Cracker

A bit of a bonus day as we’d originally planned to be going home today but extended our stay. Woke just after dawn… beautiful to see the sky filled with pink and the promise of another sun filled day. Had to do some emails and comments on papers first thing then we took a walk along to Peveril Point from the house…feel like this coastline has become very familiar to us these last few days as we’ve explored the cliffs and beaches and we could see all along it from the headland. Lots of flowers everywhere and swifts and dunnocks flying around and singing….lovely. Visited another art studio there with a very chatty owner, then walked back and went to the last studio near our house…beautiful embroiderer and artist friends exhibiting in a converted watermill and K chatted to her about freehand sewing. We then drove (via the ferry across the entrance to Poole harbour, taking about 2 minutes!) to Sandbanks where we wandered along the beach past the beach volleyball tournament and lifesavers. Lots of oyster shells on the shoreline but not many others.
By then, time to go in to the Rick astern restaurant for lunch (interrupted just beforehand by a call about P’s carers not being able to get the key safe open and was just arranging for T to go down when they called back and said they’d fixed it….sigh!). Delicious! Unusually we both had the same….mussels with very tasty bread, hake alla cartina - with tomatoes and caper sauce - and pineapple tarte tatin. All very gorgeous and excellent large staff of waiters who made it all seamless.
Afterwards it was back on the ferry and then down to the beach at Swanage where I promptly fell asleep on the sand for one of those blissful short but refreshing sleeps, then I paddled for a while and we walked back via the cafe for a lemonade. Whilst sitting there we saw a big boat on the horizon and with the help of various apps and telephoto lens we worked out it was https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/commercial-services/our-services/vessel-hire/thv-patricia the very ship K’s parents had been on going around the British coastline.
Drove to Worth Matravers to the eccentric old pub the Square and Compass where we enjoyed some local cider in the garden sitting at what felt like huge Neolithic stone structures and had one of their famous pasties. The place was buzzing and had incredible views and a lovely atmosphere. In the field at the back of the car park there was a huge mock Stonehenge made of massive tree trunks…no idea what that was about!
Headed home, tired but after a great last day.