Today is our last day on the
cruise before we head to New York
for the last leg of our vacation. The weather is great for a last day as we
head in to the English countryside. Portland is the port for the area of Dorchester. Great weather has become relative and Chris
is very much looking forward to a change in climate when we hit New York. Believe it or
not I am even looking forward to a bit of heat. Of course the weather is never
perfect, but I wouldn’t mind a bit more warmth. Yesterday when we were in Cork
it rained for a bit, the type of rain we expected – the type that doesn’t even
really get you wet, but damp, not like we experienced at the beginning of this
trip in England – that soaked us to the SKIN!
We travel through the Dorset
countryside beyond Dorchester and make a photo
stop at the Cerne Abbas Giant. This is a 180 feet high figure of a naked man dug
into the ground and then dug into the chalk underneath that. Its origin and age
are unclear – it could be ancient or could be 17th century. There
are 2 other chalk figures in this area, but we only drive by one other.
Most of our time is spent at
Minterne House. This is a 17th century manor house has been in the Churchill and Digby families since 1620. Lord Digby who is 92 years old and his son
guided us around the house and gardens as we drank tea and ate scones – how
very English. The gardens and house were beautiful. This isn’t a spot open to
the public, but somehow we were able to get in. The gardens weren’t typically
English, but a bit more natural. This was one of the best tours we have had,
there were 24 of us – we didn’t battle with other tourists. The gardens have a
chain of small lakes, waterfalls and streams. They contain a unique collection
of plants from all over the world.
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| Minterne House |
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