Norwich 2

When we visited Norwich late last year, we promised ourselves that we would repeat the trip.  This Wednesday we took the train again, starting out with a visit to Strangers' Hall.  The "strangers" in question were Flemish weavers, arriving in medieval times.  The museum now includes a veritable warren of rooms, beginning with a hall in the ancient sense of a large room open to the roof.

Through the building, rooms are furnished to match different periods of the house's occupation, from the 14th century vaulted undercroft onwards.  This fine walnut cabinet was in a room of 17th century inlaid furniture.  There was a Georgian drawing room and a Victorian nursery.  We found it fascinating.

By then it was lunch-time and we had booked at Jamie's Italian, which is in the Art Nouveau Royal Arcade.  Apart from the service, which was very slow for lunch-time, we enjoyed it very much.  Even simple bruschetta had lovely fresh ingredients and a lemony dressing.  Nor was it over-priced.

Everywhere you look in Norwich there is something interesting to see.  What about this little survivor, standing alone?

A cinema converted from some ancient buildings.

The wall of the house next to the Bridewell Museum, faced with shaped flints.

Knitting on the Star Leaves Shawl continues apace now that I am beyond the chevron of nupps.  These are clearly a key feature of Estonian lace, and lovely when they work out.  However, it is all to easy to miss a thread or two when purling them all together, and jolly difficult to put right.  My plan is to secure any messy ones at the finishing stage, which has worked for me before.

I am moving through the lace leaf section, and here the logic of lace, where the stitches sitting on the needle dictate what must be to happen in that row, makes for a very satisfying time.  I have discovered that it is possible to listen to the archive of "Desert Island Discs" on i-player - U.A.Fanthorpe - classic English songs, Vikram Seth - his own translation of an 8th century Chinese poet set to music, Alice Walker - highly emotional contemporary pieces ... absolutely fascinating.