About a month ago, a friend from G’s office mentioned a Boots commercial that characterizes the British Summer…click here to see it.
20124That’s a bit like our Bank Holiday weekend on the Southern Coast of England this weekend. As we still await our visa renewal, we stuck domestic for the 3 day weekend. When we arrived to our destination Saturday, it was a bit windy and cool, but we tucked away behind some glass at the pub for lunch and the clouds cleared a bit. We then walked up the beach and found a couple comfy rental chairs and in the end covered up with blankets to keep warm! On August 23! Goodness. Next stop, shopping for a sweater or two for G…he had brought a bathing suit and short sleeves!
20118We stayed on the 4th floor (5th by American Standards) of a second row hotel on the cliffs of Bournemouth with a view overlooking the sea…(don’t be impressed…we booked last Wednesday and had to take the leftovers). But as the 4th floor was the attic floor, our room was a bit awkward and out by its lonesome. As a storm blew through town, we could FEEL the wind and hear the rain from both sides of our room. We could actually feel the room settle and hear it creak between drafts 🙂
20139That said, when we woke Sunday, we found blue skies and warmish (70 F) temperatures and decided to walk the beach up to Sandbanks (and area with water on both sides–the Bay on one and the Channel on the other). It was beautiful. And we enjoyed playing our games in the posh hotel at the end…and that’s where our ‘portrait’ was taken. And we had a great blue sky day. Walked back down the beach toward Bournemouth, stopped to read our books before heading back to change for dinner.
20134This morning, we woke and found gloomy weather again…so we decided to head out of town early after doing a bit of shopping.
20149During our entire three days, our mission was to keep under cover…no exposed skin. Not only did we NOT get into the frigid water of the English Channel…we never even stepped into our bathing suits. Though some braveheart locals did.
20154We’ll definitely holiday along the English Coast again, but we’ve learned a few lessons:
1. Pack a windbreaker and fleece no matter what!
2. Absolutely pack jeans and pants
3. Don’t stress about taking multiple bathing suits (no one will ever see it :))
But all this said, it’s easy to start thinking back to beach holidays in America…and idealizing them when you’re freezing on a beach with wind and rain along the English Channel. It’s true that G and I have had our share of beautiful weather, blue sky beach holidays along the US eastern seaboard. But, this also brings to mind the trip that began all our international travels…
After our first anniversary, we took an amazing trip to Colorado. What a great trip! Then, G started grad school and our trips were confined to the summer season…and so young, we had a timid budget for travel. SO, as G loved his childhood beach holidays so much, we traveled north to Rehoboth Beach to spend a week in the place that his family so loved.
We took along our bikes, had plenty of picnic supplies, our own beach chairs, new bathing suits…the works. And though we were staying in a budget hotel far from the sand, our room cost a fortune (especially given our budget at the time). It rained ALL week. And though it was the first week of August, it was a cold rain. We were covered in towels with umbrellas and hot chocolate all week long.
Then and there we decided that we’d break ties with traditions and start our own…some things are beautiful memories, but when relived pale in comparison to the original.
So in some strange way, I guess we can thank Rehoboth for setting us on our way to London because without it we may never have taken our first joint trip to Europe in 2004. So…since our last stormy beach holiday gave way to such a grand idea, we can’t wait to see what will be inspired by this one 🙂
