Suffolk escape

Been visiting my parents in Suffolk for the weekend. It's the first time we've taken Rosie the Labradoodle (RTL) in the car for such an extended journey, and she coped with it well.

I enjoy visiting my parents, although with their penchant for changing properties this is only our second visit to their current pad, in Lidgate, near Newmarket (in the last decade they have lived in Hythe, Dover, Isleham, Leiston and Lidgate). There's no broadband internet connection, and no mobile phone signal, so you don't have much choice but to be thoroughly spoiled and take long walks in the country.

On Saturday we headed out to Ickworth House and its grounds. It's a National Trust property, and has its own small walled vineyard of 2.5 acres, mostly planted to Bacchus and Rondo. I've never tried the vines, but the sheltered south-facing site looks very promising. We walked for a few hours, thoroughly tiring RTL out.

Last night we played cards and drank some samples I came armed with. I ended up sleeping on the couch downstairs to keep RTL company: because my folks are looking after her over our Singapore and Western Australia jaunt next month, I didn't want them to be woken by RTL at 4 in the morning just because she felt the need for a little bit of social interaction. But when everyone else was up I went and found a proper bed, staying asleep until 0930, which is an almost unheard of luxury...