<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/carrot-cakemar19.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-5544" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/carrot-cakemar19-150x200.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="200" /></a>Saturday</span></strong> - visited Lyme Regis. Had coffee and carrot cake at <a href="https://townmillbakery.wordpress.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Town Mill Bakery</a> - great place and worth a revisit during the week. Walked the Cobb. Then off to Bridport and lunch at The Green Yard cafe. Huge sandwiches with good salad. Lots of interesting shops in Bridport and worth a second visit.

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<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/view-from-hutmar19.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-5545" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/view-from-hutmar19-200x150.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a>Sunday</span></strong> - after the Archers omnibus we set off on a walk from The Hut. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to go and used the View Ranger App on my new Galaxy S10 smart phone to follow a route. There were some serious ups and downs so our average speed was less than our normal 3 mph. After 3.5 hours we had covered 7 miles. Back at the Hut we sat outside admiring the view and listening to the evening birdsong on the veranda until it became too chilly.

<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/blue-skies-rolling-hillsmar19.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-5546" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/blue-skies-rolling-hillsmar19-200x150.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="150" /></a>Monday</span></strong> - it's such a good location we stayed at the Hut for most of the morning and then headed off to Chideok to follow a walk I did 20 years ago. Unlike Lincolnshire, Dorset is full of rolling hills and this walk found a lot of them. We walked over Eype Down, which isn't down at all, in fact it's a considerable up. Followed the coastal path to Seatown where we stopped at the Anchor pub for pints of Lime and Soda and crisps (the most expensive on the planet). Then we walked up Golden Cap - the highest point in Dorset. It's quite a hike and certainly got the heart rate up with a  total distance of 7 miles. We finished the afternoon in Bridport (had to be Waitrose to satisfy Mary) for food for the evening meal. Home to a log burner, a cup of Earl Grey tea followed by a glass of Cava (or two).

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<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Tuesday</span></strong> - Spent the morning in Lyme Regis, coffee at a very special cafe (<a href="http://www.amidgiantsandidols.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amidst Giants and Idols</a>) that really goes to town on different types of coffee. Too much choice and my flat white tasted the same as a Costa flat white which is a good thing. Lunch in <a href="http://www.thelymebay.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Lyme Bay Cafe</a> next to the sea but nothing special and the maitre d' was a little condescending about where people sat. Drove to West Bay and walked the shingle beach then sat on rocks and put the world to rights as the waves lapped against the shore under a cloudless blue sky. We went out for dinner at a holiday centre in Hawkchurch. It was reasonably priced, good food modern surroundings but quite soulless (there's no pleasing some people).

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<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Wednesday</span></strong> - Drove beyond Dorchester to a small village, Stinsford, to start a walk through rolling hills and beautiful countryside. It's a walk I did with Jane and her sister Ruth 20 years ago. Mary and I sat at Thomas Hardy's birthplace and ate a picnic lunch on a memorial to him. A couple of miles later Pine Lodge tea rooms provided the Earl Grey tea; it was warm enough to sit outside taking in the smell of silage on this working farm - lovely friendly service.
After the walk we went into Dorchester for a browse around then back to Bridport for Mary to do some shopping at Mountain Warehouse. Finally home to a log fire, glass of Cava (or two) and a home cooked meal.

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<strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">Thursday</span></strong> - Our final full day in Dorset and we wanted to go for lunch at the Town Mill Bakery in Lyme Regis however when we got there they had closed the road because they were filming a period drama for the big screen. It apparently stars Kate Winslett but we didn't see her. Disappointed, not about missing Kate but missing brunch at the Town Mill, we took a stroll along the front; had a strong turkish coffee at a little cafe and then drove over to West Bay where we parked up. Our second option was to walk over the coastal path (lots of steep ups and downs) to Burton Bradstock (<a href="https://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Hive Beach Cafe</a>) where we promised ourselves locally caught fish and chips (the fish not the chips). It was Hake so I guess it might have been caught nearby but I'm a bit sceptical. We had to queue for 20 minutes to get a table because there was a silver surfers offer so the crinklies from all over Dorset were there. It was worth the wait. After lunch we walked back along the beach to West Bay where we sat outside at <a href="https://www.watchhousecafe.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Watch House</a> drinking tea and then sat by the harbour watching the world pass by.
Home to tidy up, pack and prepare for our departure on Friday.