The day we went to Durdle Door and came back home by Wool

Of which more later.

We are returned, after a lovely stay away in the far south west, where to our complete and utter amazement, the weather stayed largely fine and warm. There was even paddling done (not quite balmy enough for total immersion in the waves.....)

DMIL was very well, in fine form, and happily amused by our idiocy. We had a lovely couple of days with her in Cornwall before transporting ourselves to Lyme Regis. From there, we visited DAIL (the DSM's aunt) who was pretty good too. We went on her 90th birthday to her care home, and three members of staff brought us tea and a pretty cake with candles; we all sang to her as best we could, which actually sounded ok. I think the care home staff must have had good voices.

I can't hope to play catch-up on all of this. Although we had good internet access on my dongle in Cornwall, we most certainly did not in Lyme, without climbing mountains or swinging from lamp-posts or something. The DSM would do this - he can't bear to be without his Ravelry fix these days - but I decided against.

We were out and about quite a bit. We need to return again and again as we have barely scratched the surface of the delights. One trip we did was to Barrington Court, a National Trust property famous for its gardens and using the kitchen garden produce in the restaurant. So we lunched on fresh asparagus and rhubarb crumble - yum!





Even the former calf pens were enchanting!



Our other trip of note was to Lulworth Cove and its environs. A longish drive, but well worth it, not least because in the bright and warm spring that we have enjoyed, all the plants are positively burgeoning, and many are very early. So everywhere you go, the lanes, hedges and gardens are festooned with swathes of hawthorn, chestnut candles, cow parsley, bluebells, campion, buttercups and then lilac, ceanothus, clematis, wisteria and masses of roses. Quite amazing.

Anyway, the cove.





And on.......





.....to Durdle Door.

Now, I think the name sounds unimpressive. And I thought that Wool (a village on the way home) seemed that it could maybe bid to be the most picturesque of all the gorgeous thatch-encrusted &etc villages that we had been passing through all week. Not a bit of it. Durdle Door is gorgeous, and well worth the climb back up to the car park that would probably be improved with ropes and pitons; Wool was...well, rather grim. Not a charming cottage in sight. Sprawling and modern, with no Allinghamesque touches whatsoever. Still, as practically everywhere else positively oozed quaint charm, who dares complain? Certainly not me.

We did spin and knit, just to return to basics. Not as much as we had intended - does one ever? - but I finished and washed the spindle spun yarn for der tea cosy, and finished the cormo shawlette, except that I have to spin silk for the edging.

So now back once more to reality. All that washing, for instance. Other stuff.

Other stuff. Of which, again more later.