And just like that a year passed...

So, it's been a year. not sure how that happened...time flies when you have no easily accessible laptop! We have just returned from two weeks camping in Dorset. Huge distances travelled, lots of tent hoofing and loads of fun were had. We saw soo much over our two locations of Charmouth and Corfe Castle so i'm going to try and update and backdate with some photos over the next week. To begin with here we are in Furzebrook visiting the blue pool...which was green.

Homeward via Hotel du Vin

Lulworth Cove

Got to be honest, i found this a massive disappointment. I know, its a beautiful and popular piece of natural landscape, it was bound to be busy, but even so, i found it hurried, smelly, full of people eating and drinking, the path that leads down to the cove means that where it meets the beach becomes this kind of bottleneck of doom. I'm glad to say ive seen it but i would not go again.

Studland

Lawrence of Arabia

We visited Clouds Hill near Bovington Camp while we were staying nearby in Corfe Castle and I think it made the biggest impression on me of anywhere we went to see. A small neat cottage tucked away in the woods the humble home of TE Lawrence really moved me almost to tears. He had just 4 rooms inside, a 'book' room with a central leather bed - not for sleeping - but for laying on whilst reading, the walls were clad in book cases filled to bursting with his books and then mounted on the outer edges were his photographs, many of his time in Mesopotamia and including King Faisal. A 'bath' room - in the literal sense - no toilet in here - just a big bath - which he proclaimed his one luxury (to be able to take a bath) although the plumbing system only allowed something like a pint of water in five minute. A 'bunk' room for guests to stay over at Clouds Hill (Lawrence himself slept in the nearby barracks at Bovington camp) which is 'wallpapered' with foil in order to keep it cool, he kept small snacks under cloches for his guests, some cheese and a little butter. A 'music' room with a wind up gramophone, velvet sofa and a beautiful fireplace. This was where he entertained his guests and where in the evenings they could sit and discuss their writing (one of whom was E.M.Forster). I'm fascinated by Lawrence and his complex personality and I found this visit made me want to learn and read even more about him. Part of my interest in him is of his great love of motorcycles, the Brough superior was his machine of choice and he sadly died on an SS 100 not far from the house - the last of my photographs shows the memorial that has been erected at the site of the crash. I found it terribly sad and terribly tragic that this man who had done so much and travelled so extensively died on a clear day, on an open road so close to home just after he had retired from service and was beginning to enjoy his peace at the incredibly peaceful Clouds Hill. 

The Blue Pool at Wareham

This is a rather strange attraction. Definitely not blue, more like green. It is also a Famous Five location mentioned in Five go off to camp as somewhere they go to swim, although its layout and location is changed to the moors and there is a road passing by. There was a real peace and beauty about the place and i enjoyed seeing it. We also sat at a picnic table amongst the trees overlooking the pool and had scones. We met an absolutely lovely older gentleman who was visiting with old friends for whom he was waiting, he asked with such care about Bella and her journey to us from Romania. When people take the time to ask and then listen - friends let alone strangers - it means the absolute world to me.