Suffolk Walk: Bawdsey

 

10/10/21

After visiting Suffolk Punch, we drove down to Bawdsey. It's opposite side from Felixstowe, and can get a little ferry across it. I seem to remember this place was a part of Felixstow, I asked marcus  couple of time to take me there. He didn't both times. Of course, it wasn't Felixstow It was Bawdsey. 

Marcus ( my partner)  always told me I had been to Bardsey, and always said " it was very first place I took you" I didn't remember! When we got there, I remembered, as usual... " Yes, I have been here before. " And said, " this was the place I always asked you to take me! " 😂 I didn't remember it was bawdsey. I was ecstatic! Sooooo pleased I was there! Such a beautiful and peaceful beach. It is a bit like between shingle street and Dunwich. It was soooo inviting, we dipped in the sea. It was cold, but felt so good afterwards. I wondered....how long I could go in without a wetsuit? 

Photos from Bawdsey...

Suffolk Walk: Mid week swim in Walberswick

 

9/11/21

My friend Yvonne asked me if I wanted to pop into the sea for a quick swim, so me, my partner met up with Yvonne in Walberswick on tuesday morning at 9am. It was beautiful morning, and mild, it almost gave me an illusion the sea temperature was mild too 😆.  Just in case I had my wetsuit on, so I felt nice and cozy in there. 

Water was chilly, I could feel on my feet and hands. I really wished I had wetsuit socks on, which I ordered on late afternoon that day.... I kept put my feet up and floating in the sea so that I didn't have to put my feet in and felt cold feet. Instead i put my face and head into the water, and felt really good. 

I think Yvonne felt enough, we came out of the water and had a flask of coffee. It was lovely. We chatted on the beach for a bit until we parted in the carpark. She had some work to do.....Hopefully we can go down to the beach again next week it depends on my hospital appointments, I do love to squeeze mid week swim in. 

Soon, "Southwold christmas day dip" registration will be open, we are going to resistor this year. I have now socks and gloves, so, I am ready. I am not going to my full wetsuit, but maybe in my summer one....😅

I just wanted to do different things from I usually do. Or things I've never done it before. This cold swim, I wouldn't even done that last year. something happened inside me. Not sure what, it doesn't matter, that's not important. What's important is; coming out from my comfort zone and try things I've never done. A little by little, I don't have to do everything in the same time.  

After the swim, me and Marcus ( my partener) were sitting in the car, then we ( more like him, heard it. I am a bit def, so I don't hear very well😅) Saw hundreds of geese flew over our head. Wow! magic, another Suffolk magic moment. Seems like loads of geese in RSPB Minsmere, I wonder they are waiting to fly south. 🧐 

By the time I took my camera out, it was too late. They were flew to the other side and landed.....☝️

Then we drove to wood nearby, ( near A12), called "Tiker's Walks". Lovely little wood, even had a hide! Photos below! 👇

We didn't walk to the end, I would imagine this footpath comes out next to the pub on A12, or around somewhere there. We took a different footpath back to the carpark. I defo recommend this walk after visiting Walberswick. Oh, also, there's another footpath across the road from there to explore. I have maps to cover Suffolk coast and broads, I've never use them. 😂 Maybe one day, I will. 

Suffolk Walk: Fungi Wonderland

 

Fungi Wonderland: Suffolk

Autumn, autumn, autumn... I love the season, do you? In fact, I love all seasons. 😆 Every season, I say, I love summer! I love spring! I love winter! and now, I love autumn! 

When I walk into the forest/ woods, I see the forest beaming with life, from forest bed to top of trees. Amazing colours on trees, even one tree, producing 5 or 6 different colours: dark green, light green, mossy green, lime green, yellow, lime yellow, orange, gold, red etc. 

Yesterday, we visited RSPB Minsmere, as we drove in, I saw trees on the both side of the road, it was breathtaking. Amazing colours, the energy from these trees! Leaves on trees danced every time wind came, showing different shades of colours again. On the forest bed, soft, brown leaves on the ground, I could smell as we walked into the forest. Smell of leaves, earth and trees....maybe fungi? 

I can stay in a forest all day😊 and watch trees and feel wind and crisp air on my skin, then close my eyes to really connect the nature.  What is it like to be in the earth/soil and come up to the surface of the earth? What is it like to be a mushroom? These were kind of thing I was thinking as we walk inside Minsmere😆 We are all nature and part of it, almost as if I am coming home when I go to forests or woods and even sea. I feel sometimes, this modern life we have, more we have more we forget we are actually nature and we are part of this earth. Anyway, here're some fungi photos from a few of our walks 🍄 What a beauties!

Fascinating fungi! Of course, first top 2 mushrooms ended up in our dinner plates🤣 Parasol mushroom and amethyst deceiver. Yum Yum. As for fly agaric, I usually cook in plenty water for 15 mins, then change water, boil again for 15 mins. then cook. I sometimes coat with lightly seasoned gram flour ( my partner is GF) with  then fry them in a pan. They do look like chicken strips. They are quite moorish😆, I can't stop eating them, I usually cook 2-3 medium sized fly agaric. Rest of them this year, I dried them in my dehydrator for later use ( in a kilner jar!). I sometimes cook 40 mins in total to make sure they are ok to eat. I am not into go "on trip" anymore, so need to be careful. It does give you nice sleep. I always feel " I slept well" after eating wild mushrooms from forests. 😇 

But please don't pick anything you don't know or not sure. I don't. If I am not sure or in doubt, I always leave them. Just not worth risking my life. Life is precious, I learnt that since I got cancer and going through treatments etc. 

Anyway, 

Thanks for reading my blog today. 😊 

Suffolk walk: Suffolk Punch, Suffolk

 

10/10/21

It was beautiful autumn Sunday, Marcus wanted to do a little different. He didn't tell me where we were going until we got there; Suffolk Punch ( https://www.thesuffolkpunchtrust.co.uk/ ) It's a animal charity place in Suffolk coast. Also it is situated near a prison. ( Hollesley Bay Prison)

When I used to work in RSPCA shop long time ago, we had a lady from Suffolk Punch who came to our local area to give us some talk on what they do, rescuing horses, how to contact, what to do etc, thought it was very interesting lecture. since then,  Suffolk punch was in my mind. And every time we drove passed and saw sign, I was very curious. That weekend, I visited the trust and met some animals who were looked after there.

Beautiful horses they had in their field, and saw a cheeky little pony teasing a huge male horse ( I would imagine this huge horse was working horse), and he wanted to close to the little pony. But it seemed like the pony make some sound, then the male horse got excited ( something between back leg started growing long, never seen it before, I was shocked and laughed so loud 😅), then this little pony walked off, they were doing that for ages. 

other beautiful horses were getting fed, brushed and cleaned where they were. I thought it looked very hard work working these animals, but I guess, if you have passion and love for them, even hard work would be reward at the end of the day. 

Chilling out in the sun😊

Scratching back 😄

There were families with kids, and dogs. Dogs are allowed too, as long as they are on leash. Lovely walks inside the trust. It also had a orchard. Beautiful apples and flowers, cafe is also open now. We had a cup of tea outside seating area. It was lovely sun on my face, and warm, yet crisp autumn air on my skin. It was beautiful day. I defo recommend here, Suffolk Punch for family day out. 

Suffolk Walk: Rendlesham Forest

 

We now often pop down to Rendlesham forest for walks and cycle ride, what a beautiful forest. I forget how amazing these forests are in Suffolk. Beaming with life, at the moment, fungi and mushrooms are out on the forest bed or on trees.

Last week's morning walk to the forest, it was raining, and peaceful, we didn't see many people walking or jogging. ( only a few) 😄 We ( I more like... 😅 ) were on mission to find some ceps which we found a week before, hoping to find some more. But unfortunately, we didn't find any, instead, we found loads of fly agaric and they looked so pretty in the forest. 🍄

I noticed I know deer like to nibbling some mushrooms like, fly agaric, but they seem only nibble a bit with their small delicate mouth. Never the whole mushrooms. I wonder if they ever came back to nibble some more later??? However, I found a mushroom which was eaten nearly all of it, it was a big, grey ish and rubberly mushroom. I though "Ooooo, they liked it💜" I wondered what the taste was like, but I wouldn't dear pick them. I only pick mushrooms I know and I can identify. I would love to attend fungi foraging course or workshop to learn more. They are very interesting. 🤓 

I remember I used to know someone ( I can not remember who it was😆) who never ate mushrooms and didn't like them because they were alien creatures. 😂 Well, this person was right, what fungi does, is mistery, however, we all came from stars which makes we are aliens too. 

Look at the huge parasol mushroom, It was the biggest find during our mushroom foraging. Last year at the end of October, We found a  large Parasol mushroom in Snape nature reserve. This year we found some more, and loads of them. They are like any other fruits in forests ( apples, pears, berries etc), I call them " Jewels in the forest". I also wonder sometimes when hunter gatherers saw these "jewels in the forest", did they get excited too? Who knows...😁🍎🍐

 Previous weekend when we found a few ceps, I got so excited. I knew 100% they were ceps. We used to cook them in restaurants I used to work. ( also other wild mushrooms; chanterelle, morels, trompette etc) I sliced them and fried them, they were delish! We heard last year someone Marcus ( my partner) got talking to whilst his walk in the forest, found kilos of ceps. This year we picked a few, they do exist! 

I don't really know where to find them, but we quite often see people with carrier bags walking round the forest. Apparently they are mushroom hunters. They don't look pros, I had this image mushroom hunters had wicker basket or belt bag, wearing dark khaki jacket and walking boots....whereas these people look like they have just been to a supermarket....😎 Then I realised that was I was doing, I was putting my mushrooms in a plastic bag ( I put in paper bag first though) 😝 I bet I looked a bit dodgy too....well, they do! 🤣 Anyway, I enjoy walking in the forest. And fun.

Photo below was one of ceps we found and cooked for our dinner. 

Look forward to spending time in nature in winter too.