In a little city named Norfolk....

When Camden and I were invited by our friend to visit her hometown we were sooo excited! We had 0 clue of where this little town was and what to expect once we arrived. We left Izzy's London flat after her amazing banana, Nutella and honey pancakes and set off to the countryside. Suffering from a serious case of car•colepsy (one that falls asleep immediately once in a moving vehicle) I was out instantaneously. Luckily, I woke up just in time to realize I was no longer in a big, whirling town of London. Vast, emerald fields surrounded us. Pigs and sheep were speckled throughout the grass, as were ducks and swans. The trees were all barren, which made for a beautiful winter ambience. After about 2 hours of driving, we pulled up to an incredible manor. Camden and I were in awe when we saw our new home for the night. We walked inside quickly to avoid the brisk wind. It was much colder up here than London. This is where we met our new British parents for the weekend. Phillip and Linda were INCREDIBLE. They are both such lovely people who immediately welcomed us into their home as family. We have never felt more welcome somewhere. There was also a marmalade tom named Rusty, who immediate stole Camdens heart. He misses Ted and Carl terribly, so to have something so close to them, he was in heaven. Then two dogs, Max and Alfie. There were such joys to have around. We never noticed how much we missed animals until we were with them again. A warm lunch was waiting for us; tart, potatoes and salad. It was so delicious, and just what we needed! We had tea time in the study and got to know one another alongside a fire. Unfortunately I came down with something the night before, and was coughing, lost my voice and was just out of sorts. Phillip broke out his Napoleon whisky and made me a hot toddy to sort me out. And by golly, it did. My voice was back by mid day!!! Incredible. I digress.... We were given a tour of their home and found that the house was built in the 1500's. We thought it was hilarious that this house was older than America. Magnificent doesn't even begin to describe their home. All the ins and outs of each room, the family stories and history of each room was so enjoyable to hear!! Once we were settled in our room, Izzy took Camden, Alfie and I out on their property to show us the river, floods and the lake! We had to wear proper British clothing to keep clean and warm! Wellies and tweed. And may I add, I love tweed. It's great. We walked for quite some time learning more about the city of Norfolk. The reeds that lined the river were originally used to make thatched roofs. They were later replaced with roofs that wouldn't catch fire (but the handiwork done with these reeds was unbelievable). Google thatched roofs in Norfolk if you want a visual aid. In these parts, hunting is a way of life, so we heard many shots fired while we were walking. Pigeon and peasant shootings I believe. We reached the point where the river and lake adjoined and took a moment to let it all soak in. Tranquility at its finest. Everything was so still and for once, so was I. We headed back to the house where we cleaned up and awaited for dinner. Linda had some guests coming over for a dinner party and we were so excited to meet them! Dinner. The best meal I have ever had. It was PHENOMENAL. We had filet from the local butcher, alongside a creamy cognac jus, shallots, potatoes, and a vegetable mix. My mouth is watering just reliving it. We were also able to try some red wine from France, some and Sherry from Spain. Once we inhaled our main course, we had pineapple tart with berries. Which again, was amazing. following was a cheese spread where we tried stinky bishop and quints. And although the bishop is ridiculously stinky, it has become one of my favorites. We finished with some tea and retreated back to the study where we walked until the wee hours of the morning. Safe to say we had a phenomenal day and we couldn't bear to wait to see what tomorrow has in store. After a good nights rest we woke up to an incredible breakfast spread! A proper British fry up as they called it. Our plate was filled with colors missing into a beautiful aroma. We had bangers, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon and an egg. Now I am usually not one for mushrooms and tomatoes but I inhaled everything on my plate and was left in a slight food coma. It was the most hardy and delicious breakfast I've had traveling thus far. After everyone was too full to handle we finished getting ready for the day and set out for our next adventure. Today we were headed to Southwold. An amazing beachside city that hugged the North Sea. The sea was RAGING. I've never seen anything like it before. As we waked along the coast I caught myself staring at he horizon trying to imagine all the things this sea has seen. I collected many pebbles and such on the strand. They were so different than home. Facing the raging waters were colorful little shacks that could be bought for a small fortune to block the wind on a British beach day. The beach was cold. It was definitely the most clothes I've ever worn near a body of water. But boy did I need it. The wind chilled me to the bone, but somehow it was refreshing. I loved it. We walked up to a Victorian pier, we believe it was built in the early 1900's. There was a mural of George Orwell on one side that caught my eye. Little quotes sputtered about the wall. I like that kind of stuff. So we examined and continued. On the pier we had an amazing view of the strand. The water was even higher and was amazing to see its strength beneath us. Camden and Izzy smashed a pound in remembrance of the day, which prompted a muffled national anthem during the process. Something small to mark that we've been to this magical little place. Before coming here Izzy had told us about this hot chocolate that they always get. She said it was alright and left it at that. But when mine arrived I had NO idea it would be so grand and heavenly. It was hands down, the BEST HOT CHOCOLATE I HAVE EVER HAD. It was huge. There were marshmallows, malt balls and a chocolate stick to stir. All on top of a tower of cream. Needless to say nothing was left and we had a lot of fun trying to see the best way to devour the sweet beast. We headed back to the car and stopped at a quick fish market to see the local goods. Camden tried cockles and liked them. I had one out of bravery. Then once the fisherman saw my willingness he dared me to a challenge. He offered me this tough, white bit and said, "eat this if you're so brave and I'll tell you what it is after". I was scared. But, knowing me, I had to now. So I bit into it and he said, "it's a snail!!", without any thought I spit it directly onto the floor with a simultaneous screech. Everyone started laughing saying it was the best reaction they have seen. I was thankful no one was upset I just spit on the establishment floor. But all in all it was such a fun experience HAHAHA. We returned to the car and had a quick bite. Phillip had treated Camden and I to lunch where I tried a Scotch egg and mixed salad. Camden had a proper sausage roll. They were both amazing!! Izzy also took us to a local sweet shop where we got loads of British candy! And we looooooove our candy. We took some English toffee, filled licorice, soft rock, Bon bons and love hearts. Again, all to die for in their own special way. Per usual, all good things come to an end and it was time or us to head to Nottingham where our other friends were awaiting our arrival. We said our goodbyes and headed off to the train station. Visiting Izzy and her family was such a treat. We had no idea what to expect and in the end we made new friends and bonds that could last a lifetime. We are both so incredibly thankful for the love, hospitality and generosity that the Milburn family showed us. I will always remember the time we shared with them. All the history facts, lovely food and genuine time we spent together means more than anyone could know. Thank you so much for making our time in England so much more! All the best to you all xx       To follow our journey in even more depth please check out our other social media outlets! Instagram: @christinabammbina @marlon_cramdo#boygirlandtheworldYouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCC9qwNoy9QSRXLHKgoKLHtw