Dorset Holiday :: Seaside Days

During last week we went down to the sea every day. Sometimes we stayed local, sometimes ventured further afield. Sometimes it would be early morning for breakfast (as in these photos) sometimes for lunch, or an afternoon stroll, sometimes evenings.

We watched the sea and the sky in all weathers, from the brightest of sunny days through to the darkest of rain of storms. Rain or shine, morning, noon or night, crowded or deserted, beach, harbour, pier, promenade and cliff I just love love loved being by the sea.

These first pictures were taken earlyish (9.30am or so) on Easter Monday, and as you can see the weather was absolutely glorious. The intense blue of the sky was magical.

It was actually quite hard to photograph the seascape on this morning because the light was so bright and intense as it reflected off the water. We strolled the promenade, sat on West Beach and drank it in.

 

We were there for breakfast on this morning. Can you see in the above photo look, across the harbour is a row of "Snack Shacks"? That's breakfast calling. Shall we walk round the harbour and go see what's on offer?

There is hot competition at this side of the harbour. Oooooo, shall we go to JB's, Mungo's or the Snack Shack? Which one?

J chooses by scrutinising the various menus and I choose by the colour of the painted wooden tables. Snack Shack it is then because the tables happen to be the exact colour of the sky.

We order bacon and egg rolls and cappuccinos for the Big People. Icecream for the Little People, which they thoroughly approve of. Not every day you get to eat icecream for breakfast, hot on the heels of chocolate easter eggs.

Our breakfast, with the above view was completely scrumptious.

A stroll round the harbour and as always I find myself going off on a giddy little spin all of my own. I get such childish pleasure from harbours and boats, they never fail to make me feel like squealing and hopping with pure excitement, which I quite often do.

My children have come to think this is quite a normal way to behave, they don't bat an eyelid. They even make suggestions as to which boats will be the best for photographs.

Look Mum :: orange buoys against the blue of that boat!

Oooo yes!! Squeeeeeal hoppity hop, camera-click-click, ahhhhhh!!!

My husband tolerates me in this mood, but doesn't get it really. He rolls his eyes a little, becomes slightly impatient with the halting exclaiming progress. Obviously he doesn't experience colour in the same enormous way that I do. I mean just look!! Look at the colour of that boat there above, Isn't that blue just the most perfect boaty bluey-blue?? Doesn't it make you want to go oooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and hop with pleasure?????!!!!! :o)

I find it all so beautiful, exhilarating, heart-expanding. Even though I've walked round this harbour  a gazillion times since I was a small child, it still never fails to thrill me.

 

Beautiful.

It's all so perfectly beautiful.

We are around the harbour now to the other side, and this is East beach, with East cliff towering vertically in the background. East beach is an unpredictable, ever shifting bank of shingle. Some years it's almost flat. This year there is this huge mound to negotiate up and down. The Little People are expert mound-negotiators. Roly-polies are the way to go here. Endless satisfaction and amusement. I squash the urge to try it myself.

Crocs are abandoned and bare toes are out for a wiggle.

This cute row of houses sits at the back of the beach. I have always loved them, even as a child I always wanted to live in The Pink House.

And another fabulous house of childhood fantasies. Can you see the whale on the weather vane?

We have moved on now....these photos were taken last Tuesday, on a rather more cloudy, grey day. This is the East Dorset coast, at Durdle Door. When you arrive at Durdle Door, the car park is located high up on the cliff top and in order to see the Durdle Door itself you need to walk. Down, down, down you go along the descending cliff path, with stunning views of the cove below.

The colour of the sea here is magical, even on a grey cloudy day such as this one.

And eventually you come down low enough to see The Door, in all it's geographical splendour. You then need to decide whether to turn round and huff and puff back up the cliff, or whether to descend even further to one of the two little curved beaches either side of the arch. You really do want to go to the beach, but you know that aaaaaaallllllll those steps that you walk down to get to the beach will eventually have to be walked back up again. You put it to the vote. Three against one in favour of the beach :: hooorrraaahhhh, and down we go!

A very pebbly beach. Chocolate for energy. Building stone towers to make targets for throwing competitions. Enjoy the moment, then eventually prepare for the inevitable climb back up the million and one steps. Was worth it though, wasn't it? Yeah, definitely worth it.

Ajoining Durdle Door is the small village of Lulworth, with its popular curved cove and beach.
Its extremely, impossibly pretty but extremely impossibly crowded here. It's hard to photograph because people are everywhere, and I have an issue about having strangers invade my photographs, I don't like it one little bit. So no pretty pictures of cute thatched cottages, winding lanes, dinky shops or picturesque beach scenes, sorry.

But there is this fabulous bucket tree to show you.

And these delightful windmills.

 

Quite a lot of hoppity squealing over brightly coloured buckets and windmills I might add.
Ahhhh Seaside Days, I just adore them with all my heart.
I've got one more Holiday Story for you tomorrow.
See you then
xxx

Comments

[ChrisB]

Dorset is such a fabulous place to visit, great coastline and a wide variety of things to do inland. With the New Forest nearby it is a wonderful place for a holiday. Find hundreds of events and activities on http://www.allaboutgoingout.com

[Gretchen Cantoni]

How I love the sea as you call it. I lived on one of the Great Lakes growing up and I've never gotten used to being away from water. All my favortie vacations are near the water. Thanks for sharing. I must ask do you celebrate Easter? I know there are chocolate eggs and coloured eggs but do you happen to celebrate the church part? I'm not trying to offend, it's just that it's such an important part of my family celebration.

[Kim Campbell]

Beautiful! I love the water.

And I want one of those cool mugs!! Adorable!

[jeane]

oh my god, how i wished i can dive into the beautiful sea from the cliff at durdle door. if i am a bird i would definetely love spread my wings and fly across from the top of the cliff down to the sea for a splashing bath. lol...
all the photos are great too. it is no surprising u missed Dorset when u get home, well i miss it too thou im not there!

[Maddy]

One of my earliest memories as a little girl living in Colchester was our Sunday drive to the "seaside". As we drove along we would have a contest to see "who could see the sea" first. As we got closer and closer I remember the little shops with all the buckets and spades hanging out side their doors heralding the inevitable shouts from everone in the back seat of "I see the sea". Thanks for your lovely post and for taking us on your holiday too.

[Gill]

The simple things in life. Can't beat them. Thanks for sharing. Love the bucket tree and the knitted blanket, but then I'm a sucker for knitted blankets having just completed the Debbie Bliss "knitted patchwork blanket" that has taken 2 years. Finally sewn together with the help of your "joining granny squares tutorial". With a crocheted edge - first time I have ever crocheted. Thanks for the inspiration.

Gill.

knitted blanket can be seen here:
http://littlehillbigsea.typepad.com/little_hill_big_sea/2009/04/friday-sketch-a-windy-day.html

[anna]

thank you SO much for sharing everything, it really is like a big lung-full of fresh sea air right here in the middle of an ordinary land-locked day.
durdle door, lulworth, swanage and studland bay are the precious places of my childhood holidays and in recent years my (also grown up) brother and sister, all our spouses and my parents have, once a year, rented an 8-seater car and driven the miles and miles it is down to visit it all. we manically do all the things we can possibly squash into one day as if we were still children (our poor spouses look on a little bemused) and then, exhausted, drive the miles and miles home again, all salty, sandy and exhausted! such SUCH fun.

[Anja]

Love, love love it!!!
I've been to Durdle door!!!! Oh, thank you for this post. It's so beautiful!!!

[Tracy]

I love being by the seaside, too! Sounds like you had a lovely holiday. :)

[july]

What a beautiful part of dorset this is,I have fond memories of holidays there near Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Beautiful Pictures as always! July x

[Alison Hutchison]

Lucy how did you ever move away from the sea? Laughed out loud when you mentioned the children being entirely used to your little ways and giddy spins. My son is the same, he doesn't bat an eyelid. He's 9 next month and we gave him a digital camera for Christmas and it's such a joy to see the world through his eyes. His first photo was my mum's ceiling light because "he's always liked it"!!! Lots of love xx

[Ange]

Hi Lucy
I've LOVED your post today. All that colour and sea-sideness have really given my flagging tiredness a fantastic boost. I love Lulworth Cove, but know what you mean about the crowds. Just around that headland in the first photo is the bit of Devon where I'm from!!!
Thanks again
Ange
x

[Sumea]

I love your photographs ~
So brilliant, vibrant and blue
Am very much enjoying reading about your fabulous holiday x

[Denise]

Hi Lucy

You have taken me back in time, having spent a few holidays in Dorset, Durdle Door is one of our favourite beaches. The walk down is definitely worth it. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos and bringing back fond memories.

[julia]

Ahhh Lucy, you remind why I never feel the need to venture far from this little country of ours. Dorset is beautiful isn't it, lucky you having your Mum there. Sounds like a blissful holiday and thanks once again for the YHA recommendation, I'm now thinking of hiring a whole one for the big four-oh celebrations nexy year, if finances allow.
Julia xx

[sarah]

Love the pink house too. It makes me want to sell up and move immediately. Shall just keep on wishing for now and looking at your fab photos.

[The Coffee Lady]

The bucket tree is fantastic. But why? I want to know more about it...

[simone]

A beautiful post. Pretty little harbours are probably one of my best places to be.....ever. My spirits have really been lifted today with the harbour and boat scenes. I would love to be there right now. I will close my eyes and dream.............x

[Nicki]

yes, we did have such fab weather whilst you were down here! Such intensely blue skies.....one morning I chatted on the phone to my friend who lives in London....she was sitting inside her house, heating on, jumper on too,listening to the rain.....I was sitting outside in my garden, in a thin dressing gown, having my breakfast and enjoying the sunshine!!!

The first two pictures are of one of my two girls favourite bits of the beach at West Bay....it's considered 'our' spot to sit in a certain place amongst the rocks....lovely view and rocky furniture to use as a table and seats for lunch!

Nicki x

[Cara @ Turvys]

Whoa - what a fab collection of photographs. I understand completely your 'thing' about invaders in photographs. It's one thing to have family in them, odd random strangers is a completely different matter. Hope I am as blessed with my weather this weekend as you were with yours. I'm taking my mum to the Eden project down in Cornwall.

[jo]

Gorgeous pics. I have lived close to the coast for 19 years - couldn't imagine not being able to pop doen to the beach at a weekend - whatever the weather

[Vicki]

Oh how breathtaking! What a feast those photos are! And the bluey bluest boat? My favorite...beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

[Shelley in SC]

So delightful!! I'm right there with you for my 5 minutes of rapturous post-reading! Thanks for another visit to the sea.

[dette]

I love the first photo of Durdle Door. You should try taking photos in Australia the light is very intense my favourite part of the day here in summer is twilight where the colours are not washed out, I am envious of the beautiful quality of the light and colour in blog photos from other parts of the world.
Love that bucket tree too!

[fitty]

Hi Lucy

No idea why, I keep coming back here to see your Easter Holiday photos.. the sky looks so beautiful, peaceful and calm.. so blue.. and the scenery just stunning!.. thanks for sharing and have a great day!