Day 12 :: Monday :: Dorset & home again
Today has been mostly taken up with the long drive north, and the inevitable re-adjustment that's needed after a trip away. Even though we were only gone for three nights it felt like much longer, and it's a bit strange to be back home again and straight back into my parenting shoes (flip flops). We arrived back in the mid afternoon and I immediately had to think about what to cook for the family meal this evening, go and do a quick food shop, then help unpack the car and sort out the various bags of clothes, bedding/towels and food. However, it's a small price to pay for the luxury of having offspring who are now old enough to take care of themselves, and being free to escape the parenting job for a short while is fabulous. So I'm not complaining, but....I guess I just feel a bit on the weary side after long hours of travel and the aforementioned re-adjustment process. What a wonderful time away we had though, it really was extremely lovely on all fronts.
I've been looking back through my photos and I think out of everything I've shared, my most favourite part of it all was our accommodation. We don't own a caravan but it's easy enough to rent one, and staying at this small, rural site nestled into the quiet Dorset countryside above the beach was absolutely dreamy. This was our second time staying (our first holiday here was two years ago) and I know that there will be more times to come.
I loved the early mornings sat with a hot cup of tea and taking in the expansive views, cosy under a blanket listening to the birds and the sheep bleating in the next field....
....but most of all I loved the evenings when we would walk down through the lush fields to the sea. It was unbelievably dreamy for someone like me who has these vivid fantasies about living a quiet coastal life one day - this was my chance to live out my dream for a short while and it made me so happy!
My crochet blankets always came with us on these beach jaunts because even though the weather was sunny and warm during the day, it's still springtime and there was often a cool breeze whipping along the beach in the evenings. Also, I admit I get a major thrill out of seeing my blankets "in the wild" and admiring the colours sitting in such scenic surroundings.
It was usually around 8.30pm by the time we were ready to head slowly back up the hill to our holiday home on legs, and the golden evening light and long shadows made everywhere look beautiful.
If you look carefully at the above photo, you can just see the caravans up on the side of the hill there - they are sitting underneath the sign that points to Hive Beach 2 miles further down the coast. It's such a lovely spot, close to the coastal road which makes catching the bus possible, and the elevated position ensures that the views are expansive and incredibly scenic.
It's a very quiet rural area with lots of open countryside and small village communities. The locals are very friendly too :)
At this point in the year, the sun disappeared behind the hills at around 8.30pm, and the first stars appeared about an hour later just as the sky was beginning to darken. Every evening I would step outside with my blanket around my shoulders and stand for a while to breathe it all in before bedtime. I adore the scent of the evening air in this little patch of West Dorset - to me, it's the deeply familiar scent of my childhood and tells me that my heart is home. It's a country smell, the scent of damp grass with an undertone of farmyard, plus a slightly sweet, floral something combined with the salty tang of the sea. I could not love it more.
And now I'm back in the Attic again, in my adopted Yorkshire home and all is well. I found a shell in my pocket earlier, and remembered that J had found it on our walk and had given it to me, a sweet memento of our time in Dorset.
It will come as no surprise to you that I am pretty obsessed with all things coastal, and did plenty of visual colour-collecting while I was walking along Chesil beach. I'm beginning to think about the possibility of designing another coastal-inspired blanket, where the colours of the sea and beach merge with the hedgerows, fields and wild flowers. Can you imagine how dreamy it would be??? ♥
The flowers I saw on this recent trip have really stuck in my mind actually, especially the irises. There were a good many different varieties growing around the beautifully kept caravan site, as well is in the village gardens where we walked. I totally fell in love with them - the variety of colours is magnificent. I mean --> (( LOOK!! )) Wow. I have most definitely fallen in love.
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