D Day + 31: Sunday 12 September 2010: Away We Go

So off we went on our little jaunt to Dorset this morning - weather looked like it was going to be amazing, which was a bonus considering this posh car is a convertible!  The trip started none too well as we got to the end of our road and spotted Jonathon, a friend of ours, in his car and stopped for a quick hello - this did not go down too well with the chap behind Jonathon and he clearly couldn't wait while our 15 second conversation took place and proceeded to honk his horn; miserable so and so.  The rest of the trip was fine, and we crossed over to Lymington and up to the New Forest, where we stopped to let the roof down - it would have been way too posey to drive across the Island with it down so it had to wait until we got away!!  It was lovely driving along 'topless', the sun shining and wind in our hair (well, mine anyway, C doesn't have that much...)

 Sebastian with his top off

 

We decided to take a detour to Kingston Lacy, which Jill had mentioned, and the long gravel drive up to the house (well car park) suited the flash car (which I shall now call Sebastian) a treat.... It was lovely to wander around this beautiful old house, which has been kept as it was when the last owner occupier died early last century - a timecapsule of Edwardian history.  But the best view of the house was from the back, near the kitchens, as it looked so beautifully symmetrical!!

The gardens were beautiful too, especially in the warm autumn sunshine.

 Having wandered around the house and gardens we decided to stay and have lunch; the restaurant is in the old stable block, and serves food made with vegetables and beef grown on the estate - C can testify to the latter's deliciousness....the veg was good too!
Back to Sebastian, rendering him topless once more, and off we went to Sherborne to find the hotel.  Sherborne is a lovely old town, with fantastic buildings and centre - didn't realise there is a private boys' school there too (I did wonder why there were so many young surf dude types this far inland...)  The hotel was absolutely wonderful - I can highly recommend it if you want a treat; the staff were all lovely and nothing was too much trouble, the room was gorgeously decorated, clean, comfortable and with all mod cons.  We had afternoon tea in the garden (delicious - I'm getting fat) and then decided to have a wander around the town.

T

The hotel restaurant was closed this evening, as they were having their annual staff party ( a barbecue, smelt delicious) so we'd stopped off at the local Sainsbury's before arriving at the hotel, to stock up on nibbles etc to keep us going.  Neither of us really eat much in the evenings, and we usually 'top up' at lunch times so this worked out fine.  I also got some wine, but it was a little warm...needs must etc.
C had a nice hot bath in the tub in the corner of the room...not in this photo though, this was trying it for size!

C trying the roll top bath for size

 Then we made a 'nest' on the six foot sleigh bed and watched TV/played Scrabble on the Ipad etc.  A nice relaxing evening, most welcome as C was quite tired.  It has been a busy day....