✿❀✿12/AUG Day out in Shingle Street, Suffolk✿❀✿

Another sunny Sunday, it was very unusual for us to have hot sunny weather these days. This day, I woke up with feeling..."sun's out!" Opened the blind in Marcus's bedroom...Wow,  it was sunny.

Again, we weren't sure where to go at first. Like last time, we wanted to go somewhere we could have peace and quiet. We had our early breakfast and cuppa, we left his flat(he's just moved!!!) in Suffolk early that morning. We wanted to go to Ipswich first to our favo shop...TK-MAXX!!!

By after 9.30am, we were already in Ipswich. Did some clothes shopping there, we got some bargains. Both in TK-MAXX and a small independent shop which had gorgeous jeans, and I bought a pair (half priced) for myself. I wanted a pair for myself for ages, but those usually cost around £300, Too expensive!!! Even on eBay, end up paying postage and export tax from USA, it wouldn't be a bargain!  We love bargains. Splashed some money there and TK-MAXX . To be honest, not a lot left there.

We were in Ipswich till lunch time, had some mid-morning(almost lunch time) snack there under a tree. It was still hot. While it was hot, we needed to get to the beach. Fortunately, the beach we were heading to was close, didn't take long time to get there. To get there,  take the A12 towards Woodbridge, then the A1152 towards Melton. Take the second exit at the roundabout after the river, towards Hollesley, then follow signs to Shingle Street.

Yes, we went shingle street. Marcus took me there before. And I liked it. That day, it wasn't many people there, the car park there was small, soon filled with cars. This shingle street was funny old beach, has a line of houses along the beach. Appearantly, there used to be more houses back in days, in 1800-1940's. It has very interesting history. I found an article from the guardian.

It says:
"From the Martello tower that marks your starting point, built to protect England from invasion during the Napoleonic wars, to some well-preserved second world war pillbox defences, this walk has an impressive military pedigree. Just up the coast is Orford Ness, where the first experiments with radar were conducted in the 1930s, while Shingle Street itself has been the subject of fevered speculation ever since it was evacuated in 1940. Conspiracies include rumours of a German landing and a shoreline littered with burning bodies, schemes to protect the coastline with an impenetrable barrage of flames and the testing of experimental chemical bombs. Four dead German airmen were certainly washed up on the beach, and weapons testing did result in the Lifeboat Inn being blown up. As for the rest, the conspiracy theories rumble on.

Keep your eyes peeled for
Tern eggs nestled in the shingle and seals basking at the estuary entrance."

Sounds interesting doesn't it? It's on Suffolk Heritage coast, near north of Felixstowe, also, Shingle street is a site of special scientific interest due to its rare flora and fauna found there.

Found these flower on the beach. Cute isn't it?

Sky looked a bit grey when the clouds went under the sun. I fell asleep again. It was a bit chilly time to time( it was a bit windy there too), when sun was out, it was lovely. Marcus went for a swim and across to the little island opposite to we were sitting. Sea wasn't rough, but the current was fast. 

Water wasn't cold either. I just put my legs in the water. The same as when we went to Hunstanton, water was warm! I was expecting water to be cold, so, it was lovely.

 It's too small to see it, but there's a seal in this photo chilling out. After Marcus swam across there, he went to say hello to the seal. He didn't mind, after while, he jumped in to water, as Marcus walking on the island, seal was swimming, looking at him. Then, when they come to the edge of the island, the seal disappeared, as I was wondering, he popped his head up in front of me. He was cute. He had huge eyes.  He looked at me, and I automatically said hello and waved at him. "hello? Norie, what are you doing?" .......... Afterward, I realized what I did, and smiled at myself. ☺☺☺

This is another plants which live on the shingle street beach. I called them Cabbage. They did look like a funny kind of cabbage. They had yellow flowers when it was in season. I was not sure why they were there and the name of the plants. Later, I looked into it, it was sea kale, and edible. I picked some, took home and cooked. And they were delicious! It now becomes one of my favo veggies, and look forward to the season.

 We were there till after 4pm, enjoyed our peace and lunch, and watching dinosaur flying...(seagulls)

Before we went back to Marcus's new apartment, we stopped for a drink. I can't remember the place, I think the name of the pub contained the word "may". Anyway, it was packed outside. Almost empty inside the pub, I couldn't believe they had air con on inside. It wasn't that hot, you know....☹, it's England.....

View from there was quite nice, there , looked like nice walks, I'd like to do some loooong walks on the coast one day. 

We saw a cute boat. I'd love to own the boat like this, and go out to the sea watching nature goes by. At moment I'm just waiting to win some lottery, oh, I need to get some first! ☺☺☺