Day 35, 11 Feb: Castles of Suffolk

Norfolk Terrace, Day 35. 23:59. Castles of Suffolk

Framlingham Castle

            It turns out I got less sleep upon waking up this morning than yesterday, but I pulled myself out of bed and got to the main UEA bus station by 9. This was the daytrip to two castles in the Suffolk region: Framlingham Castle and Orford Castle.

L-R: Me, Anna, Marika, Rebecca, Morgana

            The first castle looked impressive from the outside: the twelfth-century walls of stone and mortar prevailing amidst the background of twenty-first century snow. Once we passed through the bridge (once a drawbridge), though, my very first feeling wasn’t what I had expected it to be: “…That’s all?” Inside the walls was a one-room museum of glass exhibits (displaying royal dress and silverware) that doubled as a gift shop. The rest of the walled fortress was empty space covered with layers of snow. I found a picture in the museum of how the interior used to look in the 13^th century and the wooden quality of the structures then answered my implicit question: The wood didn’t last all the centuries—only the stone. It was a simple realization, but I had expected more to Framlingham Castle. Adding the fact that the walkway between the tops of the towers was cancelled today due to the ice, this visit didn’t have as much to offer as expected.

            Walking to the well and along the outside moat, Rebecca (from London Orientation onwards), Marika (from last Saturday’s shopping adventure), Anna (Rebecca’s friend Anna, not the Anna of UEA Choir or of the Norwich scavenger hunt), Morgana (met her more officially today, but had met her before sometime or other), and I had a good time nonetheless. The crowning moment of our hour there was finding the Prison Tower from the outside and stepping onto a plank-like ruin of a wall and then posing simultaneously for cameras. Nearby, a group of juveniles with sledges climbed up the sides of the snow-mounted incline up to the foundation of the castle and then attempted to sledge down. One had a nasty tumble down the rocky-snowy surface.  

SO AMAZING.

            Within the hour, we made it further into Suffolk, near the mouth of the River Ore. It was past noon. “I will not enjoy seeing another castle until I eat,” I said to the group (of the aforementioned). The others agreed and we had lunch at The Anchor in Walberswick. This was when I had the epic and incredibly delicious (though pricey) “Locally Landed Cod in Adnams Batter with Home cooked Chips, Mushy or Garden Peas and Tartare Sauce”. £10.95. Worth it. As you can see, the entire cod, minus head and tail, made it on this plate. I finished it boldly.

            Next we all walked on and met the awesome Swedish guy Hannes, who joined us on our march up to the Castle of Orford. This castle was not an empty box like the last one—it was the inversion: the interior without the box. More plainly, there were no fortified walls. The only thing standing was a rather thick and tallish “keep” (the interior of a castle) in which many rooms ingeniously fitted into the predominantly circular structure. The spiral staircases were narrow; the basement held a well (so in case of an attack on the castle, dying of dehydration was prevented); the slitted windows held preserving glass over them (probably warmer now inside the castle than back then); and there were multiple floors of the keep. We all gathered round a well-kept 12^th century toilet (well, it is just a hole elevated enough to sit on) and then later struck poses around a large round table. The spiral stair led to a rooftop overlooking the River Ore and miles of snow and the quaint houses in the town.

            This was not a guided tour, though. There was a virtual “tour” through the use of an electronic device that corresponded track numbers with listed numbers on the castle’s walls, which I happened to be able to borrow from Rebecca. Some of the information was interesting: average soldier height was 5’ 2” and on the main entryway the remnants of the large hinges are visible. A wooden slab fitted across the middle of the door to block entry as well.

Hehe, door with a face!

           Speaking of doors, I recall Marika having a quirky obsession with the quaint doors on homes and in the castle, beginning from the walk to the castle to the walk back to the coach. I have to admit, I found the door “faces” funny as well.

            Towards the end of this tour, it became very obvious that a guy (hm, his name has been forgotten—let’s call him Annoying Adam) had clung along with us uninvited. Annoying Adam was with our whole Castles Daytrip group (50 people total on this trip, btw), but I noticed how he attempted to be near and talking to Marika. For the last hour into town, to a bakery with delicious ecclès cakes filled with rich raisins and to a store with amazing locally produced apples (yes, I had one of each respectively), Marika avoided him as he tried to be in our group. At one point, seeing him walk by us, Marika clung to my arm and walked in-between me and Rebecca. When he was around the corner where the rest of our group was waiting, Marika let go of my arm. I smiled to myself how my “gay best friend” role (formerly and still applicable to my friendship with my flatmate Marie) had surfaced yet again. I must say, I have become this protective force for girls who don’t want to be hit on. I definitely don’t mind it, but I never would’ve imagined this as a byproduct to being in a long-distance relationship.

            On the coach bus ride back, taking twenty minutes short of two hours, I fell asleep slouched in my chair next to Rebecca who put on her furry hoodie and instantly fell asleep in that way. When we awoke in Norwich, Marika told us another move that Annoying Adam had made. So, just backtracking a little, upon sitting down in the back of the bus, our group witnessed the “subtle” move that Annoying Adam made from the front to sitting directly behind Marika. I had looked at Marika’s semi-horrified expression and had to turn away for fear of laughing aloud at the ridiculous progression of events. Now, upon waking up, she told us that A Adam had tapped her on the shoulder and had asked for her last name. She felt obliged to give it. We advised her to just not add him on facebook. At parting, he expressly addressed her with “I’m very glad to meet you”. After the goodbyes to Rebecca, Anna, Hannes, and Morgana, Marika and I, both living in Norfolk Terrace, averted Annoying Adam and safely made it back.

View from the top of Orford Castle

            After an easy meal of canned soap and canned beans, I uploaded the pictures of this trip and the one to Cambridge (Day 14) and then wrote these two ridiculously long blog entries. Good night.