This time last weekend Matt and I were pulling into his driveway after a truly relaxing weekend away in the Norfolk Broads. He’s been working crazy hours at his job recently and with the con season at an end as well it was as good a time as any for a break. We got an amazing deal via Groupon for two nights at the Sutton Staithe Hotel which is only about a ninety minute drive from Ipswich, perfect!

Sutton is a teeny tiny village with the most exciting local landmarks being a pottery studio, a duck pond and the village sign. The latter two of which we went to visit on the Sunday morning before we checked out for the weekend. The rest of the time was spend either in bed watching trashy movies on TV or toasty by the fire in the pub stuffing our faces with food!

Despite some fairly horrible stomach issues on the Saturday night it was incredibly relaxing and re-energising! The distinct lack of phone signal and WiFi was also wonderful. The hotel was nice enough and even its regular prices seem to be incredibly cheap so perfect for a quiet getaway like we had if that’s what floats your boat. Of course being somewhere so small isn’t for everyone but I loved the peace and quiet of it.

On our way home we popped in past the Fairhaven Woodland & Water Garden to stretch our legs, well it would have been rude not to visit something on our trip! Fairhaven (as well as being a fictional holographic town from one of my favourite TV series) is a unique woodland garden set in the heart of the broads. The mix of ancient woodland and water ways creates a fantastic habitat for an abundance of wildlife and is open 364 days a year.

It was beautiful and peaceful just to walk around and take in the surroundings. We even stopped by one of the bird huts where we saw some blue tits, a robin and a moorhen. As well as my first otter! (Which I may or may not have thought was a crocodile initially…)

It was a lovely, lovely weekend. I wish more of them could be just like it.