And did we succeed in dodging them? The showers that is? No! Not a chance. Wherever we went, they trailed along behind us, or even ahead of us.
My night’s sleep was very good. But I was awake around 05.00 as usual.
I eventually made some coffee in the cafetière provided by the hotel. I remembered we had some decent coffee in the car, bought during our journey yesterday and waiting extraction from the said vehicle.
T struggled to leave the bed. Once he was out of it H and I visited the secret roof garden which is accessed via steep slate stairs. It was pleasant enough out there and it was also not raining.
T defeats me at times. He ordered scrambled eggs and smoked salon for his breakfast; before it arrived, he ate a little fruit salad, and then said that he didn’t need anything else. Two poached eggs and 1 special doggy sausage later, H had a big wide grin in her face.
We made it to Dunster beach for her to have a quick run around. The voice of doom and gloom insisted it was going to rain and sloped off to the car. Of course he was correct.
I suggested we visited Blue Anchor next, because it looked brighter in that direction. Parts of Blue Anchor were closed off due to their efforts to shore up the cliffs with huge boulders. Two years after we stayed there. Nothing much has changed. It started to rain anyway.
Now, I decided we should visit Lorna Doone Valley at Malmsmead. This took us through some bleakly scenic landscapes, through valleys with the steepest of sides. And we arrived at our little oasis for a drink. Añd ice-cream for T and H. Here, at the end of civilisation, there is a ford over a stream and a steep stone bridge, as well as this wonderful cafe. Last year there was also a pagan campsite but this year no campers yet.
We sat outside enjoying our drinks – especially H her special doggy ice cream. Until it rained that is.
After the rain.
By now, we realised we were doomed by the rain. Sometimes the showers were slight, but super showers mixed things up a bit and there was nothing slight about them!
Lynmouth was next in the list. Here it is usually teeming with people in wellies and raincoats. It was not teeming today and a silence hung in the air. So did a large yellow orb which allowed us time on a bench. Time enough to get warm! I think I must have dozed because a disembodied voice kept telling me to close my mouth. And it was not H!
And then it rained!
Porlock Weir was next on the list. Predictably, just as we had paid to park and exited the car, it rained again. That was enough! Off to Minehead. Where we stayed in the car to avoid the rain that would be certain to fall.
Even Minehead was quiet. It’s tacky amusement arcades were closed and not many Butlins’ refugees were roaming the streets.
Back at Dunster, we managed to get on-street parking and retreated inside the hotel, to avoid the rain and grab a snooze. The Roberts texted to say they would arrive around 19.15. Fingers crossed!
They did! And we had a really lovely evening together. All staff were very kind and patient and understanding as the six of us wandered our way through the menus and then through the plates of real food.
Dave being Dave …
Thought for the Day
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