White Cliffs

We had an earlyish start at 9.30am and drove a short distance towards the South Foreland Lighthouse. This is the first electric lighthouse in the country and was the place where Marconi made the first international radio broadcast (just for you Radiogirl!)
We didn't go in but I thought it surprisingly short until I realised it didn't need to be tall as it already stood on a 300 foot high cliff.

It was the first really clear and boiling hot day (about 27C) but with a glorious breeze. I needed my sun hat. We found the cliff path and walked towards Dover. It was a great walk if a little scary in places where the path runs too close to the edge for my liking.

There were few clouds and a slight haze over the sea which made the horizon disappear, which was fab. The butterflies and flowers were, once again, beautiful and the sea and cliff views spectacular. We were above the gulls for once. I caught the sun again and my vitamin D levels should be nicely increasing.

I was hot and exhausted with aching knees and sore blisters when we got back to the lighthouse. We had an interesting chat to a householder of a cliff top property who told us the Russians had bought up the area in general. I wasn't sure what to make of that!

We had a super salad lunch in the garden of the cottage and I sat out in the garden for about three hours, sunbathing and finishing the Casual Vacancy (which I can now recommend). It was a peaceful, breezy, relaxing afternoon. One of the best. S even fell asleep on the lawn under her straw hat. I had totally switched off from home and work life. Bliss.

After a cool shower,we drove to Ashford to buy yet more blister plasters (!) but mainly to see 'Boyhood' at the flicks. Whilst it was a little too long for my liking, it was a thought-provoking film and I did like it. The popcorn was a bonus! It was a late night but a most enjoyable day.