Clam Chowder and Lobster, Not Everyone's Cup of Tea

Sunday 31st July 2011

630am local time (1130 GMT) is also the time breakfast is served here in South Yarmouth, and what a spread!  Choices of cereal, fruit juices, tea, coffee, toast, bagels, yoghurt, boiled eggs, mini muffins, mini doughnuts and even a waffle iron (yes, they trust you enough to make your own waffles!). Needless to say when we started our morning rehearsal at 9am everyone had eaten sufficiently.

The morning rehearsal went really well.  The band are sounding really good and playing well too.  While the band was reheasing a couple of the band member's wives took advantage of indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi.

After the morning rehearsal we had a good 6 hours of free time to do with as we wished.  Some people went exploring the local area along the river (which is beautiful with boats sailing up and down, people canoeing and some swimming) and exploring the local shops and restaurants.  Others spent the time laying by the outside pool sunning themselves and indulging in an ice cold budweiser.

We had been invited to take a guided tour of the Harwich area by the Town's Chamber of Commerce.  We got to see a few of the popular tourist attractions of Harwich Port, places where we'd be performing and a couple of the places we'd be treated to lunch and dinner including Bishops Terrace, where we'd be eating that night.

The meal at Bishops Terrace, which was paid for by the restaurant (so a massive thank you goes out to them!), consisted of three cources; Clam Chowder for starter; main course of a whole lobster, clams, mussels, Linguica sausage, potatos and corn on the cob; and for dessert we had a slice of watermelon.  However the main meal was not everyone's cup of tea.  The meal also included a free first drink.  Our party were so impressed by the restaurants hard work that we chipped together and got a fairly sizable tip for the staff.  While we were there a jazz trio were playing a few well known tunes in the main bar which we got to enjoy before heading back to the hotel for a couple of quiet drinks before bed.