going on down on the beach and it looked like they were trying to sort out the cliff erosion by the cafe. We walked along the shoreline and Sophie and I picked up several pebbles and shells to take home with us to our little collection in the gravel garden.

It was very windy indeed, though, and I could see why people had brought windbreaks with them.

We walked along to some more grassy dunes and decided to head back to the car for something to eat.

(All photos by Sophie)

Getting back up the dunes was very hard and we had to clutch at the grasses to pull ourselves up! Once at the top we walked along paths that meandered all over the area and looked out towards the village of Winterton-on-Sea. We could see a lighthouse and the tall spire of the church in the distance.

Back at the car we sat and ate lunch and decided to head towards Cromer, which is about 25 miles up the coast. The wind was really quite unpleasant and it felt a lot colder than it had been inland! Also, the toilets were not in use at Winterton-on-Sea and I knew it wouldn't be long before all of us had to go!

The A149 to Cromer was lovely and passed through beautiful villages and countryside. We kept a lookout for a supermarket and thankfully managed to spot a large Tesco in Stalham. Sophie and I had to queue to get inside, which was a pain, but luckily it didn't take long!

We also bought a paper and had to queue for ages again just to use the self-service checkout! I shall be so glad when this is all over!

Back on the road, we arrived at Cromer at about 2pm and parked on the cliffs overlooking the beach and pier (which was closed). It was much calmer, and hotter, in the town and we wandered down towards the pier, peering over the grassy cliff to the promenade below.

Apparently, goats graze on these grassed cliffs, but we didn't see any!

The town was busy with people out enjoying the sunshine and very soon we came upon an ice-cream shop. It was too hard to resist so Sophie ordered a pistachio and mocha while I enjoyed double strawberry and vanilla. The ice-cream was delicious and we ate them overlooking the beach and the sea.

Sophie's choice

After finishing them off we strolled into the town, feeling sad that most places were closed. A fish and chip restaurant was doing a roaring trade in takeaways and another ice-cream parlour further down was also busy, but the gift shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants were closed. They must be wringing their hands with frustration as a Bank Holiday weekend is approaching and next week is the Whitsun half-term, with the beautiful weather set to continue.

I dread to think of the effect this will have on our economy in the future. It's so sad to hear of people losing businesses they've built up for years, and walking through the town just brought it home to us how devastating this must be.

By about 3pm we were ready to head home as we calculated it would take us about three hours. We headed back towards Norwich on another pretty road and drove past the airport, which was full of planes just sitting on the tarmac - another harsh reminder of how this virus has brought life as we know it to a halt.

The journey home was easy and fast and we were pulling up on our driveway well before 6pm. We unpacked the car and relaxed for an hour before preparing dinner - quiche, salad, new potatoes and a selection of picnic foods we hadn't eaten! By 9pm I was shattered and more than ready for bed! I think the long day and the drive had tired me out and the warm temperatures of between 27-29c had also contributed! I wasn't alone as all of us were tucked up before 9.30pm!