Back to England

After growing up in England and moving away when I was 14, this was a wonderful trip back home. Felixstowe is a wonderful town with surprisingly few changes. The seaside has seen better times, but it brought back many wonderful childhood memories. Especially the Pier, where there are fun slot machines and games for kids in which they can win money; my children thought it was a blast.

There are still the fresh, hot doughnuts covered in sugar and the taste and aroma of fish and chips wrapped up in paper--not newspaper anymore, but close. Don't expect too much from the pizza though; I have to say that was my worst meal.
There are plenty of places to go for a walk in England, because that is one think about the British they know how to walk and ride a bike. But there it this little village called Lavenham about a 45 minute drive outside of Felixstowe, and there is a nice pathway that takes you through a church and pastures and lets not forget the big huge pile of poop, I am not sure that was supposed to be a part of the scenory.
Castles, you must visit Orford and Framlingham Castle, you get a real sense of what it was like back in the days. Oh and the churches, I love the stoned churches, now that's a church, unlike the American churches that look like a mini city.

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Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a car from Hertz through British Airways, and we got a Ford Focus that fit four of us comfortably for about a week, including VAT and all the extras they tag on. So if you go to British Airways.com and check out car rentals, you'll find that their prices may be high on tickets, but not on cars, and yes, it beat the Hertz site itself.

Now, traveling to England can be expensive, so I did some research, and lo and behold, I found this wonderful flat (small apartment) at www.visitbritain.com. It has two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. There was a partial view of the sea,and everything you need to live in the apartment, even books and games. It was quaintly decorated. It is not as big as an American apartment, but it provided enough space for this family of four. It is a short walking distance to the town and to the seaside. This flat also accommodates children, as there are places in England that would prefer not to have children stay there.

Staying there set us back only about $310 (170 pounds) a week, but I know in going this year that it's up just a few bucks. But the price is better than any hotel; plus, you can also save money staying here, rather than in a hotel, because you can walk down to the grocers and cook up your own meal. And if you are not sure what to make or don't feel like putting a lot of effort into cooking, you can always get the many different-flavored soups and some fresh-made bread for a meal. Pot-of-noodle soup is one of my favorites. Another favorite is buying sausage rolls, sausages, pork pies, and cornish pasties and heating them up for a great meal. So many people give England a bad wrap on food, but go and try it yourself.

Felixstowe is away from the "American" tourist hub but close enough to visit other areas you have heard of. But I highly recommend staying in this seaside town and traveling to many little villages on the outskirts of town: try it and you may want to go back. I know I am.