A Norfolk Weekend

If all goes according to plan, we should be finally be moving house in the next few weeks. Considering we sold our house and had an offer accepted on our new one at the beginning of December last year it's been a very long time coming, but hopefully we're jumping the final few hurdles now and will be on the move soon.

We've consequentially been spending an awful lot of time indoors lately, sorting and packing, and generally trying to save our pennies wherever we can. However, after a few weeks back at work after the Easter break, we felt like getting outside and away from the chaos for a while, and maybe having a bit of a treaty meal too.

The plan had been to go to Wells in North Norfolk on Saturday, then pop out to Norwich for brunch on Sunday before spending the afternoon carrying on with the packing mission. By the time I'd got back from the gym (through the rain) on Saturday morning and we'd dithered about looking at the weather forecast and trying to decide whether or not to go, it was a bit late.

So, we found ourselves going to Norwich for lunch instead, and decided to try somewhere new.

East Twenty Six is a newish bar and restaurant, serving tapas style food with a Mediterranean/North African feel. There is a cosy bar area downstairs, and the upstairs restaurant has a glass roof which was lovely even in the rain! 

I'd met a friend at East Twenty Six for a coffee before, but neither of us had eaten there, so we ordered a couple of dishes each, and some bread and olives. D chose ribs and some 'wrinkly potatoes' (which made us laugh before we'd even gone in!) and I went for mackerel, and cauliflower shawarma (half a cauliflower, almost chargrilled, with pine nuts and tahini) It was so different, really tasty and tapas-style is definitely one of our favourite ways to eat.

The weather on Sunday was much more sensible for a trip to the coast, so we made the hour or so drive to Wells-Next-The-Sea. It's basically the dictionary definition of seaside town: chips, ice cream, seagulls, amusement arcades, crabbing, and a little train!

We had a lovely couple of hours wandering round the shops and looking at all the funny little cottages. My favourite shops were Nomad and The Bowerbird, and the adjoining Bringing the Outside In - a really unusual and well curated collection of beautiful things, my favourite type of shop!  D meanwhile quite enjoyed laughing at certain road names.... 

(I've also just noticed the terrifying-crabbing-child leaning over the harbour wall - somebody hold onto his hood!)

Part of the reason for visiting Wells was because D wanted to try out Grey Seal Coffee which has recently opened on the Quay. While I enjoy joining in with his recent hobby of trying every local coffee roaster and trying to make the best flat white he can at home, I'm still pretty happy with the average americano. However, I may have had my mind changed after trying their aeropress, by far my new favourite way to drink coffee! We spent an hour or so in the quayside shop, accompanied by books and a salted caramel brownie to share, and we left with a bag of beans and an Acme flat white mug, which we're told is the perfect coffee cup - who knew such a thing existed!

After another wander in the sun, we headed home for asparagus and dippy eggs for tea. It's happened so many times before, but we've fallen in love with Norfolk all over again.

Norwich - I Love You

Ahh Norwich, my beloved home town (well, almost - we live about 15 minutes away) There was a time, when I was about 18 and planning where to go to uni, that I couldn't wait to get away from here and live in a bigger, busier city. So, we moved to Leeds and while we loved it, by the end of our four year jaunt to the North, we couldn't imagine living anywhere else but good old East Anglia. It's slow paced and rural (contrary to common belief not everyone is a farmer...but, yes, there are lots!), the coast is never very far away (and you have a choice of the amusement arcade, circus, candy floss and doughnuts type seaside day out, or the wilder, windswept and craggy coastline of North Norfolk) but Norwich can also be a really fast paced city if that's what you're after!

Norwich seems to be snowballing at the moment into the perfect balance of culture, cosmopolitan shopping, independent cafes and up and coming businesses - and it's ours, and we love it! Yesterday we had a few errands to run, and I had a raffle prize to collect (hopefully a sign of lots more luck to come this year!) so we went out in the drizzle, grabbed a coffee and had a stroll about with the camera.

We usually find ourselves in the area of the city known as The Lanes, which is the old part of the city and home to almost exclusively independent businesses. It's mostly pedestrianised, and there are lots of treasures to be found tucked away in the cobbled streets.

I could have picked several different coffee places to write about here, but Strangers is one of our favourites! They are really serious about coffee, have several different brewing methods, and always grind the beans to order. They even roast it on site! Add to that cakes and ciabattas, sugar in treacle tins and coffee to take away and brew at home, and you've got a winner with us! 

Jarrolds sits at the beginning of the Norwich Lanes, and as department stores go, you can't get much better! I buy a lot of the fabrics I use from their haberdashery department, I'm currently sitting on the sofa we bought from there two or three years ago and my Mum bought her outfit for our wedding here! The beauty department has a nail bar and spa, and the biggest MAC counter I've seen outside London. There's also a deli in the basement and their bookshop is just brilliant!  

Something synonymous with Norwich is the market place, but even we are a bit guilty of overlooking it sometimes! It's changed a lot over the years, and now you can get everything here. There are the usual fruit and veg stalls, fishmonger and things like watch batteries and cobbler, but also vintage shops, an amazing bakery stall, vegan food, market chips, flowers, haberdashery and as we noticed yesterday, a new wood fired pizza bar which we can't wait to try! In the distance there you can see the Norwich Castle Museum which is brilliant, we most recently went there for the Jeff Koons show which was part of the Artist Rooms Tour.

D had to climb up the architecture to get high enough for a picture, and we didn't realise till we looked back through them how dark it had got!

The forum sort of overlooks the city, and was built to celebrate the Millennium. It houses the city library, as well as a couple of places to eat and shop. The forum also plays host to various events and exhibitions, including farmers markets, health and wellbeing events, and antique fairs. It's also a nice place to go and work, or just get a coffee and read (or do some colouring in!)

It wasn't till yesterday that I registered properly that pretty much the whole city centre is mostly pedestrianised! Here I am modelling that fact (I didn't actually realise I was modelling...I was just finishing my drink before I went to stroke the cashmere jumpers and squee over baby clothes in The White Company!)

The Royal Arcade sits between the market place and the road leading to the Norwich Castle Museum, and although I would rather everyone took down their decorations before New Years Day as I do, it does look lovely still decorated for Christmas! In here there is a proper toy shop, an old fashioned sweet shop and chocolatier, clothes and shoe shops, and the Coleman's Mustard Shop (for all your mustardy needs!) There is also the Norwich Branch of Jamie's Italian (which used to be a book shop which is a bit sad - but it's fairly easy to get over it and forgive Mr Oliver once you've eaten there!) and Macarons and More, opened a few years ago by Masterchef contestant Tim Kinnaird. Thanks to his cookery school (and my husband!) I can finally make them after years of disasters!

It got suddenly very dark and rainy, so the photo taking sort of fizzled out, but suffice to say we bloomin' love it here right now! Below is a list of bits and bobs around the city that we use and love if you should ever visit!

- The Forum (for the library, various events and exhibitions, and Cafe Bar Marzano)

- Norwich Market

- Norwich Castle

-Jarrold

- The Lanes (links here for everything and it's best to have an explore in person really, but we particularly like:

- Strangers (for coffee) 

- Clarke and Ravenscroft (for sandwiches, soup and deli bits and the best brownies)

Rainbow Wholefoods (for every ingredient going!) 

Wild Thyme (the veggie cafe above Rainbow - it's lovely and they do great gluten/dairy, and sometimes even sugar free cakes!)

Swagger and Jacks (the men responsible for D's beard!)

U and Your Skin (The best facials, great advice and products, I've written about the skin lounge here before)

The Book Hive (A really unique bookshop, you can easily loose a few hours in here!)

The Orange Grove (great massages, wellbeing, nutrition, alternative therapy - we've both spent quite some time in here!)

Wilkinsons (for specialist tea and coffee)

Franks Bar (great for a meal, coffee, or drinks, and they also have a gallery and show films on a Sunday)

I'll stop there, I know I've forgotten a million things, but that's a pretty good start I reckon! 

(You see, I knew I'd forget somewhere - this bag is from Lisa Angel)