Blakeney

This is the view from the Blakeney Hotel (highly recommended), taken very early in the morning of what promised to be a lovely day - though of course there is the saying "Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning."

Fortunately was able to get back to sleep and later the village was a bit more awake, including these brave swimmers and many boats small enough to get up the silted up creek.

The silt ended Blakeney's long history as a commercial port, where it and prospered from exporting the rich agricultural products of Norfolk. Plus, according to Wikipedia, undertaking a bit of piracy.

Now Blakeney, along with the villages along Norfolk's north coast, are much quieter, apart from the influx of tourists. But it is a very pretty corner of England, where property prices are no doubt extortionately high and locals are priced out by weekending Londoners.

You can see why: attractive unspoilt villages, pebble built houses with buckets of character, lots of places to row, kayak and sail, and lovely walks enjoying under skys that really do seem bigger.

Alas even here you can not escape the British weather, and while enjoying a nice morning walk within minutes of this photo we were drenched by a squall.

What was that about shepherd's warning?