We were up at 08:30, got ready and then went downstairs for breakfast. Graham had fruit, porridge and a cooked breakfast washed down with coffee and apple juice. I had granola again. They had no almond milk that day, but it tasted just as nice with ordinary milk. I had a regular yoghurt, and a cooked breakfast. I also had coffee and a mix of apple and orange juice again. It was not quite as extreme as it had been at Lichfield where pretty much everyone at breakfast had been to the concert the previous evening, but there quite a few other Collaborators.
After breakfast, we went back upstairs to get packed up, which did not take long. Then we headed downstairs to check out. The plan had been to retrace our steps to where we had stopped the treasure hunt the previous day. However, Graham wanted to take a little detour to the oldest part of Norwich. I was happy to oblige. There were some really pretty buildings there. We also got some nice views of the cathedral from a different perspective. We ended up round the front of the cathedral and from there, we retraced our steps. The streets were very quiet that morning and I was able to get a clear shot of the abstract artwork that we needed for a clue the previous day and had struggled so much to find. Soon we were back where we had stopped for the day the day before and were able to pick up the trail easily. He second half of the treasure hunt was easier. The directions made more sense. A couple of the clues where quite hidden. One of the clues referred to the oldest coaching inn in Norwich. We went up and down the road in question a couple of times and there was nothing that fit the bill. In the end, we found a plaque in the pavement that was referencing the coaching inn. Other clues looked very cryptic in the book, but once we actually were in the location and could see what the clue referred to, things became very clear. We did notice that Norwich has a lot of churches. Some of them have been decommissioned and either been transformed to something else or were just closed.
A lot of the clues in this part of the treasure hunt was very close together. We did end up in the alley near the cathedral again where we had looked for an earlier clue with no success. This time we were in the right location. On the way to the next clue, we came across some very colourful statues outside an office. I stopped quickly for a photo. After this, we headed to what was probably my favourite part of the treasure hunt. We headed up a street called Elm Hill. Elm Hill is a very pretty cobbled street featuring the city’s best-preserved collection of medieval and Tudor timber-framed buildings. Following a 1507 fire, the street was rebuilt and now houses specialty shops and cafes. It was a shame that it was a Sunday. One of the shops sold artist and collector bears. Sadly, the shop was closed. I suspect that my credit card was relieved about this fact though as if the shop had been open, I am sure I would have spent some money, and those bears do not tend to be cheap.
There was not actually a clue on Elm Hill, but it was a location of the first optional refreshment stop. Each Mystery Guide includes two optional refreshment stops. Usually, they are pubs. Here the first one was something special. The location was The Britons Arms. This is a 15th-century Grade II* listed building and a popular café. It is one of the few buildings along Elm Hill to survive the 1507 fire. It is a popular filming location. I did not know this at the time, but it was turned into The Slaughtered Prince inn for the film Stardust. I love this film. I may have to watch it again just to see if I recognize it. It was nice to have a rest and something to drink. Graham had an Americano and a slice of apple cake. I was not hungry and fancied a cold drink. I had some Norfolk elderflower cordial, which was delicious.
Once we had relaxed for a while, we picked up the trail again. This took us through the courtyard of a former monastery and past some beautiful historic buildings to the waterfront. Once we headed back inland, we had one more clue to solve which then led us to the location for the final reveal. This took us round the back of the cathedral This was the Adam and Eve pub. It is widely claimed to be the oldest pub in the city, with the earliest known reference made in 1249. Back then, it was a brewhouse used by workmen building the nearby cathedral. The brewhouse was owned by Benedictine monks at the nearby Great Hospital. It was the last pub in Norwich to serve ale from the barrel, until a bar was installed in 1971. The building that is there today is a 17th-century building. We found the final reveal behind the bar. It would have a shame not to have a drink in such a historical place. Graham had a craft beer and I had a cider. We both had really enjoyed the treasure hunt even with the stops, starts, and detours. We most certainly discovered a lot of things that we otherwise never have found or even noticed if we had passed by then. After now having done four of those treasure hunts, I have definitely become more aware of my surroundings, and I tend to look up and down to see if there is something interesting to see. We also decided that we would have another weekend away before our holiday. I wanted Mystery Guides for Norwich and Chester, and they had an offer that you got one free Mystery Guide with the purchase of two Mystery Guides. I had gone with Hull and while we enjoyed our drinks, we started to make plans to have a quick weekend trip to Hull and Beverley in April.
There was one last thing that Graham wanted to see. This was Pull’s Ferry. We crossed a carpark opposite the pub and ended up back on the waterfront. There was a park alongside the river, and this was a pretty walk. We got a different perspective of the cathedral again. Even though Graham was not a hundred percent convinced that we were heading in the right direction, we did find Pull’s Ferry. Pull’s Ferry is a former ferry house located on the River Wensum. It is a flint building and was once a 15th-century water gate. It was the route for the stone used to build Norwich Cathedral. It has long since been defunct, but it is very picturesque and was worth the detour.
We followed the riverside walk until we got close to the station. Then we took stairs up to the main road. There was a pub serving food on the top of those stairs. We figured it was time for a late lunch. Graham had fish and chips. I had a Sunday roast which was roast beef. The food was tasty.
We still had some time until our train was due to leave. However, we could see the station from the pub, and we had done enough walking for the weekend. We headed across to the station and found a seat. Once our train was listed, we headed across to the platform. This time round we had to change trains in Nottingham and Sheffield. Fortunately, we had quite long waiting times. The train had left Norwich in time but picked up a sizeable delay along the way. I spent most of the trip reading. We arrived in Nottingham in plenty of time to make our onward connection, but the waiting time was halved. The connecting train was lightly delayed, but again, we had plenty of time in Sheffield. We found the correct platform and then went to sit down in the waiting room. The final train was on time and operated nonstop to Stockport. By the time we got there, it was quite late and we did not fancy the idea of a rail replacement service. Instead, we took an Uber to get back home. We were both tired when we got home. We put our backpacks in the living room and got ready for bed. We were both asleep not long afterwards.
Dolphingirl’s Travels 
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