Sunday September 7th 2014 - Another California camping break

After a very busy couple of months pet sitting, where I hadn't been able to camp since the Elvaston weekend in early July, a very early Sunday morning saw me setting off for ten days at my usual site on the Norfolk coast. The first signs of daylight were only just showing and there was a distinct chill in the air but the arrival of the sun later on soon warmed things up and the drive down to California was very pleasant. With just one stop for breakfast at the 'no tea, no pee' cafe I made good time, arriving at the site a little after 11am, and with the only occupants of the camping field being one small tent at one end and a camper van at the other end I had plenty of pitches to choose from. Most of them were very bare though from a combination of a season's use and very dry weather, but the grass between Nos. 45 and 46 seemed to be fairly level so decision made I set about putting up and sorting out my home for the next ten days.

A couple of hours later, and with everything finally in place it was time to take Sophie and Sugar for their first walk on the beach. The tide was high and just on the turn, and I was quite surprised to see that since last year the sand had shifted to form a long lagoon which was deep enough in some parts for a small child to swim; throwing a few stones for the dogs Sugar had no hesitation in going in to retrieve them but Sophie was quite happy just to paddle at the edge and play with bits of seaweed. 

By the time I got back to the tent I was more than ready for a brew and a snack; I also needed to get a new can opener so it was a good excuse to make my first trip to Latham's at Potter Heigham for a coffee and one of their cream-filled Belgian buns which was, as always, delicious. My purchases didn't stop at the can opener though, I also got some new solar lights to put round the tent, and with a discount for quantity the price worked out at just 50p each - bargain!

On my way back to the site I did something I'd been meaning to do for a couple of years but never got round to - a detour to Martham river bank and staithe to see if there was anything worth photographing. The staithe was in the middle of nowhere, quite a distance from the village itself and with nothing there except a boatyard at the far end, but the boats moored on either side made quite an attractive scene.

By the time I'd finished wandering around the long day was beginning to catch up with me and I just wanted to relax for a while, so I headed back to the camp site and did just that for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The bedtime dog walk came earlier than usual and once Sophie and Sugar were settled in their bed in the far side of the tent I made a quick brew and got into my own bed - and I didn't even finish that brew before I was well and truly sound asleep.