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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2897 |
13th August 2017 Hiking - Walking: East Lane to Shingle Street Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: Distance Covered: Sunday 13th August – walk – East Lane to Shingle Street – sunny periods :) Top weekend – picked up two Tushingham Lightning 7.8’s from Ipswich including a free one someone who lives in Cambridge amazingly gave me and then delivered to his parents’ house in Ipswich and the other from Milton Keynes, very kindly collected by Mark Davis. Then parked up behind Christchurch Park for a nice walk through the park, where we saw a cormorant eat a whole goldfish from the round pond!! Then after the grotty shopping area of Ipswich :( we arrived at the garden party of our windsurfing friend Peter Cutt’s lovely daughter Leisel. She has recently moved into a nice little house and is loving renovating it. It even features one of my pics as a canvas which looks great:) Sods law being what it is I did miss a good windsurfing session on the River Stour at Bradfield but the good company, good food and lovely garden certainly made up for that! Then Ipswich Town win their third match in a row while the UK relay team win a magic gold even if Mo can only get silver. I toyed with the idea of packing the camper up and ending the day over the river in Bawdsey for the night but it was too late so we will head there tomorrow. Wake to nice sunny day, exercise in the garden then check out my new sails and am impressed especially with the free one as loads of life left. Then we pack the van for a night away, leaving Felixstowe at 11.30. We decide not to go to Bawdsey Quay first as it is probably busy being a summer Sunday. Instead we turned left just before the quay down the muddy East Lane which takes you to the sea by the Martello Tower at the end of Bawdsey beach. There is a nice car park here behind the sea defences with another three Martello Towers leading up the coast to Shingle Street. We park in a nice spot all by ourselves for a salad lunch while watching the many birds flying around the wartime fortifications attracted by several well-established farm reservoirs. We then walk the couple of miles along the sea wall past the Martello Towers with farmers busy in the fields with very few people about. It’s just lovely, we are so lucky to live here in Suffolk and this part is particularly remote:) At Shingle Street it is a little busier with people enjoying lunch in the wide selection of beachside cottages. Definitely how the other half live! We end up at the kitesurfing lagoon for a rest watching the Stand-Up Paddle Boarder but no kites as the wind’s too light. Mag collected some sea kale for tea and I collect a pocket full of coal which I then had to carry all the way back! The white shell pattern is still on the beach from the last time we were here:) It is hard going walking on the shingle so head back to the sea wall path and back to the van for a well-deserved cuppa with bread and butter with Mags yummy rhubarb and ginger jam:) We then get a large white camper park really close so decide to try the quay and see if we can get our favourite spot in the lay-by right at the end? It’s a couple of miles to drive and when we get there a large camper which was parked here yesterday evening was still here but there was just enough room to park up at the end – result:) Our neighbours were enjoying a glass of wine outside with stunning views of Felixstowe Ferry and the River Deben. We put the kettle on for another cuppa. With the tide dropping we had a few waders including a curlew close to the van. Then Rob rang with his news and then sent us Arlo’s passport photo which made us smile:) The dinghies from a race meeting at the Ferry were heading back to the sailing club so we walked down to the Quay as the sun was setting to watch them come ashore with Mag stopping for a chat with the neighbours who come from Ramsey in Cambridgeshire. I collect another pocket of coal, there is loads here but it is sadly in very small pieces! Then it’s back to the van to pick some blackberries for breakfast and we have yummy Lidl Paella for tea as the sky turns red:) Sadly, my nice Fuji Bridge camera is being repaired but I took out my old little point and shoot camera and got some nice shots of another Super Suffolk Day. Later we hope to see some meteors as we forgot to look last night! Photo Gallery here Monday 14th August – relax and beach walk ***** - sunny and hot:) We had several minutes looking for shooting stars last night but saw only stars and loads of planes! Great night in the campervan right by the River Stour at Bawdsey Quay:) Woke at six with the sun just on the river with not a breath of wind, just beautiful! Got up while Mag made a cuppa I went down on the beach to take some pics, then I walked up to the Quay for more pics and collect another pocket full of coal while Mag did some arts and crafts sitting out with just no one about:) She also had a good time wildlife spotting, seeing a Kingfisher, a deer, three squirrels, turns and a curlew! Then relaxed in the lovely van watching the tide drop with boats going up and down on the river. Great to see a couple of kids crabbing from a yacht and a harbour master making a killing taking people on his cruises:) Then with the tide just turned to coming in we walked up to Bawdsey beach which has to be one of the best in Suffolk with lovely views back to the Martello tower and coastguard cottages on the Felixstowe side. With the tide low, we walked out onto the exposed shingle to watch the tide just start to cut it off! Collect some more coal, sadly mainly small pieces but we did get 5 kilos’ in day days. Then back to the van for a top salad and relax before heading home at about 3.30 – just love the campervan :) |
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