The day started out wet and grey, but my at least hair was straight and not frizzy. It was not to last!

I was heading out with my tour guide for the day, Franko, who I sat next to at Mel & Simon's wedding.

I didn't really know where to go at first and we decided upon Corfe Castle. I first tried to go there when I was living here over a decade ago. I'd taken a day off work to go to Corfe Castle and Swanage. Unfortunately it was when the foot & mouth outbreak was happening, so Corfe Castle was closed to the public. I had an hour to fill in in the tiny village before the next bus came to take me to Swanage. The day was also grey from memory. It was a long hour. How different it was today!

We took the chain ferry over from Poole and the drive from there was scenic. By the time we'd parked and got to the ticket office, it was raining and there were lots of older tourists there. And some people dressed like they were from several centuries in the past. It turned out that this weekend (a long weekend, or Bank Holiday) there was some sort of re-enactment going on there. As we went into the castle grounds, there were plenty of tents with more people dressed like they were in Saxon times. Later on we even heard a battle going on! And they were going for it too!

From a distance, and not even a long one, the castle doesn't look that substantial. But once you are in the castle itself (or the ruins, really), it's quite different. There are bits of castle on a lean and you wonder how they don't just topple down the hill. What is left is quite stunning. There are still plenty of details existing in the stonework. The height is quite amazing too, and you wonder how they got all that stone up that high. It must have been quite extraordinary when it was intact.

The site had been in use for quite some time, but the castle dates back to the 11th century. You can probably read a lot more about it on Wikipedia though!

We did a lot of walking about the amazing castle ruins, and there was a steam train that passed by a couple of times too.

It was well worth the 11 or so years I'd been waiting to visit the place! I can imagine that going there on a misty morning would make it quite magical. Maybe I can try that on my next trip over here!

We walked back into the village and I bought some delicious Dorset fudge. It was the hard kind that almost melts on your tongue and causes your mouth to tingle - the best kind!

We made our way back to the car and took the relatively short drive to Lulworth Cove.

Years ago when I was working here, I asked my workmate Jacqui where she would recommend as a must-see in Dorset. She said Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, which are relatively close to each other (unless you are walking it, in which case they seem very far apart!). Today I finally got there!

We walked through the pretty village (aren't they all in this country?!) to the water to see Lulworth Cove. It's quite beautiful. It was a bit of a walk to get around it, as the beach is covered in small and not so small pebbles/stones, which make it a bit tricky to walk around sometimes. Good exercise though! There are thousands and thousands of stones and we didn't see one that had sharp edges. They have all been rounded and smoothed out. Good for skimming, unless you're me. I think I reached my skimming peak as a child, and even then only for the briefest of periods! The cliffs around it are very high and steep and as they are a bit unstable, no one, human or dog, is allowed on them. The shape of the cove was perfect. I can imagine being there on a warm summer's day, or being a smuggler a few hundred years ago! It seems perfect for that sort of thing! We walked all the way around and up the hill for a bit before heading back.

We grabbed lunch in the village. I said it was my shout, as Franko had been kind enough to drive me all the way out here on his holiday. We each got a pear cider (very nice!) and baguette (came with chippies!) and when I handed over my travel credit card to pay, they said the credit card facilities weren't coming until next week and I'd have to pay cash. Which I didn't have. So poor Franko had to pay for his own thank you lunch, as well as mine!

With food and cider in our bellies, we tackled the walk to Durdle Door. It's about a mile to get there from the start. I've got no idea how far a mile is, but a good chunk of this one was uphill, which made it a bit tough for me but it's certainly worth the effort.

When we got to the top I thought we only had a little way to go then realised there was still a fair way, but hooray! It was all downhill! Then I realised that meant I would have all that uphill walking to do on the way back. But that would be a wee way away yet, and the views were magical. There seemed to be a bit of a haze in the distance, which made it seem a bit summery. By this stage the sun had decided to stay out for the afternoon and the sea was shimmering.

There were plenty of people out today, mainly German students. We walked around the cliff tops checking out the view (with probably a few "oohs" and "ahhs" to go with the many "so pretty" comments I was spouting throughout the day whenever I saw a nice old house or some trees, which I would then take a photo of - such a tourist!).

Franko braved the walk down to the beach. Well the walk down was fine, it was the walk back up that was a bit of a killer I gather! I stayed up top and sat down and took in the beautiful view. To the right I could see Portland, where I spent part of my first Christmas in England. The coastline in these parts is just beautiful.

We eventually made our way back to the car for a well earned rest before heading back to Westbourne, but driving the whole way this time. We went past Tower Park and Canford Heath, where my first flat here was. Tower Park is like an entertainment complex that I was able to walk to from my first flat. We drove through parts of Poole that I had forgotten existed. The place is bigger than I remembered. We took a back road up to Westbourne and before I knew it we were there. It was surprisingly quick getting back. We went to a nearby bar to get a drink (it really was my shout this time!) and then decided on another and called Mel & Simon to see if they wanted to join us for dinner. They came by a little later and we had more drinks and some yummy pizza before heading home.

Apart from the fact my hair ended up looking like a shaggy dog's, it was a great day! Lots of sunshine, rain, walking, fresh air and seeing ancient sites, along with great company. A fab bank holiday Monday!

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