Suzy Says

Another thing Americans who have never actually visited England (but think they know all about it anyway) think is that the food is terrible. Well, it’s not. During and immediately after WWII, sure. Now, no. Some of the best and most memorable meals I have ever eaten have been on this island (the Walnut Tree in Wales, the River Caf&eacute and the Tate restaurant spring to mind immediately), including last night.

Seckford Hall is completely gorgeous. It appeared in the twilight absolutely breathtaking on its emerald green grass (non-surprising factoid: grass is grown here as a crop and sent to grass deprived places for golf courses and so on). It has a perfect Elizabethan facade and the interior has been beautifully preserved while converting it to modern and luxurious use.

My cousins, Les and Nadine, who took me to dinner at this lovely place, are also beautifully preserved and look even better than they did last year. They are one of the happiest couples I have ever met, and it’s a joy to be around them. Their warmth, humor, and pleasure in each other and in life itself spill over onto whoever is with them. It was a wonderful evening, and the food was perfect, as was the service.

One of our party decided to have an after-dinner cigarette and the staff tried very hard to dissuade her from going out into the night instead of sitting in a comfortable chair beside the fire, for example. When she had finally convinced them that she truly preferred to go outside, the comfortable chair was placed on the lawn for her convenience and removed when she was finished. Now that’s service. If that’s what having servants is like, I’m all for it. I really have to work harder on being idle rich (since I’m a Gemini, that sentence is completely logical).

The week I have spent here so far has been a sort of food and wine orgy, and very unlike my puritanical existence at home, where I drink spring water, eat only twice a day, and walk miles up and down hill and my greatest indulgence is a cup of black coffee first thing in the morning. The dinners we had at the Nobody Inn were superb. Then there was Seckford Hall, and today we had lunch at a charming place in Aldeburgh, Suffolk called The Lighthouse, where I had fresh local crab dressed with herb mayonnaise and a salad with grilled duck and a vinaigrette made of fresh raspberries and lime juice. And I’m supposed to have dinner? As soon as I get home, I’m going to detox. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy myself.