Relaxing Day?!

As it was my last day and we had been very busy and stayed up very late, today was supposed to be relaxing. We left at 1 to explore Kingston Lacey, home of the family that owned Corfe Castle until it was bombed by the parliamentarians and left a ruin! The house was built to resemble an Italian palace but looked just like a Dollhouse, and the gardens like scenes from The Draughtsman's Contract by Peter Greenaway! One of the men who lived there, William John Bankes , explored Egypt amongst other places and bought back an obelisk and 2C BC statue of a God that was discovered years later in the garden!!!! He also loved tortoises and had many made for him. He fled the country rather than be imprisoned or put to death for his second homosexual act in a London Park! I had read a notice where he was described as a romantic, adventurer, explorer, outlaw, and asked the woman guarding the room why an outlaw, she gently informed me and the rest of the room! The woman in the Egyptian room was just as informative and I found a chicken! There had already been a painting of one in the servants hall, the artist had obviously never held one as it was the most ridiculous representation of a woman holding one! 
After cake and coffee we set of to photograph the snowdrops - such fun! Then we went to the kitchen garden where I squealed with delight at the scarecrows on the community allotments! Having photographed virtually every one we made our way out, only we didn't as there was a giant padlock and chain on the gate!!! Luckily i had a leaflet with an emergency number and a nice man came and let us out and took us back to the car! I was anxious as Tilly was outside on AH's balcony but AH happily photographed the padlock!
Once home and Tilly in, we grabbed the bag of slipper limpets and set out for the sea, I surreptitiously dropped them into the sea from the  jetty then we both took photographs of the sea and opposite jetty! There were two young men in a car when we arrived, playing music and smoking - I wondered if we were going to find ourselves in an illegal exchange of some kind,  but apart from a dog with a green light round it's neck frollicking in the waves, noone else came until we left, and they were only taking their dog for a moonlit walk on the beach! I think! I don't think I could have managed another incident today! 
More  snowdrops,scarecrows, and sea photos here! Many, many  thanks for all the lovely comments, stars and hearts on my Dorset going ons - I hope to catch up with your lives over the weekend!