Poole, Dorset

Well here we are, home again. What a week! It's flown by. Our transfer to the airport wasn't until 2 pm so this morning after packing our bags we walked along the seafront to the ancient city, and boy were we glad we did. Unlike our visit on our first full day it was a long quieter and we were able to take more photographs without people constantly photo bombing us.

A coffee and tea stop at a cafe over looking the harbour was to be our final treat. The waiter spoke very good English and it materialised he was married, his wife's a senior nurse at a hospital in Warrington. Seemed a strange marital arrangement they had, but hey ho. John mentioned to him we'd been snubbed by a member of staff at the shop adjacent to the cafe when we last visited the area. Upon discovering we were not German, the free samples of apple and pomegranate tea we'd been proffered were promptly withdrawn. We know. Unbelievable! So today we were to be honoured with free apple and pomegranate tea, and a large plate of very sickly Turkish delight, which of course we had to force ourselves to consume as much as possible. That'll teach us to complain! Sadly with no more time to soak up the rays of the late summer sun we strolled back to our hotel. Sun beds were being collected from the beach and poolside, bushes were undergoing a trim and the stall holders seem subdued. We were told the season would end in about ten days. Why? It's 75f and sunny here. As our transfer mini bus took us to the airport we realised the other passengers were the ones who accompanied us on that dark night when we were deposited outside the Hotel A Side. Laughing now, they agreed they wondered where we'd been left. But after talking with the couple behind us who'd stayed further down the coast at a five star all inclusive it seemed we'd got the better deal. A very nice breakfast buffet that also provided our lunch of cheese sandwiches, technically upgrading us to half board, and the fantastic China Corner restaurant which we are already missing. They complained their hotel was too large and too noisy. Just shows you perhaps sometimes it's best to consider a three star hotel with breakfast only. Antalya airport was busy. But we stayed calm and easily managed to find our way. Extra security was in place, and of course Angela was stopped. Thank God John had our bag of dirty washing. Search over, she wondered why she'd bothered to pack her bag so neatly. Our Jet 2 flight home to Bournemouth was busy. There were quite a few children on board and the three Turkish children two rows in front of us were noisy, the youngest cried for the whole of the four hour flight! Slightly annoying. Now we are home and already we have itchy feet. We caught sight of a holiday in Tunisia in the window of Tui in the town. Might be worth a look. The clock is ticking, we know it's never been more important to 'go for it'.

One of the cat houses, where local wild cats live very well provided for with food by the locals. 

Poole, Dorset

We couldn't go home without stopping for another walk out and more coffee and cake. So we took the short drive from our campsite down the coast to Hengisbury Head.

Autumn has well and truly established itself now, and as we walked among the trees the leaves of fiery orange, reds and purple looked beautiful. Sadly though our walk over, it was time to return home. Time to plan another holiday we think!

Poole, Dorset

Our last night away, and it was the coldest. The night sky lit by diamonds. Fortunately we'd purchased the thermal wrap around cover for our pop top.

This morning as the first light of daybreak spread across the grass we were not surprised to see the first frost of autumn. Today was a big day for Angela. She was having her broken front tooth extracted. Which despite her nerves went well. Now she's going to really look the part for Halloween. The day we return home from our holiday is always a sad one. But today's our spirits were lifted as we stopped off at Thame to view a house. It's time for us to make plans, life won't wait.

First though, we have another rental house to prepare for a new tenant, luckily the outlay required won't be as expensive as the last time we did this. As for our holiday, our overnight costs for the last twenty three nights were £251.90. And we stayed at some wonderful spots didn't we Margery.

Poole, Dorset

Today is John's seventieth birthday. It is also the tenth day of celebrating this birthday. After a challenging coastal walk, a relaxing weekend camping in the new forest and taking in some art at Beaulieu today we were once again armed with walking poles and rucksacks, we say rucksacks, just small day packs actually, which were all we needed for our six and a half mile hike across the heathlands of Studland to Corfe Castle. First a bus to Wareham. Since realising how cheap bus travel is in our area we've become quite taken with this mode of transport. Of course John travels free, and Angela is three pounds per single journey, with the exception of our Portland to Weymouth bus journey which cost her a whopping 10p. Our walk today would cover a section of the Purbeck Way. Beginning in Wareham, of course fuelled by coffee and cake, our day packs bursting with goodies bought at Sainsburys for John's birthday lunch, we walked alongside the River Frome, the moored boats looking more cheerful in the sunlight than the gloom of a winters day when we sometimes walk this path. On the flood plain, young deer grazed, oblivious to our watching.

Following signs for the Purbeck Way we walked into Ridge village and then out into the heathland which is when we became somewhat lost.

Of course someone had removed the finger post which would direct us. So we went with our instinct and eventually ended up by the main road, crossing it and walking down to the parking area at The Blue Pool where we found somewhere to sit under the trees away from the crowds to eat a very nice lunch of cold meat, cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, Spanish tortilla, bread sticks and fruit.

We had now once again picked up the signs for the Purbeck Way, venturing across boggy heathland and into the trees before being spat out into the noise and chaos of the Norden Farm campsite.

The path runs behind the site and through yet more trees bringing you out on a ridge that affords spectacular views of Corfe Castle. It's a view that you won't see from the road. Our reward for completing this walk, yet more unhealthy refreshment! The days celebrations not over, we took a bus back to Poole, tidied ourselves, and walked down to Poole old town for a meal at the Flavours of Asia Thai restaurant. It's a family run restaurant, and has become our favourite place to eat out at. What a day. Cards and presents opened. Cake and ice cream eaten, yet more steps to add to this moths total, and all topped off with a fantastic meal.

Poole, Dorset

Angela has many happy childhood memories of weekend afternoons picnicking, and playing cricket in the New Forest at Cadnam. Well not all happy. When she was around five years old, one of the cows grazing nearby put it's head through the rear window of the families Austin Cambridge car. Angela was sat on the rear seat and her reaction was not dissimilar to her wild camping experience at Scratchy Bottom last weekend! As the cows sauntered through the Long beech campsite yesterday evening she wondered if one of them may be a descendent of 'said' cow. Sixty years on, she gave them a wide berth.

This morning chicken of the woods, cut from a nearby fallen tree made for a special pre birthday omelette for John. Being here in the forest he's in fungi heaven, we've already planned to return back in the autumn to the area around Eyeworth Pond to see what delights the fallen trees up there have to offer.

Today's visit, a sculpture exhibition at Beaulieu National Motor Museum. Over two hundred exhibits displayed amongst the gardens and in the Palace. Each for sale, some with a very hefty price tag.

We enjoyed wandering amongst them, some interesting, others unusual, many, we couldn't see how they justified their price tag. Of course coffee and cake featured during the day. 

In the kitchen garden we spoke with a lady about the monumental task of tending the grounds with too few staff. By late afternoon, the day visitors now drifting away, and now full of ' very nice ice-cream', we walked around the museum. As always vehicles from our childhood lead to reminiscences. Sadly our weekend in the New Forest had come to an end, but we weren't ready to return home just yet. A Chinese takeaway eaten over by Hamworthy beach whilst watching the Lionesses take penalties on the phone via iPlayer, ended our weekend away. And what a great weekend it had been, especially with the culmination of England's women's football team beating Spain in the euros.