Norwich had cute shops, cafes and restaurants, they are independent as well as chains and franchise. I love it because of packed with independent shops and cafes. And just walking in the town, is fun. my favo ones are markets, health food shops, vegan/vegetarian cafe, fair trade cafe, and of course, charity shops.
Charity shops there are excellent, some looks really charity shops ie: use supermarkets carrier bags, old mis matching hungers, reasonable prices (very important), lots of dump baskets, weird bric-a-bracs, old clothes, rustic inside... fun after fun. Every time I go there, I buy a bag full of clothes for my eBay.
Why these shops are good? to me, too many franchise shops everywhere I go, they all look the same. Same shops, same cafes and restaurant. Might as well, not going anywhere else but staying your local town. Whereas lots of independent shops make shopping experience (even just window shopping ) & cuppa experience more enjoyable and exciting. Make me want to go back and back and back....
It takes about 1 hour from where I live. Get connection line at the Stowmarket (small Suffolk town). 20mins walk from the Norwich station to Emma's. I just walk along the Norwich cathedral, river and high street. I love walking there. Feels like I become a local person!
We went out after our cuppa into the town, usual round, charity shops then lunch at a cafe. She took me to a fair trade cafe just 5 mins from the market square. Cute cafe, I liked it. It had a shop attached to it, selling health foods. I bought a few goodies.
Food.... mmmmm, Emma had tomato and veggie soup for £4, I had yellow lentil stew with sun dried tomato sauce. Sorry to say, but it wasn't good. I don't normally complain other people's food, I much appreciate when someone else cooks and happy eating it. It was worse than my quick wacky dinner. It was half mashed yellow spilt peas with sun dried tomato sauce (fat too tomatoy, and lentils were really bland, no herbs, no garnish, no flavour, I didn't like it) on the top, served in a small bowl, and charged £6. It was very expensive for what it was. I would charge for £4 or even less. It wasn't even "stew". Not quite sure why it was called "stew". If they wanted to serve foods and charged how they wanted to price, they need to think presentation of their products (could easily do without spending lots of money) and I think they need a proper cook/chef cooking in their kitchen.
That is sometimes problems with vegan/ vegetarian food. Some people STILL tends to use mainly cheese, tomato, wheat flour pasta and lentils, nowadays, there are so many untold numbers of good recipes and ideas out there, surely, be able to use different ingredients to make up a yummy dish.
After that, Emma wanted to have sos roll, so we popped into a cute deli cafe on one of the side street. We both had one of each and they were the last ones. They were yummy, but I felt it was a bit too much on my stomach. But I enjoyed it.
We did some more charity shop round till our tea and cake time. I really shouldn't, but I still can't resist a good cake and a cuppa, so she took me to "the Britons Arms". Oh, it was very old fashioned, quaky place. cute and all!
I had a apple cake with a pot of rooibos tea, Emma had cream teas with a pot of earl grey tea. Yum Yum. It was delicious, I felt like I hadn't had good cakes like that for ages. (about 1 a month or less I eat a cake now by the way, I'm doing really well. last time I had a piece was last month when I went to see Emma. That was also delish!)
By the time we finished our cakes, it started getting really dark, it was only just after 5pm ish, we walked back to Emma's flat. The moon was behind the misty clouds, it looked very pretty. This part of town, I felt like spirit people everywhere! It was beautiful!
Next time, I go there, we would like to go to a vegan/vegetarian cafe. Can't wait. apparently, they have raw foods too! Hooray!
"The Britons Arms"
9 Elm Hill
Norwich
NR3 1HN
Phone: 01603623367
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