Last weekend I fell a little bit more in love with life.
Every journey I set off on, I feel a flutter of excitement, a bundle of palpable nervous energy, never quite knowing what to expect. A short weekend break booked on the spur of the moment a few days ago was no exception! For our first trip away on our own in fourteen years, my husband and I decided our anniversary was a perfect opportunity for some time-out; June had been, for various reasons, a hectic stressful month with little opportunity to just stop and be together.
North Norfolk proved the perfect haven; a blissful retreat from our busy schedules and our brief sojourn there seemed to last a week as the peace and tranquility washed over us, tension headaches easing, laughter and lightness returning.
How could this vast empty beach fail to soothe? Trudging through the slip-sliding shingle, the bracing wind playing havoc with my hair, my brain cells vibrating under the onslaught – I felt alive!
Hints of fishing were evident from the odd boat pulled up far on the beach, however, it is hard to believe that this was busy port until it silted up in the 19th Century.
Nowadays tourism is the biggest industry in the area – although Cley proved to be quiet, with visitors dotted around the town, coast and visitor’s centre.
Isn’t nature our greatest artist, I wonder, standing for the longest of time looking at the waves crashing on the shore, hypnotised by the wondrous displays with each roll. I’m mesmerised.
Cley-next-the-Sea is protected from the vast and powerful waves of the North Sea by a steep shingle bank, behind which there is saltwater marshland separated by the narrow New Cut; on the south side of this is a huge expanse of freshwater marsh.
Both areas are alive with the flurry of unusual bird life and it was a joy to celebrate the natural environment; a bird-hide providing helpful reminders of the names and characteristics of the avian visitors.
Here though we were the outsiders, the intruders. We stepped with ease, avoiding the fenced off nesting area and viewed in awe the terns and skuas as they majestically claimed the skies; the egrets reminding me of my trip to Florida, the geese almost hidden in a patch of distant marshland.
Pausing by the reed beds I close my eyes and just listen…the music of the wind drifting into my soul, the rustle of the leaves creating their own rhythmic sound, soothing, in harmony with the bird calls.
Whilst others muttered at the lack of mobile signal I celebrated the return to ‘olden’ days and scouring my purse for coins I headed to the red phone box to call home. Memories of university days flooded my thoughts, my whirlwind of emotions as I recall hours spent calling from these tardis-style contraptions!
The village has a lovely quaint feel to it; many buildings are reminiscent of its former Flemish trading partner with gabled roof lines and many built using the local Norfolk flint. The main road, although narrow, winds its way through the centre of the town with lots of mysterious alleyways leading around the back of the village, often into people’s gardens!
Gourmet meals punctuated the end of our days and at one restaurant we were welcomed on our special day with complimentary champagne, a strawberry slice resting at the bottom of each flute. The food was sublime, an ecstasy of tastes and occasions that will long live with me!
As always I admire the strength and vitality of the flora as even in these somewhat inauspicious conditions flowers flourish; particularly striking is the yellow horned-poppy, native to the area.
It’s been a long while since it’s been this hard to leave a place – one of those times when all elements of a trip conspired to offer us an exquisite time filled with joy every moment. On the car drive home, I sit in silence, savouring the sense of contentment and resolve to carry this harmony forward into the everyday, letting the lightness shine brightly into the days and months ahead.
Finally, many thanks to Klausbernd and Dina (Hanne) at The World According to Dina for inspiring me to visit Cley-next-the-Sea – their photos and description of the village and surrounding area caught my imagination a while ago. Alas, we didn’t have time to arrange to meet up…next time hopefully!
Annika Perry 
Wow, what gorgeous waves. And yes, I am taken aback by the strong frailty of plants and reeds. They are so delicate and yet stretch with such spine. A wonder.
Diana, I love your perception of the dichotomy of the reeds and plants existence in this harsh landscape…their strength is amazing whilst still appearing fragile. Gives one much thought, eh? Oh, I love waves and took a stunning set in Sweden this year on one of the blusteriest days I’ve known – I hope to feature them on my blog sometime. Many thanks for your lovely reflections. 😀
Hello again, Annika. Stopped by to let you know that I have nominated you for the Liebster Award, although your writings deserve something greater that this. Your work is treasure, congratulations. 🙂
Thank you so much for this nomination and your far too kind words, Sukanya! 😀 I really appreciate you thinking of me but I have already had this award…lovely that you thought of me for the nomination! 😀😀 With warmest wishes and best of luck with your poetry, studies and blog!
Oh, dearest Annika,
what a lovely, lovely evocative post with enchanting photos from our part of the world. A very belated happy anniversary to you and your husband! ❤ ❤
The next time you come, please give us a shout and I'll put the kettle on. Please come soon! 🙂 We live just round the corner from the loke you have posted. I have missed so many posts as I had to rush to Norway as my mum is so poorly and spent most of July there. Now I'm in Germany sorting things out before my final move to Cley and I'm hopelessly behind with blogging: late, but nevertheless a HUGE thank you for linking our blog. :-)Warm greetings from the Rhine Valley,
Hanne
and from Klausbernd, Siri and Selma in Cley xox
Thank you so much, Hanne! 😀 We’d love to come by for a cuppa and I’ll definitely let you know in advance! You live in a magical remote part of Norfolk and it’s blissfully peaceful and serene and I am glad if I capture even a glimpse of its unique spirit – I was only too happy to link to your blog…your photographs and descriptions of the area are stunning, gifted!
Hanne, I am so sorry to read that your mother has been poorly. The ache of worry and concern is felt so deeply…I hope she is much better now. Your loving presence will have been such a comfort to her, I’m sure.
Are you staying in Cley permanently – I recall a post where you weren’t sure which way to go. It’s a wonderful part of the UK and I hope you move here for the long term – after all we got to give you the opportunity to put the kettle on! 😀😀 Warmest wishes to you all. Hugs ❤️Xx Annika from the forests in northern Bohuslan, Sverige.
lovely post!
Many thanks, Tanja! 😀😀 With the red phone box this is a perfect match for the title of your blog! 😀
yes;)
It’s amazing how much you can cram into just a couple of days, without feeling at all hurried, and the perfect antidote to ‘life’ isn’t it, Annika? I was right behind you, mesmerised by those waves, and all the way through I was muttering to myself, ‘it’s Dina’s place- go and find the fairies’. Sometimes I think i’m ‘away with them’. 🙂 🙂 Glad you’ve shared such a lovely break.
Jo, I swear there were times when I felt I saw ‘something’, magical, whilst staring out across the marsh, hidden in the rustling reeds…wonderfully surreal. I can’t believe how much we did those two day and how long the days seemed. It really helped that we decided not to travel further afield but to explore the locality. A joy to share the beautiful haven here! 😀❤️ Have you ever been to Cley or the area?
Not to Cley itself, but I have Polish family quite nearby. It looks extremely inviting, Annika. 🙂
We should make a date to meet in the Bookfayriehouse then, all of us. ? 🙂
Wouldn’t that be lovely? 🙂 🙂
👍🏻😊
PS… how did I miss this amazing post?? 😡 ha! Glad I saw it this morning!
Tanya, I’m so happy you saw this too; your bubbly enthusiasm is infectious and making my heart sing too! ❤️
Oh Annika, I love this post for so many reasons!! It makes me so happy you had this experience without the distraction of being ‘plugged in.’ I long for the days when life was a little less convenient, because it meant we had to engage with each other so much more directly. That phone booth!! The memories. Love it!! I am so happy you are enjoying yourself and finding peace in your surroundings! This post made my heart sing!! ❤️
Wow!! Tanya, thank you so much for your amazing comment!! Your warmth and joy whilst reading this just makes me smile, so happy to share my joy of the break in Cley. It was so unusual not to even have a mobile signal and for a very short while I felt panicked…before spotting the phone box! It did mean we concentrated on each other and people around us so much more…Oh, I do so wonder what your memories of red phone boxes are?? I hope you’re having a good summer and all is well with you, Tanya. 😀❤️
I lived in England for a year, Annika and it was one of the best years of my life. The red phone box took me right back there, so thank you! My summer is great and the sun has finally decided to shine so it actually even feels like summer! YAY! xoxo
What’s not to love?! Gorgeous photos, Annika. What an enchanting experience ♥
So true, TIna! A magical time there…it’s a joy to have the photos to relive the trip over and over! 😀❤️
North Norfolk is so beautiful… as far as there are beaches & sea, It is enough for me so as to call it “little paradise one arth” … It seems it is the case 😀 a great way to spend your anniversary. Kudos to you and your husband, Annika…. And thank you for sharing these great photographs.-…. I am longing for summer, now (winter in my hemisphere!)… xx best wishes! 😉
‘Little paradise on earth’ – that’s beautiful and captures this corner of North Norfolk perfectly – – truly idyllic. It was a trip to treasure and my husband and I now have the travel bug, so more mini breaks in the future! As always it’s a joy to share photographs from the holiday here, an opportunity to relive the memories…but oh so, hard to choose so few! Summer is a real treat, especially with the heat wave over, so just right. I had no idea you lived in the Southern hemisphere. Just coming into winter then? Does it get very cold? I’m not sure where you live. Hoping you have a good winter…always Spring to look forward to! 😀
Hi Annika!,
Yes, we are in Winter here… I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Did you think I was from Spain, maybe? 😉 The weather here is quite good… Our winters are not too cold. (Yes, in The Southern part of the country, but that´s not me 😉 ) It never snows in Buenos Aires.
Sending love…. And wishing you a great weekend! ⭐
Happy Anniversary! I just celebrated 33 years (!) with my guy, and getting “away from it all” is a necessary, soul-affirming, love-appreciating, happy experience for every marriage. The good news is that the trip went by too fast. Think of the sad couples who DON’T enjoy spending alone time like this together. I really enjoyed visiting Cley with you virtually. I’ve never heard of the place, and I fell in love with it, just as you did.
Oh, Pam, I’m so glad you fell in love with Cley as well! There is a wonderful artistic cafe overlooking the marshland and sea, perfect for a long lunch, chatting, gazing in silence across the landscape! 😀
A very Happy Anniversary to you too, Pam! Wow! 33 years – and I bet those years have gone quickly. I honestly haven’t got a clue where 18 years went, but yes, luckily we relished the time away together. Often I see couples out barely able to talk to each other, eyes glued to their mobiles.
I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of Cley, it is very small, however, I am astonished atthe number of people who know of the place and have been there – obviously a well-kept secret!
Wishing you a beautiful summer filled with happiness and laughter! 😀❤️
I wish the same to you! And you’re right – 33 years? Impossible. Each year seems new and bright. Romance is alive and well, no matter the age or how long the loving. xo
Looks and sounds like wonderful place to go…enjoyed the link to the other blog which I read as well. There is something about wind and water that literally refresh and invigorate the mind.
Janice, the wind and water is definitely a winning combination – it’s impossible not to return reawakened and alert after walking along such the shore. I’m so glad you had a chance to check out Klaus and Dina’s blog – unfortunately she has stepped back from blogging for a while. Wishing you a lovely summer, Janice! 😃
Thank you Annika…may your summer have more adventures and ‘siestas’. 🙂
Beautiful photos!
Tusen tack! 😀
Varsågod 🙂
Stunning photos Annika (the froth of the waves was my favourite). I’m more than a little jealous of your trip.
The photos of the waves look brilliant when looked at closer on a big computer screen – the real artistry of nature clearly evident. Ahh…don’t mean to make you jealous…hope you get a chance for an ocean break this summer. 😀
This is beautiful – I’m glad you were able to enjoy all the magic of the ocean. I hope you’ll keep falling in love with life – Happy Anniversary!
Thank you so much, Sheila and I love the idea of continually falling in love with life – isnt’ that a wonderful concept to aspire to and I’ll definitely try! 😀 The ocean was stunning, overwhelmingly powerful and its might really puts us little humans in our place! Hope your week is going well. 😀❤️
It’s wonderful when a place helps us to reflect and appreciate life in all its fullness. Beautiful pics Annika. Glad you have a very precious time. 🙂
Thank you so much, Kev; it was indeed a precious time, one of those you hold close to your heart and treasure! 😀 I’m not sure why life seems to rush by in a blur so much, but this weekend brought it to a wonderful memorable stop. Hope you have moments like this too!
I do, but never enough. Lol
Annika, what a gracious way to celebrate your anniversary. Your trip sounds like it was the serene and beautiful impetus to enjoy each other as well as the gorgeous surroundings. It was lovely to read all the descriptions of the sites you visited, those of the ocean especially mesmerizing. And the phone booth and the birds and the weeds bending to the wind – all wonderful. Thanks for taking me along. I loved it.
Sharon, thank you so much for your wonderful and warm comment – it’s lovely to have you along! 😀 I love your choice of word ‘gracious’ – beautifully put and sums the trip perfectly. On a post like this I want to capture the various elements of the place without becoming long-winded…I’m so happy these snippets are the ones that catch your attention. The sea and the reeds were equally mesmerising, captivating! ❤️
I’m not surprised you fell a little more in love with life after visiting this place. I felt the sense of tranquillity and excitement as though I was there with you.
That’s wonderful, Andrea, I really wanted to convey the peaceful atmosphere of Cley and share the joy it brought me! 😀 Yeah…glad to have you along! 😀❤️
Really beautiful – my guess is you will have inspired a lot of people to visit yourself!
You might be right there, Victoria! 😀😀 What’s surprised me more is how many people have been there – it’s only a small place and not the most popular or famous on the coast. At a party last night met a lady who’d been there with her mother many times! Coincidences! Will you have a chance to visit yourself sometime?
I hope so. Both my parents came from Norfolk, from two villages just outside Norwich so there’s a strong family connection. We used to go to Blakeney Point as children because one of my great aunts had a hut out there. I used to love walking back, squishing the mud between my toes!
How idyllic, Victoria! It must have been very special to visit your great aunt and I’m wondering if her hut was like one of the fishermen’s huts that you find by the coast. Did she live there full time? I like how you recall the sensation of squishing the mud between your toes – I still love to do that when by the coast! 😀😀
It was pretty solid and wooden. It was leased from the National Trust. She actually lived in Suffolk but used it into her early seventies. She loved swimming in the sea and had a fairly robust attitude towards her wimpy great nieces shivering on the beach complaining it was too cold!
Sounds as if you had a great couple of days celebrating your wedding anniversary Annika and in such a picturesque village too. Your post conveys the feel and power of the sea so well, mixed with the peace and tranquility of the marshes and wildlife just beyond. I find the draw of the sea somewhat spiritual and love just walking along the beach lost in my own thoughts. A couple of days away is just what you need sometimes to calm the soul and realign the spirit.
Mike
Mike, this is a wonderfully deep and peaceful comment – it is so true what you write about walking along the sea ‘to calm the soul and realign the spirit’. It was a very special couple of day and I am so happy you can relate to it…interesting you mention the marshland – this was new to me and amazing to experience! 😀
Annika! I am so excited to find out it was your anniversary trip, long anticipated and well earned! ❤ 💐 ❤ Why I am particularly excited is my oldest daughter just got married on 7/7/17.
I had headed to my brother and sister-in-law’s house on June 30th, excited because Carrie is 37, had met a nice young man last year, they had a simple wedding planned with just the female mayor, her two boys, a good friend to take pictures and the bride and groom.
I had left her gown on my bed, so groom would not possibly see it ahead of time. I had made a matching bouquet with silk flowers for her, too.
We girls had gone out to toast her last bachelorette days a week before. Just my youngest daughter, daughter in law, Carrie and me.
I happily spent time with my artist brother, Randy, and a few days with Rich and Susan who headed to France on Tuesday. (Susan’s a professor who has taken students to earn credits while she teaches them about other countries. They were off to Normandy, Dunquerque, Paris and Cluny, war and peaceful, spiritual lessons at a cloister and monastery, cathedrals. . .)
Guess what? On Wednesday, Carrie called to say she needed me, her Mama, to be at the wedding! Tears were shed by bride, groom, the Mayor Carolyn Riggles and me! Those cute boys were so well mannered and happy, too.
Lastly, your special, lovely trip was rejuvenating and reuniting your loving bonds. 💞 I loved the ocean’s foamy edges and how it felt to see rare birds and indulge in delicious meals far from home.
May I ask which date is your wedding day? I thought I might tell Carrie that she and Daniel someday will travel and go to their own “heart’s content” location. . . 💕🍷🍾
Robin, CONGRATULATIONS to your eldest daughter on her recent marriage!! 🎉🍾 How wonderful and you are, not surprisingly, bubbling with enthusiasm and joy!! Yippee!! I feel like joining in with your celebrations! 😀😀 We too had a simple smaller wedding and it was just perfect, your daughter’s wedding sounds lovely and ahh…those two cute boys!! My wedding was on First July – an easy date to remember, so no excuses for hubby to forget! I think this area will be one we will revisit and hopefully start a new tradition – I hope Carrie and Daniel find their own heart’s content place someday! Hugs all round. xx❤️❤️
Happy Anniversary Annika! What a lovely getaway. Isn’t the sea good for the soul? I can’t tell you how much I love the ocean. I also enjoyed the glimpse of the quaint village, and how you resolved to carry the lightness and harmony gleaned from there into the coming months. 😀
Ahh…many thanks, Lana and I can’t believe it’s over a week since we celebrated there! 😀 The ocean has a wonderful pull on us humans, almost primevally so – always soothing, reassuring, a way to find solutions and oneself! I’m glad you spotted the village photos as I wanted to include the contrast to the wild empty shore to a safe and quaint village – just perfect! Lightness and harmony still being carried forth and hope some finds their way to you and your heart. hugs xx❤️
I love your description about the ocean, its almost primeval pull, that is very much what it is. Thank you so much for the good wishes. xo, my friend, and hugs right back to you 😀
Such a beautiful place to visit – I really loved seeing the shoreline. There is something about seeing the waves crashing against the shore:)
Inger, I totally agree – magical and soothing to watch the waves on the shore, to listen to them…this was a fantastic place to view them! I hadn’t expected that untamed wild feel to nature so close to home! Many thanks for your lovely comment! 😀😃
Oh how I loved going with you on this trip along the coast, Annika ❤ Let's go again sometime!
Christy, I’m so sorry I just found your message in spam!! Great to have you along for the trip and considering making this a yearly visit!! 😀❤️ It is so soothing to walk along the shoreline!
Thanks for pulling me out of the spam folder, Annika! I was getting tired of the canned food.. I want to be out with you all and now I am 🙂 Great you’re considering making it an annual walk ❤
Wow, thanks for sharing a part of your wonderful getaway with us Annika. Looks so tranquil and beautiful. That sea alone was enough to take me away. Happy Anniversary to you and congrats on finally getting away alone with your hubby. ❤
Many thanks, Debby and about time we had a break on our own, eh?! 😀😀 There is just something magical about the ocean that resonates with people..I’m glad that even a picture of the sea can offer a slice of this emotion! Wishing you a lovely weekend. 😀💐
Oh yes, pictures open up the imagination. Thank you Annika. And happy weekend to you too. 🙂 ❤
Wow! The pictures with your post brought me to the coast with you. I love just “being” when I’m so close to nature. I can listen to all the sounds around, and I was mesmerized with you by the waves on the shore. Thank you for bringing your wonderful journey to us! Love it!
Julie, deepest thanks for your lovely comment and I’m so happy I can bring a bit of the coast to you – it’s great to have you along! 😀 How true that ”being’ is the perfect sublime experience near nature, here listening to the waves, taking in their creative forms! Wishing you a serene and joyful weekend! 😀❤️
wow! your first trip away alone with your husband in fourteen years. happy anniversary to you both. such precious moments you shared together.
Many thanks, Libby…it sure was a different anniversary for us and one we won’t forget. It’s truly frightening how fast the years fly and luckily this was a perfect first trip away for us in such a long time! As time goes by you realise how precious all those memories are…this is one I’ll return and savour! 😀😀
What a nice reflection and trip Annika! I felt your nostalgia even though I’ve never been there.
Ahh…it is one of those places you can easily fall for and feel nostalgic over…I think it’s enough to feel it in one’spirit without actually visiting as well! 😀 Hope you have a great weekend, Kathy! 😀❤️
Same to you!
Annika, thanks so much for the wonderful vicarious vacation! 🙂
–Michael
Michael, you’re very welcome and that is one of the joys of blogging! I’ve never travelled so much before!! 😀😀 Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Reblogged this on e. michael helms and commented:
Come Visit Annika Perry’s Enchanted Haven!
Ahh…many thanks for this reblog!! 😀😀
I’m with you. Nature in your corner of the world is especially gorgeous. And, I love the redone Tardis (the red phone booth).
Can you tell I’ve been binging on Dr. Who?
Yeah – you can’t ever have too much of Dr. Who?! The old ones or the new series? I enjoyed the older ones in the late 70s & 80s (hiding behind the sofa-style viewing), whilst when we watched the new ones with my son a few years ago I peeked around a cushion!
Jacqui, nature seems to be the most powerful healing force around – immediately effective. We were so relaxed and soothed; the beauty of this area surprised us even!
Such a lovely post. Happy anniversary, Annika!
Many thanks for your lovely comment, Marjorie! 😀
Annika, this was simply great and very moving. I felt like I was there too with both your description and photographs. But what brought a smile to my soul was your ability to convey the inner depth of this journey that this trip brought to you. And all of it culminates in a contemplative drive back home with memories in hand and a resolve to live all of life in this way.
JC, thank you so much for your beautiful in depth comment! 😀 You are so correct in pointing out the inner journey, it was profound and one I wanted to convey without seeming over sentimental! The resolve is still strong, although I have to pull myself back to that place! Wonderful to have you along virtually through this post…😀
Such lovely photos…I feel revived from afar! Delighted to hear of your anniversary getaway and sending blessings and love. ❤
Ahh., my friend…I’m so glad the recuperative power of this area can reach you, Bette! 😀 It was a wonderful break and feel blessed that this first one away by ourselves in such a long time was so special! hugs xx❤️
Your photos of the weekend are beautiful. I enjoyed your post from a village without all the technology to power cell phones. It is good to have them off and away and to just enjoy the moment. What a nice romantic getaway. Happy anniversary as well. I spent many coins and minutes in phone booths in Germany and smiled to see the red phone booth so typical of the UK. There is so much peace and serenity in your post. Thanks for the lovely visit.
A working red phone booth is somewhat of a rarity here in the UK too, hence the photo. Oh yes, I can imagine your calls back home were even more astronomical than the ones I made from Germany to England…even so,I think I nearly bankrupted my poor mother! 😀 Mary Ann, I’m so glad you enjoyed the photos and this post…it was a wonderfully romantic and peaceful weekend and I’m so happy to share some of this serenity here! I’m hoping the summer is treating you well…❤️
Thanks for another lovely comment from you, Annika. I used to go into phone booths in Germany with a fistful of coins and then run out mid-sentence. So annoying too. We all need a peaceful weekend away from everything. I am gearing up for the BIG flight across the US to Arizona with our daughter for her birthday. What to pack? Hot and dry there. Very hot! 🙂
Sunhat! Sun cream! Have a brilliant time with your daughter, Mary Ann and be careful of that heat!
Calling home from Cley I ran out of money mid-sentence and I was trying to warn my son I was going to be cut off but not sure he quite understood why!
People really never understood about the phone calls being cut off. As a student, I recall using the phone in the post office where I was assigned a booth to use and then paid afterwards. I didn’t get cut off then. Thanks, Mom, for the sun advice and sunscreen too. I go indoors in the middle of the day. Heat in Arizona can be brutal. I’ll be setting up about three posts in advance to allow my readers a steady flow of posts. 🙂
We were just at Cley by the Sea a few weeks ago. What a wonderful place to visit. Now that I’m back home in Canada, your photos remind me of adventures taken!!
Whoa! 😀Spooky coincidence and you came all the way from Canada – for us, this is just a little road trip! It is a wonderful place and hard to leave…I can see that this post gave you lots of opportunities to reminisce. Are you writing about your travels?
I will be back to blogging soon. I am working on a huge project now, but it is coming along very well. We plan to return to the UK next year, so I will keep in touch.
Rebecca, it would be great to meet up when you’re next over…ditto to keeping in touch! 😀 We plan to visit Canada but that is in a couple of years!
A great getaway destination, so beautiful and serene, Annika. Thanks for the lovely read and best wishes for your anniversary! 🌺 🍸 🍾 😃 Have a wonderful week!
Iris, many thanks for your lovely comment and best wishes (& flower, cocktail & champagne!! 😀 This is the perfect getaway location and I can see this becoming a regular destination for us!! It’s wonderful to be positively surprised! 😀 Hope you’re having a lovely week, too.
You’re welcome, Annika. Enjoy… cheers! 😉 Yes, I am having a great week, thanks. 😃
It is an enchanted haven, indeed. What a lovely place you chose to spend quality time with your hubby! It’s serene and inviting. Thank you for sharing and happy anniversary to you and yours! Enjoy the rest of your summer break, and hope you have the loveliest time in Sweden. 🙂
Khaya, I was having difficulty with a title for this post before settling on haven…oasis, retreat are all words that described it so well. Thank you so much for your lovely comment and wishes. It is a delight to share here and great to get away just the two of us! I wish you a brilliant summer too and hope it is filled with joy, fun and relaxation. 😀❤️
I’m so happy you had such a lovely time, Annika. I could use a trip like yours right now. Happy belated anniversary! Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful photos.xo
Jill, I wish you could visit such a calm, tranquil place…it sounds like you’re in need of relaxation and serenity, away from a busy life. Any chance of a getaway for you soon? As always a joy to share some photos here…my husband, of course, thought I should put in many more food pics! Many thanks for your lovely comment, take care xx❤️😀
Sadly, not anytime soon, Annika…so, keep your soothing photos coming! ❤
Wishing you more happiness and such lovely retreats on your special day Annika…your wonderful description and choice of words has added an extra charm to this place, so serene and beautiful…just right for the occasion. I am so happy for the harmony that you carried along. Stay blessed dear friend.
Thanks for sharing those amazing pictures…the waves striking the shore are always mesmerising, even in pics. 🙂
Yeah, I’m so glad I could capture this sensation – I almost became obsessed by the waves this time, standing for ages, taking photos of them! I really began to see them as nature’s sculptures once they’re frozen in time. Thank goodness for digital…can you imagine the cost of developing films of these!
Thank you for your wishes, Balroop and your comments about my words and photos – it was more a matter of me wanting to do justice to the place, our trip.😀❤️
Happy Anniversary, Annika. It sounds like you had a wonderful, peaceful, refreshing time away. I think even us mountain-folk can’t resist the beauty and serenity of the sea. Our original home. 🙂
Aww…thank you, Diana. ❤️ I think this is one of more special anniversary celebrations and yes, it was so relaxing and soothing…I’m still keeping that feeling within me! Just! 😀There is a definite, almost primeval, pull towards the ocean – I feel calmer just seeing it and as soon as I can I’m heading off to the beach!
I remember the first time I heard that the salinity of our blood matches that of the sea. And I like the echo of our heartbeats in the waves breaking on shore. I think sometimes people forget that we are not simply upon this planet; we were born of it and are part of it.
Wow! Diana, I just love that thought – very profound – and yet so obvious! Your poetic creative writing is such a part of you and even here on comments I’m brought to a stop by your words, I just love this; ‘ the echo of our heartbeats in the waves breaking on shore.’ I’ll remember that for when I’m next on the coast (in Sweden in just over a week!!).
Such a lovely post! Thanks for taking us along on your getaway. 🙂
Lovely to have you tagging along through this post, Jennifer! 😀 Many thanks for your lovely comment.
My pleasure!
Thank you Annika for this fabulous trip along the Norfolk coast. It is really stunning
the way you have portrayed it and your photos express strength and gentleness.
Seeing you stand there , totally absorbed by the waves and the sea makes me realise
how peaceful and enriching this getaway must have been.
You talk about extacy of tastes 😉 and the picture of the dessert bears this out. And strawberry in the champagne flue 🥂 .
Belated Happy Anniversary to you both, glad you made it so special.
Miriam
Miriam, thank you so much for your wonderful comment; I’m so glad you can see the strength and gentleness in the photos and this was something I wanted to try and capture…the contrast in colours, landscape, waves, ocean, birds were striking. Oh yes, I was so at peace and all the hassles and stress dissipated, probably swept away by the very waves I stood and admired at length! 😀
Ha, the food was some of the best I’ve ever tasted and I felt like I was on one of those TV food shows as I just couldn’t stop praising, discussing it! To my husband’s chagrin, I decided I only had room enough here for one food photo although if we hadn’t been so delighted and surprised at the champagne I would have taken a photo of that before we drunk it all! Many thanks for your wishes, Miriam..it was a very special anniversary indeed and I think we’ve started a new tradition! 😀❤️
Beautiful photos, Annika. It looks like a wonderful place to relax and rejuvenate the spirits!
The problem was it was too wonderful!! 😀 We just didn’t want to leave after such a short visit! Glad you liked the photos…a beautiful spot to photograph!
A very good post and nice pictures. Thanks for sharing!
A pleasure to share here, Henrietta! 😀 Many thanks for your comment.
You are welcome!