Seafood, shingle and a homemade seal

I always have a creative project on the go (or several) and holidays are no exception. In some ways it's easier when away from the constant reminders of more mundane tasks such as routine housework so when travelling I usually have a huge bag of ideas and possibilities to delve into when the need strikes. There is always plenty of time to use, spare minutes spent waiting for others, rainy afternoons or early mornings when everyone else is still asleep (and you can sit in luxurious peace with a cup of tea by your side). In my bag for Norfolk I had my usual sketchbook and paints, a number of small embroidery projects and as an experiment, a hank of fleece and a couple of needle felting needles with a view to creating a something appropriate for the Norfolk coast, a tiny grey seal. Finished in good time, he even made it to the beach for an official photo!

The marshes from Brancaster to Blakeney are a familiar part of this coastline and I have walked the myriad of pathways many a time (during the early summer returning with handfuls of my favourite samphire). I love the bleak otherworldliness of wandering along the creeks, the excuse to get muddy (surprisingly difficult in an adult world) and the endless mesmerising sky.

After a long walk along the shingle ridge of Blakeney Point (luckily between cloud bursts), our feet sinking in the pebbles at each step, it felt like walking on air when we returned to hard ground. Those hard used leg muscles needed replacement calories and fast! Walking back around the nature reserve to Salthouse, watching the twitchers spotting birds with their long lenses we arrived at Cookies Crab Shop in time for a well earned lunch.

Cookies is a Norfolk coast institution and has been around for ages (with some notable local celebrities also popping in from time to time). It's no frills, very basic, has limited seating (only problematic when it rains) and lists a somewhat bewildering menu on laminated card stuck to the wall. Go with the flow and just order some crab or lobster, it's what you come here for and it's super fresh and very delicious. With the main event, you will probably get a mind boggling variety of other seafood. We ordered a crab and lobster salad and our plates were piled high with several differently flavoured smoked mackerel, cockles, prawns and Scandinavian style herring. The actual greenery of the 'salad' was hidden beneath a netful of other delicacies from the sea. We sat on a tiny table with a mug of tea, facing the marshes, scooping out sweet crab and lobster meat and massaging our aching legs, what a perfect way to spend the day.