North Norfolk Camping

After our weekend with Nico and Fi, we headed up to the Norfolk coast and enjoyed a spot of camping at Whitehall Farm campsite in Burnham Thorpe (where Horatio Nelson was born - it's his 250th "birthday" in September). The campsite is refreshingly rustic and even provides livery for horsey-types wanting to take their four-legged buddies with them on holiday - what a smashing idea, chaps! We spent a great day on sizzling Brancaster beach - see pics below.

Schonken sandwich.

Playing "flags" on the awesome Brancaster beach.

Anna checking out one of the little locals.

Exploring the sand-dunes.

Digging a hole to China.

Wheeeeeeeeeee!

3 somebodies bodysurfing.

Just some cool little shop that mommy liked...

Weekend in Cambridge with Nico & Fi

Punting on the River Cam on a perfect Saturday morning.

We are not yet about to admit defeat, Fi, but Cambridgeshire might just be as cool as Oxfordshire! This is the life...

Navigating our way through the willow trees - what fun!

Picnic next to the river afterwards.

Taking tea under the apple trees at The Orchard in Granchester, a long-standing Cambridge tradition, where "more famous people have taken tea than anywhere else in the world". The illustrious guest list includes Prince Charles, Stephen Hawking, Virginia Woolf, Ted Hughes, Slyvia Plath, John Cleese, David Attenborough, AA Milne and Salman Rushdie (and now the Schonkens, of course).

Races in Nico and Fi's back garden (note the heart-warming brotherly love on display in the background).

Odds 'n Ends

Mark, Anne and Daniel Midgley popped over from Cape Town for afternoon tea on 23 July. As hardened "vegiephobes" (is there a word for you guys?!), I was extremely chuffed that Mark even tried one of the crystallised rose petals decorating my raspberry clotted cream cake :)

Daniel and Anna rekindling their friendship.

As a man who is is on holiday for nearly 5 months of the year, Philip is clearly someone with a bit of time on his hands. He accompanied Ben's class to the Cotswold Wildlife Park at the end of term and was responsible for Ben, Dylan, Christopher and Sam (above).

With the Beans at Blenheim Palace, birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill (11 July).

Leading Bean astray in the labyrinth at the National Herb Centre.

Anna's sports' day on 12 July: here she is in action, on her way to winning the super-challenging (according to Dad) "backwards" race (right of picture).

My Day Out!

I had a chance to catch the last day of the Test at Lords, where SA batted out a draw.

Edinburgh 5-7July

We drove up to Scotland for the weekend and Philip's aunt very kindly hosted us all in Edinburgh. Despite some pretty lousy weather, the city seems to have charmed the Beans who loved their hop-on, hop-off red bus tour. Some pics below...

Mrs Bean loved the roses (Edinburgh Castle in the background).

With Jean.

Skimming stones at South Queensferry with cousin Chris.

Anna charming Chris (or vice versa?)

Posing at one of Edinburgh's iconic spots (Forth Rail Bridge in the background) on a chilly summer's (?!) afternoon.

Showing Chris's girlfriend, Lisa, some of the family photo albums.

Even on a gloomy day in Edinburgh, a girl's got to do her best to look cool...

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Philip and I snuck off to Dubrovnik for the first four days of July, leaving Benanna in the capable hands of my folks. This was our first trip away together in over six years and was well worth the wait. Dubrovnik is a spectacular gem of a city, a UNESCO world heritage site, and most importantly, very hot after a dodgy start to the UK summer!

Dubrovnik Old Town from the water: we hired a sea kayak and took a 3 hour paddle around the harbour area and around nearby Lokrum island.

View of the Old Town from the city walls (and yes, that's sweat).

Looking down on the Stradun (main street or promenade running through the medieval centre).

The view of the Adriatic from our hotel on the Babin Kuk peninsula. (Cocktail bar ahead and blue flag "Beach" area at the bottom left.)

Dubrovnik continued...

Enjoying a local brew at a rock-side cafe bar below the Old Town city walls.

Pina coladas back at the hotel.

Trying a couple of local dishes: white risotto (with prawns) and mussels with a glass of Croatian Rose.

And prawns with honey and sage for Philp.