DAY 6

Norfolk County – Tour of Homes. Before she dropped me off back at my BnB, Helen said, “Well, I believe you’ve seen all the stately homes in Norfolk County now.” She wasn’t kidding. I mean, come on…every home here is stately. Not a Ball Homes subdivision in site.

This was the last day with my personal tour guide and new best friend, Helen. It was really bittersweet and I did my best not to cry at the end. She has been so generous with her time, her car, her humor. And turns out, she didn’t kidnap me! Honestly, too bad.

Here’s how we spent our Monday in North Norfolk:

• Norfolk country roads – Believe me when I say anyone would swear they were driving through Central Kentucky. These were familiar roads. Very familiar.
• Sandringham – The Royals’ country home. The Crown, anyone? No, we did not have to weigh ourselves upon entering. Yes, the scales were right inside the main door. Can you imagine the trauma? If you’re not familiar, read this. Pictures are not allowed inside a Royal residence and, quite honestly, there wasn’t much to photograph because we were shuttled through the main door, quickly through one room, down a hall (with a ton of swords, guns…impressive and imposing) and then to a gallery where loads of King Charles III’s watercolors were on display. Of course, if you follow the Royals at all, you know that Charles loves to paint. He is actually extremely gifted! Just google a few of his paintings and see for yourself!
• Sandringham in Bloom – Ok, the gardens are gorgeous. Over 60 acres of the most lush, picturesque plants and flowers I’ve ever seen. Seriously, it’s impossible to take a bad picture here. Sandringham in Bloom is a special event where certain installations were included along the footpaths. However, there was one display inside the house that was really incredible – a replica of the Coronation robe made completely from plant materials. Unfortunately, I couldn’t snap it but thank you internet.
• Sandringham Fire Brigade and Garage – As an American fascinated with all things Royal, seeing the Rolls Royce Phantom with the Royal Standard was really a treat. I loved that we could get right up next to the cars and fire trucks. I kept thinking about how my Dad and son would have loved this part! Imagine having an estate so large, you need your own fire department!
• St. Mary Magdalene Sandringham – What an absolute extraordinary church. Let’s be real – all Anglican churches in England are basically carbon copies of each other. Literally, if you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all…and they are EVERYWHERE. But the church at Sandringham was different. Not because it was overly ornate in any way (of course, there was more gold and silver), but because of the immense history. This is where the Royal Family attends Christmas service each year.
• Norfolk Lavender – This was a nice detour. It looked like we were maybe a week or two too early to enjoy the lavender in full bloom. Helen talked me into getting a “real” sausage roll and a sleeve of chocolate-orange crumpets. This would be my supper later – and darn good. No, crumpets are not English muffins. They were more like the bottom part of a muffin but spongier.
• Sunny Hunny – Hunstanton Beach has some extraordinary views of the North Sea! Boy, was it chilly…but hey, I’ve been to the beach this summer!
• Holkham Hall – Wow. This place is opulent. So much so that it’s been featured in many films, tv shows and documentaries. The movie The Duchess with Kiera Knightley was filmed here. We were able to see much more at this stately home than at Sandringham including the kitchen and servant areas downstairs.