Butley Priory birthday

It was my birthday on Thursday; a rather auspicious one and it turned out to be an absolute beauty. Look what came through the door from my amazing sister. If I could have flowers every day, I'd have peonies in every single colour. They even smell, I didn't realise.
Here, bury your nose in this. Pinkness incarnate.
There was chocolate cake made by Clarries fair hands at 8am with pains au chocolat and Zebedee.
Then on Friday afternoon after a LOT of excitement we set off for a romantic weekend away in Suffolk to Butley Priory. Secluded, magical and so romantic. My darling Ricardo had booked the pink room. Please, if you are envious of the star that is Ricado, we are working on having him cloned; you can put your orders in here if you like.
There was a bottle of champagne in the room when we got there with 6 red roses. (I'd forgotten it was our 6 year anniversary as well). He had organised a masseuse to come to the room too. It's been soooo long since I had a massage that I'd forgotten how good it can be, I hope she managed to get the dribble out of the pillow!
The weather was unbelievably glorious. Waking up in the 7ft bed with the only sound being a bluetit feeding it's babies outside the window was heaven....only to be out done by hearing a nightingale when we came back from dinner at 11.15 pm on Friday night. I've wanted to hear one ever since I came to this green and pleasant land.
Look at that cloudless sky.
There was a grand piano too, here's Ricardo playing it.
There was a beautiful view out this window
If you click on the picture you'll be able to see a swing in the trees off to the right. Honestly it was heaven on a stick. Complete with cute dog too called Lilly.
We went for a really long walk along overgrown footpaths smelling of Hawthorn blossom, over Burrow hill across the river Butley (thanks to the volunteer ferry man) and on to Orford for lunch at the Jolly sailor Inn. The sunny weather made it the most idyllic walk. Has there ever been a Bank holiday weekend like it?
How's this for a picnic spot?
On our way back home after the most relaxing weekend we dropped in to the tiny village of Kelsale where Richard grew up and a lot of Ludbrook's are buried. The Church has this beautiful Arts and Crafts period Lych gate.Richard's Grandmother was buried here but it was hard to find her plot as she'd been denied a headstone on account of being a deserted wife! We found where we thought she was and gave her the roses to say thankyou.