Thursday 19 May

Today we decided we'd tour inland a little and our first stop was to see the Cerne Giant just outside Cerne Abbas.

On Wednesday my cousin Marilyn came to see us

I don't see my cousin very much these days, but the area around Lulworth is also special for Marilyn, so when she heard that we would be here this week she asked if she could visit us to catch up once again and to meet Catherine, Sarah and Chris.

We were all happy that this would be our Lulworth Cove Day.  Some of us walked down while others drove to the car park.

The hardier ones among us climbed to the top of Hambury Tout 454 feet (138 metres) above sea level and we stood on top of the tumulus there. Tumuli are ancient burial mounds found across a wide part of the south and south-west of England and in other parts of the world. Little seems to be known of the details of this tumulus.

And here we are, tiny pinpricks coming down the hillside.

Part of the South-West Coastal Path, a long-distance walk which stretches from Poole Harbour along the south coast and around to Minehead on the northern coast of Somerset for a total of 630 miles (just over 1000 km).

The former coastguard cottages, now holiday lets.

And then ....

And then Elizabeth, Catherine James and I went on to a dog-friendly pub for lunch while Sarah, Chris and Pepper went across to Bournemouth to meet a contact of theirs.

Along the road from there was a preserved sheepwash ....

From there we went to Bowleaze Cove which is actually the very eastern end of Weymouth beach and one of the few places where dogs are allowed to roam free on a beach in the summer season.

We then went on to Weymouth itself, but we didn't stop, other than for a little supplies shopping.

On my evening walk with Harris I was able to enjoy one of my favourite views of this place, one that I can always recall from my childhood.