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Pottering about
Today started with a visit to Bannatyne Health Club for a swim. Or, at least, a self-directed aquatherapy session. They keep a very nice 25m pool, which looks out onto a stand of woods. Even in glorious Arcadia, I sometimes need to do the laundry. Mr Arcadia installed some hanging basket hooks for Jo, our kind host. We both did some work. Thus the glamorous life of a digital nomad. Jobs done, in the afternoon we went to Ickworth. Scones on the terrace is very civilised. I can recommend blackcurrant jam on a fruit scone with clotted cream. The cheese scones were good too. The barista made a very good…
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A Concert at St Mary’s
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Baddesley Clinton
Baddesley Clinton, in the Forest of Arden, was the home of the Ferrers family, Catholic recusants in the time of the Tudors. It has everything you could want: a moat, a Priest’s Hole, fancy chimneys, friendly ducks and dignified geese, and a chair in every room for the temporarily disabled. My friend, Judy (see Morfe Nevin in 2009) found this hidden gem, and we arranged to meet there while she was south and east of her usual base in Cheshire.
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Feeling summery
Self-sown poppies in the driveway. The cathedral against a pristine blue sky. Burgeoning pink roses in Jo’s garden. Feeling summery in Suffolk.
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A BBQ & a Bee Orchid
David & Rebecca invited us to a BBQ, in a village near Bury St Edmund. The weather was glorious and sunny. The guests were friendly and relaxed. The food was delicious. Made from scratch salads, dips, Foccaccia, Lemon Drizzle and Eton Mess. Excellent sausages, with the right amount of crispy bits. It was a wonderful way to spend a summer’s afternoon. I’m just sorry I didn’t help with the dishes. At one point Rebecca’s 8 yo nephew had a hula-hoop related accident involving their rare bee orchid. The orchid was growing in the middle of the lawn, naturally. This made the tiny flower available for a photo, so I whipped out…
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Doreen & me, we bin ter see a show…
Doreen an’ me, we bin to see a show — The swell two-dollar touch. Bong tong, yeh know. A chair apiece wiv velvit on the seat; A slap-up treat. (Apologies to C. J. Dennis for quoting from Songs of the Sentimental Bloke. If you’ve ever questioned Romeo & Juliet’s plot, do read the link.) The show in question was the Saturday matinee of Whisky Galore, and the velvet seats were in a box at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds. The Theatre Royal is the only Regency play house still in operation. After I took the photo of Jean the ushers came around with no photography signs, so I can’t show…
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Pea Porridge, a michelin star in Bury St Eds
Dinner at Pea Porridge, a Michelin starred restaurant in Bury St Edmund. Thanks to local gourmet guide Simon, and his mates Andy, Bron & Lawrence. Its modest exterior at the end of one-way street is misleading. Inside is an airy conversion of an old bakery, with the bread oven still there. They had a huge loaf in front of it and the smell was heavenly. Right beside our table too, so tempting. Wow. I had lamb, with roasted head of green garlic, a roasted aubergine and some greens on the side. Delicious. The crab toasts looked amazing, even though I don’t eat fish or seafood, and the quail looked delicious…
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Lunchtime concert at Holy Trinity Church, Long Melford
Today we drove over to Long Melford, to a free lunchtime concert in the beautiful old church. We took Jean with us for an outing. The weather was wonderful, 21’c and sunny. The music was lovely, and the setting was even better: Melford Music offer free lunchtime concerts every Wednesday over the summer. Today’s program featured Beth Spendlove on violin and Ian Ray on piano. The music included some Vivaldi, some Tchaikovsky, and some Elgar. There was a Scandinavian composer too, whose name I forget. The concert goes for 45 minutes or so, and you can eat your lunch while you listen. You can buy a boxed fruit juice drink…
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On the move in 2018
It’s 9 years since the first Arcadian summer. This is the 7th Summer and I’m ringing the changes by moving the blog from livejournal to wordpress. Please bear with me as I climb the learning curve. I’ll be progressively adding past posts to this new site, as I can’t get the auto-integration to work (so far).
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From a Solo to a Duo
An exciting new chapter of Lost In Arcadia begins today when I fly long haul with my husband for the first time in 13 years. This will be his first experience of my slow travel 2 long layovers and 3 flights regime. This will be my first experience of being wildly jet lagged and having to consider someone else’s needs. Moreover, I’ve been injured and I can’t walk far yet (4500 steps is my preferred limit, with 7000 steps being my ‘will need to stay in bed tomorrow with the affected leg elevated’ upper limit). What if my leg swells up like a balloon? What if we both need to…
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I meet a Knitted Man
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Beginning in Burgundy
Tonight we arrived in Auxerre, Burgundy. As I type this, the strains of a jazz combo performing on the Quai below are wafting up on a Summer’s evening. Luckily the windows are double glazed. The volume is perfect for enjoying if you are me! Auxerre is beautiful. Glorious on a summer’s evening. It’s tatty and historical and real and magical. It’s full of actual French people having actual summer holidays. (Also a lot of Germans and us.) People in caravans, people on hire boats, families with young children, people with dogs, young couples in love. There is a perfect full moon floating above the canal. Too much reflection from the…
