Another Norfolk wedding & a visit to The Broads

As it seems my every waking moment is consumed again by assignment reading and writing, I know that by the time this is published it will be hugely outdated but a) at least I won't be doing anything exciting in the meantime to over-shadow and b) it was a weekend just too good not to write about!

Far too many of my friends are being totally grown up and marrying people which is terrifying but of course also incredibly exciting and I do love a good wedding. This one took us to Norfolk again (there's clearly something in the air there) and to the undiscovered (by me at least) village of Little Ellingham which if I do say so sounds like something out of a quintessentially English film or TV show but it's actually very real.

Slightly disorganised as always, we sadly booked too late to check-in to the apartments we liked in the city so we ended up in a B&B outside of Norwich on the River Yare in an area called Postwick (or 'Possick' because of course it is Norfolk after all and nothing is pronounced as it looks). Advertised as being set on 400 acres of land we thought it would be a nice base for the weekend and a definite break from London city life.

Friday night came and we were on our way. Out of London in record time thanks to Mr Knowledge, we were soon flying along the motorway (pretty much literally) with a beautiful sunset alongside us after a wonderfully sunny day and tunes blaring.

Google Maps triumphed again as we jiggled our way along a long, dark and dusty track littered with pot holes and shrouded in hanging mist, feeling grateful that we were sitting in a 4x4. The single lamppost at the end of said track set the scene for somewhere with potential to be a bit creepy but actually it was super cosy and with the friendliest welcome (even though we were apparently a day early. Whoops).

After a very comfortable night's sleep I was of course straight to the curtains to discover what actually lay outside having not seen much of anything in pitch black the night before. Endless green bathed in sunshine drew me straight up and out. Following a hearty breakfast accompanied by the sound of excitable cows we decided to go for a walk around the farm in pursuit of fresh air and nature before coming back to get ready for the afternoon's frivolities. Blowing out the cobwebs and all of that.

The wedding itself was a very pretty affair with some truly villagey touches. White, blue and yellow was the colour palette and there were flower petals to be thrown as confetti. Throughout the service, smiles and laughs were seriously abundant and we then trundled along in a vintage bus (definitely my highlight) to the reception in a neighbouring village pub. A truly lovely day and, in true English style I must also comment on how lovely the weather was for the occasion!

Can you tell I liked the bus?

The next day, getting up was no struggle when a) we knew what awaited us outside and b) the smells and sounds of breakfast began to waft our way. Each time we visit Norwich we like to make the most of being in that part of the world so we often take a detour. Being on the river had inspired us, we were off to The Broads.

I don't think I'd been to The Broads in at least 10 years but I'm pleased to report that (of course, it's Norfolk) nothing has changed. After a quick bit of research in the morning about where was best to go if only for a day, we first headed to Woodbastwick.

A twenty minute drive from where we were staying, we wended our way through woodland until thatched rooves began to peep through the trees then we knew we were in the right place. A flint church and a selection of quaint cottages made for pretty viewing before we moved on to our next port of call, Ranworth.

Woodbastwick had been a little too far in-land for us to find any water but Ranworth was right on the egde of one of the basins so we were immediately greeted by a whole host of boats. We took a walk through the nature reserve to Ranworth Broad where we stopped for a while to marvel at the plethora of bird life and surreality of the setting.

Ranworth also had a church and this one with a tower you could climb so obviously we did! It was rather precarious but we made it up and down unscathed and the view was pretty spectacular so definitely worth it. There was even a pleasant breeze which was very welcome on what was turning out to be a bit of a scorcher.

Our final stop was Wroxham and Roy was prevalent the moment we turned onto the main road that would lead us to the village centre; Roy's Jet, Roy's McDonald's and then of course Roy's of Wroxham itself and my personal favourite, Roy's Toys.

Here we sat along the riverside to enjoy cool drinks in the sunshine whilst watching boats gently gliding by. It was a truly beautiful end to a truly beautiful weekend. I think maybe there might be a boating holiday on the horizon one day, we'll see.

A wedding in Norfolk

The one thing (actually, one of many things) Norwich does well is food. Before the wedding, I made my routine hairdressers appointment which I managed to follow with a lunch and then drinks and dinner.

Lunch satisfied my week-long fish & chip craving and of course, fish & chips have to be had at Grosvenor Fish Bar. We ate in the 'bunker' below, a cosy seating area on the forecourt where food is served in tin dishes with wooden cutlery; still very rustic and cutesy!

After lunch I wandered and spent far too much money as I always do, so decided I was in need of tea distraction before I regretted anything. The Bicycle Shop is my tea safety net; it (Moroccan Mint Green) comes in a teapot, you pour it into a mis-matched china cup and saucer, the atmosphere is cosy and the music's always good. My next order was a hearty glass of red wine then it was time for food. Tapas at the Bicycle Shop is a firm favourite but as we were sat at a table reserved for half past 7 and it was already nearing quarter past at this point, we took our cue to move on.

What I love most about Norwich is that despite its size, there is always something new to discover. For dinner we ended up at the Maddermarket Kitchen, somewhere I've always wanted to try!

You have to BYOB, but that just meant that we had the whole of Tesco's red wine selection to choose from which was hardly a problem! We went for two courses and for my main I tried lamb chump thus learnt the real meaning of 'chump'; it was delicious! For dessert, I chose (and tweaked) the cheeseboard; yummy camembert, cheddar, chutney, apple and crackers. Safe to say, I felt entirely satisfied when we were done!

With a wedding ahead of me, I was keen to avoid dark circles beneath the eyes or spots caused by alcohol consumption, so we retired to home, mint tea (or hot water) and bed.

After the best night's sleep, I awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to head to Hockering to see and help out at the venue. With a few hours to spare before I was required, I had a leisurely stroll into town where my tummy began to rumble. Another place I'd not visited before was Pandora's Kitchen, somewhere I've often passed and wondered about but never stepped inside. However upon seeing that they were offering breakfast, I decided it was the prime opportunity to stop and satisfy my rumbling tum! Eggs Florentine and an Earl Grey in the sunshine was perfection. I even found myself reading a little more of my book! 

When we arrived, the sun was shining and most things were already taken care of (perfect timing by us) so I simply had a tour of the area then we headed to the bride's mum and dad's to meet other wedding guests before the big day. Apparently it's a tradition to get everyone together the night before, but having been a part of very few weddings, this was news to me. It was a lovely evening either way; drinks were flowing and food was aplenty! The actual house was beautiful too - a barn conversion with an excess of land for walking. I do miss the seclusion that Norfolk has to offer.

That night, the bridesmaids stayed with the bride and our partners were kicked out to the camp-site (well, yurts) where we would be spending the following night. In bed by a reasonable hour with a hot drink, we were soon fast asleep.

The day of the wedding arrived and as an overall summary I would simply say it was the most relaxed day! We were all up in plenty of time for the arrival of hair and make-up and the photographers (who got an inordinate number of photos of us in pyjamas which I'm hoping don't look as bad as they felt) so helped ourselves to a hearty breakfast of cereal followed by a croissant and washed down with a strong cup of coffee. While each of us took our turn to be beautified, we spent our time between the comfort of the sofa where one of the family dogs was snuggled beneath a duvet for petting and outside in the courtyard/garden in the sunshine, debating whether or not the weather would stay that way for the ceremony in the afternoon. 

Finally, we were all looking like bridesmaids (the bride went last yet was still incredibly calm) from the shoulders up, so it was time to get dressed. I can't lie, I was nervous. My dress had fitted fine but for its length when I first tried it on. But then when I was getting the bottom adjusted, the zip decided to break. It was all a bit of a palaver involving an excess of hook and eyes and tacking. When trying it at home, I felt more than a little claustrophobic trying to get it on (and off again) but on the day, with the assistance of two fellow bridesmaids it seemed to slip right on, and at least I knew that once it was on, it was comfortable and I could sit and move around in it. 

Sewn into my dress, it was the bride's turn and wow she looked stunning! I don't think the novelty of seeing your own friends in wedding dresses will ever wear off. It's a pretty special moment! Finally we were all out of our pyjamas and the photographers could take some attractive photographs!

The venue was literally a 1 minute drive away from the bride's family home so we were soon in Hockering House looking out on the seating area for the ceremony and the aisle. With my dress still a little long, especially as my heels kept sinking into the grass, I think I was more nervous than the ever-composed bride about walking along the aisle for fear of tripping, or worse, ripping the bottom of my dress! 

The ceremony was short and sweet and immediately followed by Pimms as we all milled around on the grass waiting for the signing of the register. Once the newly married Mr & Mrs emerged from the building to lots of cheers, the bouquet was thrown (always stand at the front and hope that the bride's got a strong arm) and it was time for more official photographs.

As weddings go, many of the details were so me! At 4 o'clock we all had Afternoon Tea; perfection! There were a host of finger sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and scones to be had, all accompanied by tea (or coffee) and Prosecco. Our table absolutely demolished all we were given, to the point where the hostess flagged down one of the waitresses who was taking a full pot of sausage rolls from another table and requested that they be given to us instead. In addition to full tummies, we also gained two pet wasps (whoever sat us right by the entrance to the marquee, hey?) in a glass who we fondly named after the happy couple. 

Following Afternoon Tea and speeches, there were garden games laid out on the grass outside the marquee, so we went to have a go at croquet... which we gave up on after all of five minutes when we realised it was not our forte. Instead, we moved on to quoits which we were equally as poor at. So we retired to hay bales to sit in the sun and have another drink (because alcohol always improves one's sporting ability). 

Whilst sitting down, we noticed that Giant Jenga had been vacated by other guests, so we thought we'd have one more try at something. Turned out we were pretty spectacular at Giant Jenga as our game then went on until it was time for the cutting of the cake and the first dance despite there being many nail-biting moments where we were completely convinced that it was all over. Relentless. 

Rather than having a cheesy and irritating (as they always seem to be at weddings) DJ, the bride and groom had opted for their own playlist as a means of luring people onto the dance floor, and it was definitely preferable! After a short boogie and the best wedding photo (if I do say so myself) of the bride and groom held by the bridesmaids and their partners (which, by the way, I can't wait to see), it was time for more food, this time in the form of a Hog Roast (so much yum)! 

The rest of the evening passed in a bit of a blur as we drank the bar dry, ate sweets, danced 'til our shoes came off, waved sparklers around, took Polaroid pictures and generally had a very merry time! This time, we joined 'the boys' in the yurts, with a short time spent sitting around the camp-fire before retiring to our inflatable air beds in a 'tent' which we could fully stand up in; I 100% need a proper glamping trip in a yurt! 

Very sad to leave, we made ourselves feel a little better with a massive detour to Cromer on the way home. A visit to the lifeboat house, the Henry Blogg Museum, lavender ice cream, a walk along the beach and of course a paddle filled a large void for a short time. 

All in all, an incredibly beautiful, perfect wedding weekend <3

A wedding in Cyprus

That ol' 'View From Plane' chestnut.

Memoirs of a lone traveller from Cyprus? The first time I've really travelled alone, it caused mixed feelings. While one part of me was feeling the nerves expected, the other was full of excited anticipation!

It is a truth universally acknowledged (not universally at all, but known to those who actually know me) that I am a huge fan of my own company. Even as a child (now please don't start pitying me here, I swear it has always been solitude by choice) I spent much of my time alone in my room, or I could be found racing ahead or trailing behind on family walks, always imagining. My mind is forever brimming full of goodness knows what, so time spent alone is never dull or lonely, but put to good use to think, and to be.

As most of my writing (or even my writing silences) would suggest, this time in solitude does not come around so often in my adulthood, particularly with my move to London; a city where I am almost never alone!

I begin this post in the restaurant of the hotel. The hustle and bustle of guests visiting the buffet and the waiting staff frantically clearing tables and taking drinks orders means I am not alone, although I am dining for one (and tonight the food theme is France, so the melancholic sounds of the music from Amélie are piping through the outdoor dining terrace). I would almost feel sorry for myself, as dining alone has the potential to be a little tragic, if not for the fact that I am absolutely loving life!

On numerous occasions since my arrival, I have found myself wondering, 'why have I never done this before?' There have often been (and still are, so watch this space...) places I've desperately wanted to visit, but have been unable to due to the fact that suitable travel companions have been few and far between for various reasons, but never had it crossed my mind to just go it alone!

View from the balcony of a lonely hotel room.
Only took me until the last day to realise that I did, in fact, have a sea view!

Beyond the hotel on this occasion, I am not alone. The journey in question has been made for the wedding of one of my oldest friends for whom I am bridesmaid. So in fact, an entire wedding party has descended upon Ayia Napa! Unfortunately for me, my first visit to Cyprus is an incredibly brief one, but already, it has been absolutely magical!

While Wednesday became a full day spent travelling, yesterday (Thursday) was the big day, and what a beautiful day it was! With the first of my friends to be married came my first invitation to be bridesmaid. Mother dearest had very valiantly managed to find a Cadbury purple dress and shoes to match, and with a little adjusting they were good to go!

I've never been 'behind the scenes' as it were at a wedding, so was rather taken aback by how much there is to consider. I don't know if the coordination of every step is usually so precise, but in Cyprus, it certainly was! Also, as much as I've always mocked the Americans for their 'wedding rehearsals' as observed in the films (it's not like I've ever actually been to one, giving me real grounds to mock), I can now see the value of having a small run-through, if only in order that all parties know where to walk (or in my case, totter) and stand... not that we needed one; pros!

As it was my first day in Cyprus and I didn't want to alter my body clock so dramatically that work would be an even bigger struggle on Monday morning, I decided to get up and out to the beach (after a more than hearty breakfast of course) at the crack of dawn (l exaggerate not. With a two-hour time difference (ahead), it really truly was!)! A paddle, sand between my toes and a lie-down for an hour had me in great stead for the rest of the day. So after a shower, l gathered together my bridesmaid bits and with directions from the receptionist, I was on my merry way!

Could not get over how clear the water was!

When I had asked for directions to Nissi Beach hotel, I was told I would have to 'cross' two beaches, to which I replid 'oh that's fine, I love sand!' However my journey turned into the Laura Brockway version of something resembling a cross between the opening credits to Naked Gun, and a Mr Bean stretch as the catastrophes began...

All was going well; the sun was high in the sky, I had beach and plantlife to the left of me, sparkling sea to the right. The gentle lapping of waves on the shore and the sound of crickets filled my ears... then next thing I knew, the handles of the Topshop bag I had stuffed full of my bridesmaid dress, heels and bag for the day decided to snap. Swooped up by me with impeccable timing mid-fall, I proceeded, clutching (although I'd like to think cradling) it like a baby on my hip as I hurried along (already by this point coming to the realisation that half an hour in this heat might have been a little over-ambitious). Catastrophe number one.

Having been thoroughly spoilt by a man-made footpath up until this point, by which to enjoy the view, suddenly I was confronted by the first beach I would have to 'cross'... (this is already starting to sound a little like We're Going On a Bear Hunt)!

The rather delightful footpath that ran alongside the coast when there were no beaches in its way.

Sunloungers littered the beach, there were inflatables and bodies galore, and couples and families played gentle games of bat and ball in the shallows. Now, elegance is not my thing, so instead of tip-toeing my way carefully around my many obstacles, instead I bulldozed my way through, causing sandstorms as I kicked up sand onto unsuspecting sunbathers, stumbling and tripping my way over everyone and everything. So I headed into the sea, thinking shallow water might be easier for walking than sand, but then proceeded to splash my way through every game of bat and ball, overturned multiple lilos, and probably knocked over a small child or two as they innocently hopped and skipped over the ripples that remained from incoming waves.

Remarkably well in-tact myself (makes a change) as I reached the second stretch of footpath, I thought it best not to turn to see the trail destruction I had left behind, but instead valiantly soldiered on! This time, the stretch of footpath was much shorter, so a similar scene ensued along the next, longer beach (or rather beaches), and all the way into... the wrong hotel.

Catastrophe number three. There was me feeling really rather pleased with myself having arrived bang on time despite my rather traumatic journey, only to discover that the trauma would in fact continue for a further ten minutes or so in my endeavour to locate the correct hotel! By some pretty enormous stroke of luck, my over-confident striding straight into the hotel and up in a lift to the room I was expecting to need to be outside did not end in complete disaster, as the door was open and a maid inside cleaning. At this point still unaware that I was in the wrong hotel, I sent a text to the bride;

'I'm at your room, but you do not appear to be?' (A little too self-assured perhaps?)

'... we are. Where are you??' Came the reply.

So as it transpired, my French is rather excellent, because while I was required at 'Nissi Beach Hotel', I had found myself in 'Nissi Plage Hotel', and plage means hotel, so once I realised this I didn't feel so silly (although the next time I walked to the right hotel and saw the ENORMOUS signs (two of them) above the hotel further along the beach which is where I was supposed to be, I was a little embarrassed), and made a hasty retreat, feeling beyond flustered by this point, to the correct hotel. Even once I got there, we somehow managed to miss each other a few times going up and down by lift and stairs, but we all coordinated eventually!

Hair that was supposed to be clean and dry was a little closer to hot and sweaty by the time I landed on the sofa of the hotel salon, but I had finally made it! The last time I'd had hair and makeup done was actually for the wedding of the bride's twin brother, and it's always a slightly surreal experience. There is something distinctly awkward about being so close to someone you're not about to kiss, particularly when the person in question stinks of smoke, is chewing gum loudly with their mouth open, has a pretty violent method of makeup application (no wonder she slapped so much on, we probably needed it to cover the bruises!) and looks threatening too (I may, or may not have told her how scary she was...). 'Light' makeup was not light at all, particularly by the standards of a non-makeup wearer, but the bride was happy so I was too.

Next (by this point with the first glass of champagne down me), I stepped up to the hair chair. My hair hadn't been 'styled' since it was cut short, so I was not at all sure what the end result would be; another nerve-racking experience! Again I put my foot in it when midway through I exclaimed that I resembled a poodle due to what seemed to me to be excessive back-combing. Thankfully she somehow calmed my Jimmy Neutron-esque hair down and I came away looking like I had LOADS of hair, which was quite impressive really!

Despite the rather unorthodox methods of the ladies in the salon, bride, bridesmaids and mother of the bride emerged looking fit for a wedding, and one might even say pretty if I do say so myself! So with an hour to go before the ceremony, we headed back to the room to get into the dress...

It was ENORMOUS, laid out on the bed like a whole nother person in the room and it took three of us in addition to the bride and lots of holding everything up to get her in, then another team effort to tie it all up! Seeing the first of my friends to get married in the dress was extremely special! Once secure she looked absolutely stunning and all princess-like.

Photos began as soon as we stepped out into the hotel lobby, and so the precision began. The walk down to the gazebo from the hotel was a highly structured operation, with a fifty metre gap left between each person, me in the middle trying desperately to remain on two feet in crazy high heels while holding a bouquet with both hands and at the same time retaining a smile for the camera as opposed to letting the grimace of concentration show. The bride and mother of the bride followed, and as we all reached the groom I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!

The ceremony was short, but in the most beautiful setting! There was then a wait before the evening reception which was spent in the shade drinking water for cooling down and champagne for toasting! The champagne was accompanied by canapes, one of which I of course managed to drop down my dress (fear not, I then licked up the mess with true class)... There was also wedding cake, card games and the hotel cat to keep us all entertained. It was a most lovely afternoon!

If the setting for the ceremony, overlooking the sea with palm trees and brightly coloured flowers all all around, wasn't beautiful enough, the evening reception was in a pavilion right on the beach, a BB buffet while the sun set, the waves lapped the shore and a coastal breeze kept us all cool. Then came speeches followed by a hasty exit from the other bridesmaid and best man (not as dodgy as it sounds, they had a plane to catch and were already travelling together). At this point I decided that the bride needed a wedding day/wedding dress paddle, so dragged her off into the sea (holding her dress up of course, bridesmaid duties!) while the groom stayed on dry land taking photos.

The sun set, and a DJ reminiscent of the one from the wedding reception at the beginning of Love Actually took to the decks for the first dance. After a bit of oohing and aahing, we all took to the floor and danced the night away until heat rendered us useless and we settled for sitting and marvelling at the warmth of an evening in Cyprus before exhaustion from all the excitement of the day led us to bed!

The morning after, despite a continuous stream of champagne over the course of the wedding day, I awoke bright and early for a full day of nothingness in the sun. My day was spent on the beach where I sunbathed, paddled, had an occasional dip, and wrote in the shade of a tree.

On Saturday, the bride and I took to the town of Ayia Napa for a spot of sight-seeing. Almost like a mini Vegas, it really is the most surreal place, like a toytown of nightclubs, bars and holiday accommodation. Yet somehow, in the middle of it all (literally) we managed to locate a rather more picturesque monastery where we found stray kittens, pretty plantlife, chandeliers and shade (our decision to walk into town from our hotels in the heat of the day had left us rather flustered)! As opposed to going back the way we came, we decided to take a circular route, so wandered on to the harbour and back along the sea front, and across beaches (something I was getting to be a dab hand at by this point). Although Ayia Napa is not an area of Cyprus one visits for the scenery, it filled a morning and stretched our legs, and we were back at the hotel just in time to collect the wedding photo proofs!

Sunday came, and it was time to go home. My flight was not until the evening but my hotel was very wonderful with a late checkout, a left luggage room and even a shower to use before my departure! So I spent a final few hours finishing off the tan by the pool, where in true British style, I made the most of hotel Wifi in order to access my SoundCloud as I was at this point, pretty bored of listening to the small selection of songs stored on my phone).

The view from my sunlounger on the final day.

I'm always very sad to leave holidays behind, and even more so when they 've been so fleeting! Sat in the back of the taxi with the same driver who had held up a sign with my name on it at the airport (this excited me beyond belief!), his air-con up ridiculously high, I thought about how much I had enjoyed myself, and how Cyprus had made for an Excellent location. Next stop, the reception at home for absent family and friends, and then who knows who will be next... I do love a good wedding (no pressure ladies)!