Much of England on “holiday”
ALDEBURGH, U.K. — The beach was abuzz with activity when we arrived Sunday afternoon. A festival, complete with marching bands, dancers and carnival rides, was under way.
It seemed like all of England was on “holiday” this week. Nearby Thorpeness, a holiday village complete with man-made lake, a water tower disguised as a house and lots of pubs.
We took late naps and our dinner selection was limited. Many of the shops and restaurants close early. A “takeaway” pizza was our choice after visiting a pub located inside a former pharmacy. The bartender was sampling strawberry tequila shots with women at the counter.
Down the road Monday, we opted for a shortcut that took us on a dirt path, mistakenly through a farmer’s dump, then back onto the right trail. We should have known better. A barking dog tried to alert us.
We arrived at Snape Maltings, a collection of Victorian-era granaries and malthouses, that now houses shops and tea houses. It straddles the River Alde.
It began to rain again as we head towards Orford via Sudbourne. The castle was built by King Henry II between 1165 and 1173 to help keep his rebellious barons in check.
The first radar experiments were carried out on Oxford Ness in 1935. Domed buildings on the Ness appeared in the late 1940s and were laboratories used by Britain’s atomic weapons research team to test detonators for A-bombs. (The theory was the buildings would collapse and seal in any potential danger).
We bought some smoked cheese from a shop recommended by another biker. Lunch was smoked trout and seafood samplers at The Butley-Orford Oysterage on Market Hill.
Pedaling Monday was most difficult as we had the wind against us the entire way. It seemed like we had more hills. Lots of festival traffic, too. The hot tub at the Seckford Hall Hotel and Restaurant helped soothe our aches. Dinner was “lovely,” as the British are apt to say.
Andy Rieger
kenestral
Hannah Rieger
D, W
stdavis
Orville