Stained glass, friends & flowers
The sheep and lambs are about at Ickworth. These ladies were enjoying the shade & each other's closeness. A bit fuzzy as I did not want to get so close I startled them. The mother sheep are looking a bit the worse for wear but the lambs are all pretty and plump.
The sustainable flower meadow - which I have christened the 'not-wild flower meadow' had come on since my visit on Saturday. More poppies and more undergrowth so the overall colors have changed.
The door in the walled garden is even more weathered than my last visit. There is something so beautiful about the peeling paint and the shades of weathered oak, and the handmade bricks. Very wabi-sabi. My friend Kate noted that the door itself just made her grope for a paintbrush, but the photo brought out its aesthetic qualities.
One of the glorious seventeenth century stained glass roundels at St Mary's Church Ickworth. With a view is the graveyard beyond.
I walked around with my friend Kate and it was as if we last parted a fortnight ago, rather than 9 months ago. Except that there was a lot of news to catch up on!
Afterward Kate dropped me on the edge of town and I walked back to meet Janice for coffee at The Pilgrim's Rest (previously the Refectory) at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. I regret to say the coffee is only marginally improved but the space and view of the garden are as gorgeous as ever. Janice & I caught up on more news and began to coordinate diaries to ensure a couple more meetups while I am in town.
Wednesday I had a trip out to Clare with Jean and Jane. (No, I don't choose my friends based on their initial but that is quite some coincidence, especially as I am now staying with Jo...) I was so busy looking and experiencing at Clare that I did not take photos. Also a bit hung over from a migraine the previous evening.
Clare is charming. Part posh and historical, part a bit run down and just old. We had a delicious lunch at a small tea shop, then browsed a couple of antique shops. One stocked gorgeous 20th century vintage clothes and accessories. I was very tempted by a luscious velvet dress but fortunately it wasn't my size or color. The most amazing deep burnt orange shade. Jean bought a couple of ties for a lucky relative, otherwise we 'oohed & ahhed' for a bit before moving on. We also patted the huge soft toy lion on the counter by the entrance. Because this is Suffolk.