Discover Norwich
It was in December 2016 when I first set foot in England via Heathrow Airport where my partner Richard met me. From London we then traveled by train to Norwich, the capital city of the County of Norfolk, in the East Anglia region of England where we spent Christmas with his family. I will be writing a separate blog about my first English Christmas experience but for this blog, I will share with you my perception of Norwich and some of the surrounding areas.
Speaking of “Norwich” what initially came to my head was that it’s just a name of an insurance company but not as a place or a city. I was glad to learn that actually it’s a place where I had a chance to see for myself about its history when Richard took me to some of its significant places. One of the City’s famous landmarks is the Norwich Castle which was built by the Normans more than 900 years ago. It is now a museum and an art gallery. Some of the collections date back to the Viking and Norman periods.
Another stunning structure in the City is Norwich Protestant Cathedral which is considered as one of England’s most awe-inspiring Cathedrals, again built over 900 years ago. Its original construction begun in 1096 and was completed in 1145. Norwich also has another cathedral which is the second largest Roman Catholic Cathedral in England after Westminster Cathedral.
Being one of the thriving settlements dating back to the Viking era, the city is full of history which is clearly evident as you wander around when you’re at some of its famous cobbled areas such as Elm Hill, Timber Hill and Tombland. A true reminder of Medieval Europe.
As a fanatic Football fan himself, Richard did not miss showing me Carrow Road, the home of the City’s Football Club known as The Canaries where his son works as a chef.
There are so many things to do and see in the City, but during that limited period we also spent time outside of the City to visit the picturesque North Norfolk coastline where I tasted an authentic English fish and chips, which was of course truly delicious.
We also had a chance to visit the Sandringham Estate, which is the Norfolk home of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II. It is a holiday estate that includes a vast six hundred acres of a Country Park. This park literally is immense and is ideal for picnic and to relax with family and friends as we witnessed during our visit. In more recent times it has hosted many famous artists in outdoor concerts. Apparently, it has been a tradition that the Royal family spends Christmas at the Sandringham Estate.
I wish I had a chance to see The Queen during my visit.
