Last Seaside Days of Summer

For the last couple of years we have finished off the summer break with a short trip to the sea. Two years ago we took a day trip to the Norfolk coast, and last year a short break to Normandy. The fastest we can drive to the sea is about two hours down to the south coast, if there is no traffic. The east coast is a similar distance but slower roads, so we are less likely to go in that direction. We had heard good things about the Suffolk coast and the small town of Southwold in particular so decided to head out there for a short break. In the end we drove to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, spent a day there, stayed overnight on the Norfolk / Suffolk border at Lowestoft, then spent the next day at Southwold before driving home. It took us just over three hours each way.

Great Yarmouth is a fair sized holiday resort, with the usual run of amusement arcades, funfairs, ice cream stalls and so on. More the teen daughter's idea of fun than ours, on the whole. Southwold, however, definitely lived up its reputation. We started off with a bit of time on the beach. Teen Girl is keen on photography and as she will be able to take it as an option at school next year we helped her to buy a proper camera this summer. Here she is trying to get pictures of splashing surf.

There were picture perfect painted beach huts all the way along the sea front.

We ate lunch at a cafe on the pier. It was sunny but very windy. We decided to ignore the wind and make the most of the opportunity to eat outside while we could.

Then a walk along the pier to blow the cobwebs away. This was the lee side where we were sheltered from the wind. The other side was very blowy!

We walked along the sea front, where we got this view of the beach and pier, then up into the town. There is a working brewery with a shop, and a little high street with a mix of gift shops, antique shops and galleries, clothes shops, tea shops and bakeries - quite up market.

The town even has its own lighthouse, slightly inland. I think we had just missed the last tour of the day, but in any case the rest of the family had voted not to bother climbing it.

That won't be our last sea fix for the year as we have one more lined up for next month - more cheap flights to somewhere that should be a little warmer than it will be here.