For day 2 of our first summer trip, we visited Lymington, a town on the south coast of England in Hampshire. We’ve had the pleasure of coming here many times before, and it’s still lovely each time we come back. We parked close to the centre of the town, near the playground, the green and the huge graveyard next to the Church of St Thomas the Apostle. I don’t think you’d be able to count how many gravestones there are here! It’s a beautiful spot and very shady and peaceful, especially on this hot day. The kids spent time spotting names on the faded headstones and Bramble sniffed his way down the winding paths.
One of our favourite things to do in any town or city we go to, is to hunt for books in charity shops. We love Waterstones and independent book shops too, but there is something addictive in finding a book you’ve wanted for a while hidden in a stack! And we always remember where each of our books come from.
Lymington has an excellent Oxfam book shop, so the kids and I had a good look around whilst my husband sat in the shade with Bramble. Our daughter found a fantastic set of The Princess Diaries books and our son found a book about a Nantucket whaling ship, the story of which Moby Dick is said to be based on, and a ‘how to draw’ book. I could have bought a load, and the staff in the shop were great, but I’m trying to finish off The Lord of the Rings at the moment! And I can’t afford any (more) distractions.
We stocked up on some other little essentials and walked down the high street, pretty with its flags and bunting, and found a coffee shop. The kids had iced teas, we had English breakfast teas and we shared a taste of a passion fruit cheesecake (really good). Bramble settled down on his blanket, had a good drink, and started snoring pretty quickly. As he’s getting older (he’s nearly 14), he can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. And it’s really only been in the last few years we could take him to a coffee shop or pub without him barking at everyone and anyone! He was quite an anxious dog for a long time. Now, old age has mellowed him.
We all sat and read our books (new and old) and enjoyed half an hour of down time. I’ve seen lots of doggy pushchairs down here and we are toying with the idea of getting one for Bramble, so it was good to do a bit of window shopping as the dogs and their owners rolled by! Although we’ll need quite a big one for Bramble I think, as he prefers to splay out with his tummy on the side.
After our drinks, we wandered down to the harbour to see the boats and watch the birds. It’s very picturesque and it’s lovely to sit with a coffee and watch the world move. Our daughter bought herself a summer hat from one of the little shops on the cobbled walkway and our son looked at the art in the shop windows.
As it was hot again, we decided to head back and cool down a little, before going for a swim in the evening. Halloumi and red pepper kebabs for dinner tonight, which we are all excited about!
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