Suffolk, Yurts

On Friday afternoon, a week into the new job, I quitted the city, headed for the Suffolk countryside. One large and one small train later I was met at the station by one of our group and driven the short final stretch to our destination, Suffolk Yurt Holidays, just outside Woodbridge.

I am not quite sure what I was expecting when a weekend away 'glamping' with some girlfriends was mentioned, but this was above and beyond. The beauty of the campsite took my breath away. I arrived later than the others, head still reeling from the overload of new information and unfamiliar acronyms the first week of a new job always entails, but within a few moments of being there all that had slipped away. The barbecue had been lit and the others had prepped salad and opened tubs of dips, olives, made homemade burgers, marinated chicken, stuffed peppers with cheese for us vegetarians. I was shown the shower room, complete with an eco-friendly, sustainable waste water system, the shared kitchen, with provisions of olive oil and sea salt, and a very comprehensive recycling system, and then the yurts themselves, which were beautiful, hand-crafted wooden inner structures made from local wood, wooden floors, domed ceilings, futons made up with clean white sheets and plumped duvets. All lying within the most stunning meadow, thick with wildflowers, daisies, buttercups, clover, cow parsley, and many more that I do not know the names of. Gently waving grasses, and the background hum of crickets. The sun was setting, hitting the everything with glorious light, causing the yellow flowers to turn golden. We ate, drank chilled white wine, talked. Later, moved to the campfire area, set a fire going, poured some more wine, talked some more. I felt so wonderfully relaxed, so far removed from the city, from the stresses of a new job (I am loving it, but being the new girl can be tiring). We stayed, sitting in a circle on the logs, until the fire had burned down, only glowing coals remained. In the yurt we lit the hurricane lamps and a small fire on the wood burner to take the slight chill off, got into pyjamas, brushed out teeth, blew out the lights, clambered into bed.

In the morning I awoke to natural light, stepped outside for awhile, took a few photographs, then got back into bed and dozed until late morning, door open onto the meadow. Later we breakfasted on toast and raspberry jam as chickens clucked around us in the grass. Idyllic. I had to be back in London later that day for a friend's birthday, so left, sadly, shortly after, with time for a quick dash round Woodbridge before my train, picked up a bunch of scented sweet-peas. I know the others went for a country walk and pub lunch, then on Sunday made it to Walberswick which is one of my favourite beach locations, not too far from my parents'.

I will be back, one night wasn't enough.