Tini was down for a few days, so yesterday we once again jumped into the car and drove the 90 miles or so to the Suffolk coast. She hadn’t been to Benacre and its estate before, and I hadn’t seen her for almost five years (she hadn’t even met Nik), so although a long day was ahead, it didn’t matter, and in any case, it would get us away from the computers. Leaving before breakfast, we made good time and arrived in time for late – but not too late – eggs and muffins, washed down with coffee and tea. Strangely, poached eggs were a new thing for Tini, but I’d have thought that at some time in her 80+ years she would have come across them. Maybe they’re just not that common in the Netherlands.
The day had dawned bright, but we weren’t quite prepared for what that brightness would become. A day of full-on heat and sunshine, we ventured out to explore the walled gardens. Tended and nurtured carefully, numerous small patches of land back onto each other, and are separated by old brick walls, reminding me of more formal gardens at a country house, something which Benacre Hall must have had at some point in its rich and varied past. Sitting in the shade of a tree on a bench chatting to mum and Bart was more of a social time than we thought; it was soon time for lunch, and once Tini had strode across the grass to join us, an impromptu picnic beckoned.
A veritable feast was laid out before us, and while two of us sat on the white sheet that masqueraded as a rug, three of the party sat on the bench, talking about history, culture and how really beautiful the day had turned out to be. Post-lunch, mum, Nik and I headed to Southwold and the brewery shop where we ooh-ed and aah-ed at all manner of expensive kitchen gadgets on display, before taking coffee in the newly-built coffee shop. A quick around the town followed, before we jumped back in the car and weaved our way up the long Bencare Estate drive, narrowly missing the sheep and their just-born lambs. Being a meat eater – but increasingly less often – the cute lambs are enough to put you off, all large ears and gangly thin legs, with the odd tiny black face making an appearance.
More tea was made and preparations for dinner were started. The pair of us ventured out for a walk around the grounds of the estate, and as the evening sun descended through the trees, we took pictures of the countryside scenes and the fog and sheep-filled fields, before going indoors to eat. We had to be back in Essex today, so bid out hosts goodbye after the evening meal and a couple of thoughtfully-played hands of cards. What with the hot weather and the abundance of lambs on the estate, it really had felt like the start of spring. Maybe the best start for a long time.
