down and south

I have just spent a wonderful week with mom, traipsing about the English countryside with nothing but a little tourist map. The modes of transportation: trains, buses, steam trains, and foot. Most definitely the latter.

Saturday: train from Oxford to Bournemouth, bus from Bournemouth to Swanage. We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast in the heart of Swanage, as big as it is, and walked to the water in the evening to shake off the itches which come from traveling for some time.

Sunday: a huge breakfast, a quiet morning, a nice service at a local church, one steam train trip to Corfe Castle, one amazing and historic castle. William the Conqueror began building it shortly after his conquest in 1066. Since him, the castle has been added to throughout the centuries, and was finally destroyed by gunpowder in order to prevent people from taking refuge in it (as it is in a prime location for defense).

Monday: today, we walked from Corfe Castle to Lulworth in a very roundabout way, culminating in walking for about nine hours, most of it unnecessary. The sun was out, which truly contributed to our positive attitudes. The search for the best and cheapest place to stay continued our adventure: as Dutch people, we wanted the best deal, but the youth hostel was completely locked up, so we ended up staying in an inn with a delightfully cozy pub which served a satisfying Jamaican hot pot for dinner.

Tuesday: once again, sun! And a chance to see Lulworth in the light. From Lulworth, we walked to Wool in order to get to Lyme Regis by nightfall. The weather could not have been more beautiful; we ended up hiking around in tank-tops because the sun shone so brilliantly.

Wednesday: an early morning amble on the Cobb, once again followed by a hearty breakfast (I have never eaten such large breakfasts in that many consecutive mornings), a last walk about the town before making the long journey home to Charlbury.

Thursday: we had planned to visit Milton's cottage, but it involved a lot of planning and organization, so we went to Oxford to have a proper English tea instead with tea and sandwiches and scones and clotted cream and cake . . . We had walked off the calories on Monday.

Swanage

Corfe Castle

sheep and lambs

Lulworth Cove

Lyme Regis, home of the Cobb

It was truly amazing to see places which have been written about, places that have just been a dot on a tourist map. Time after time of feeling disappointed and thinking that all our plans have been ruined, God provided for us again and again.

This countryside is lovely and I have enjoyed my time here, but the prospect of going home is becoming a favourable one.