Tales of walking, eating, watching and playing. Vintage treasures and simple pleasures ... the things that make her happy.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Playing hookey

With little man at school, they played hookey
and went for lunch, indulging in a five course tasting menu
the rustic restaurant owned by Masterchef winner Mat Follas.
A much appreciated Christmas present!

To counteract her indulgence fuelled guilt, 
they headed for the nearby coast.
To stretch their legs and clear her wine fuzzed head!
She swapped shiny shoes (her new year sale bargain) for boots ...
... and donned oldest Levis under her dress.

From Eype Bay, they puffed up the muddied hill to nearby West Bay
The path moving further inland each year after numerous landslides
Heading back towards the beach.
Clambering over slimy, briny rocks on to the shore.

Landslips have rent rock ...
... tumbled to the shore.
The landscape they knew now unrecognisable.
Lava lines and mudslides.
Thick grey clay, upended trees.
Crashing waves and fallen land converging.
A rivulet of earth dances down the cliff nearby.

They laugh a laugh of fear.
Their pace quickens, adrenaline fuelled.
Little house, living on a knife edge ...


28 comments:

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Marina:
Your lunch looks and sounds to have been delicious. What a wonderful treat.

The evidence of landslides along your part of the Dorset coast is most alarming. It has, as we know, always been prone to slippage but this really does look as though there has been a great deal more in recent times.

Vintage Tea Time said...

Great photos of a scarey walk! It's so sad isn't it, coastlines eroding like that - especially for folks living in the houses there. Love the shiny shoes!

haggiz said...

I'm so impressed you went for such a long walk after 5 courses, I think I would have needed a nap first! Julie x

KC'sCourt! said...

Lunch sounded wonderful. Love the shiny shoes, they are gorgeous.
The walk looked rather scary all that rain was rather destructive.
Julie xxxxxx

Rosemary said...

Love the name of the restaurant and I remember Mat winning Masterchef - somewhere to remember.
What wonderful shinny shoes, but the footpath is a continual worry. The erosion around our coast seems to be getting worse - it must be all of the rain.
PS I have just noticed that I can tick on the comments section email follow up. I have just done that, I wonder if that was the problem?

haggiz said...

Hi Marina, I've no idea why I show up as a no reply blogger - i'm very new to all this. My email address is haggizcards@gmail.com, hope that will help! Julie x

thriftwood said...

Lovely atmospheric post Jane! The cottage is terribly close to the edge ... scary!

Love Claire xx

Louise Mc said...

My mouth actually watered at that picture of the food. It looks gorgeous! A lovely day out altogether.

WILLIE...! =(^..^)= said...

Goodness...I have'nt been to West Bay, in years....Always loved it, no matter what time of year it is...!

The Wild Garlic...Just Googled it..
Sounds like my type of place...I assume it's the one in Beaminster....
Have to bare that in mind...

The string, wool, etc all washed up, you should have collected it. I'm sure Miss Daisy, could have made use of it...HeHe!

Anonymous said...

How nice to play hookey and have such a fab lunch. I LOVE your shiny lace-ups! I have been stalking gold-tone shoes on Etsy of late. :) That coastline is beautiful, but too bad about the landslide, I guess nature just does what it wants, doesn't it? xo

Vix said...

Skivving off, having a posh lunch and buying shoes? Sounds like a perfect day! x

Jen said...

A fine meal followed by a walk by the sea--what a perfect afternoon! I'm sorry about the landslides, but love the sign that says "exceptional rainfall". I don't think we ever use 4-syllable words on our signs (in the U.S.).

Ashley cramp said...

Lovely day...and that lunch scrummy!
D x

Outcast said...

This looks like such a wonderful little day to me Jane and it was definitely worth playing hookey by the looks of it, a five course meal sounds absolutely incredible too, the thought is making me hungry.

June said...

Lunch looks great! I like the last photo. It looks like an idyllic spot to live if it wasn't for landslides.
June

*Maristella* said...

Ciao cara! Quando vedo questi luoghi, la nostalgia per l'Inghilterra mi assale all'improvviso, sigh!
Un abbraccio, *Maristella*.

primrosesattic said...

What a treat, YUM YUM!
Really sad to see all the landslides.
Rosezeeta

Kristie said...

Marina,

So you played hooky? The food looks delicious! The landscape certainly looks barren, cold and grey. I bet you were plum tuckered out after all that climbing. At least you burned off your lunch and got some fresh air. :)

Maria said...

~ Always lovely to 'Blow a few cobwebs off' after such a wonderful lunch!Ooh I agree the last photo does look to much like reality and is very scary.... soo close to the edge! Love Maria x

Unknown said...

pork crackling yum yum
looks like a bracing
and beautiful day you had
glad x ... ***

Cuby said...

I was addicted to Masterchef last year but to have a meal cooked by the 2009 winner now that was a real treat. Land slides and beach detritus in wellies followed by shiny shoes I'm liking the style!

Test said...

Nice walk and for the brave with all those danger signs... Haha!

gillyflower said...

A day of contrasts Marina! Lunch looked lovely, and walking it off exciting!

Miss Simmonds Says said...

Fantastic shoes! The food looks delicious and the mudslide sign manages to be scary and humorous at the same time! xxx

Willow said...

Captivating photo that little house living on the knives edge!

The Custards said...

I love the photo of the little cottage perched perilously! Alarmed as half of the IOW seems to be slipping seaward and fear our bit of the coast might be next!
Best wishes
Jenny

rusty duck said...

What a great day!

But yes it's awful to see the landslides along the coast. What might be happening to our climate worries me a lot. Especially in the West Country, where we seem to be having so much rain.

tinajo said...

Oh, I´d love to live in that house!