Spanish exchange week 3 – family holiday in Southwold

Life is short, and holidays are even shorter! so i took a week of unpaid leave to spend more time with my family and we went to suffolk coast. I have never been to Southwold before, and loved it!
Before we went, somewhat crazilly we went to have a sleep over at a friends in the opposite direction so that we could be there at the start of her party! the girls rampaged aorund with friends, the teens chatting and watching teen films. We oldies played games and I have a new favourite game.

Have put it on the christmas list! it was lovely to see the pies as well as TB and family

the next day, as people were arriving we went home, picked up DH and drove to the cottage in suffolk. It was really nice arriving, meeting up with my parents and nephew and niece. More so because my mum had had an ealry morning visit to a and e. luckilly only pain killers required!

We had a minimal screens time there, so that we played lots of games when in the cottage, there was also a pool in the complex, so a fair bit of pool playing as well! M had his birthday there, so cake, candles, balloons and silliness

Obviously, one of our first excursions was to SOuthwold beach, and we went a number of times after that. I loved the beach, even if partly stones, because there was enough sand, I love there being a prom and a pier, and icecreams and the kids enjoyed making sandcastles and playing swingball. dad also enjoyed swingball. The water was pretty warm [for Britain] so even I went swimming . oh, and one day the girls enjoyed mooching around a market too.

That is probably too many photos! I should reduce them somewhat!!
There are plenty of other things to enjoy seeing in suffolk, not just the beach, tho we were lucky with the weather! We are also lucky that our Spanish daughter is so lovely. She got on very well with all the new family members, and my niece E has her as her new best friend We went to Framlingham castle. I love the walk around the top, it has a small museum it for some learning, can do some education and also then have a nice lunch at a local pub garden. All a win! Mum wasnt up for the climb up windy stairs unfortunately, but the rest of us did and enjoyed it. Dad had all the kids listening to him as they went around the somewhat bijou museum of ‘old stuff’ on one of the floors. At the pub, all v happy with the foold. Kids particularly happy with some swinging chairs, and want us to have some in the garden. Hmmm! On the way home we went in the soutwold maize maze. v expensive so only the kids went in, but they had fun, and then loved bouncing on the air pillows.

Our trip to minsmere wasnt entirely succesfful. nephew M was feeling ‘teen’ , BB didn’t want to go, and dad was a bit lonish feeling. Even an icecream at the start didnt manage to perk everyone up. Dad went around on his own, mum turned back with M after the first hide. SB went around on her own to take photos, and BB had a melt halfway round. hmmm! but after that it all went rather well, and SpD, E, BB, DH and I had a good last half of a walk

We had a particularly lovely time at flixton air museum, which i would really recommend. It is in the definite pile them high boutique museum style that I love. SB and dad wandered off immediately, and he told her lots of stories from his early time in aviation. BB and M also ran off to see the interactive bits, and SpD and E looked at the things to buy and then wandered around with me. It wasnt really either of their idea of fun. However, the day was balanced with a shopping trip – so each had something! Did I say that I really loved the museum?

SO fab a holiday, loved every minute of it, and we had a great time