Sunday, August 26, 2012

Greetings from North Lopham


Well, we made it to Norfolk yesterday. An uneventful train trip of about an hour and a half brought us north of London to the town of Diss, where our hosts picked us up. This is the bed and breakfast where we're staying, known as Church Farm House. It's just as perfect and charming in real life as it looks in the picture. Dave and I are in a room on the top floor, beneath a thatched roof and a ceiling of dark wood beams, surrounded by antiques.

The village itself is known as North Lopham, about halfway between Diss and Thetford. Here's a map, to put it in context.


We went out for lunch at a pub in a nearby village -- although North Lopham has one of its own we intend to try today -- and after we came back to the house, I went for a walk.


I visited North Lopham's village Anglican church, right across the street. Happily it's left open during the day, so I got to see it inside and out. I walked among the headstones in the churchyard and picked an apple from one of the apple trees for a snack. (Hopefully they won't mind. There were a lot on the ground, so I'm guessing they often don't get picked at all.)


Then I walked through town, and was surprised to find a Methodist Church, too. You wouldn't think a village this size could support two churches!


There's also a tiny post office.


And there's a village school.

Right about this time the skies opened and I made it back to the house just in time to avoid being soaked by a thunderous afternoon shower that terrified our hosts' dog. Some things are the same all over the world!

We had a terrific dinner last night with our hosts -- who as I mentioned earlier were former teachers at the school where Dave and I work, and remain involved in musical education -- as well as two other visiting couples. I collapsed into bed and slept like a rock, the only sound from a burbling fountain in the yard outside our window. Quite a bit different from the traffic and the late-night shouting of pub drunks on Portobello Road!

4 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

I am listening to a book on CD right now about two American girls who are living in a flat in London left to them by their aunt. It is pretty cool to hear the names of places you mention too. And to see pictures. You know, England seems like a fairy-tale to me. And yet- you are living there, you stay in beautiful places, it is really, truly real.
I'm babbling. Good morning from Florida, Steve!

ellen abbott said...

So different from America. no trains here to take to small quaint villages. I would love to visit there, even live there but I don't know if I could tolerate all the cloudy rainy days. same reason I don't think I could live in the NW.

Lynne said...

How cozy your room sounds! I know you are sick of rain, but to me in that room that you described I see rain falling outside, joining in to the burbling fountain water sounds. At least this is how I see it in my head.

I love to walk around graveyards and read the headstone inscriptions. It's so interesting. Especially the old ones.

Linda Sue said...

*sigh* I yearn for England...We also watch Rachel every night, she keeps our ores in the water, and a bit of hope for intelligent life on earth...