What am I going to do when our friends go home and my birthday celebrations come to an end? Walking in the world has been quite an adventure these past couple of months, and the excitement isn’t quite over yet.

Today we drove out to the Tiptree Jam Factory for their special Afternoon Tea (with Prosecco):

Afterwards we wandered out along the River Blackwater to  stretch our legs and enjoy the view from the little village of Tollesbury. The tide was out, but the boats were colourful.

See the red boat in the background? That’s a Lightship, a floating lighthouse used to warn of navigational hazards and sandbanks.

And closer to the road, these unusual Sail Lofts provide space for painting and maintenance of the huge canvas sails used on the Thames barges.