| Dorset landslide is a shame |
As I wrote this, news was coming in of the huge landslide which occurred on the Jurassic Coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth, in which more than 400 metres of rock-face suddenly came crashing down onto the beach below.
Regular readers of this magazine will know that I'm
a Dorset girl, born and bred,
so I have many happy memories of going fossil-foraging at Charmouth as a child.
The Jurassic Coast is an amazing area. It was voted the UK's fifth greatest natural wonder by readers of the Radio Times in 2005, and is a great place to visit when you're touring in the region.
According to the news sources I saw, this landslip was the biggest that the coastline had suffered in the "past 100 years". As we went to press, the experts were still assessing the level of damage, and how people's access to the area will be changed.
According to reports,
a number of consumer white goods, among which were refrigerators, fell onto the beach, too, having been dumped years ago in a landfill site at the top of the cliffs!
Once the site has been made safe again it will be possible to visit and look for fossils once more. So, if you are planning to tour the area, take a look at the Jurassic Coast website, www.jurassiccoast.com, to check the latest situation. But landslide or not, the beautiful beaches of Dorset are still good places to visit.
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Finally, on a lighter note,
I took these photographs while I was in Venice and I thought they might make you smile.
Having never been to the city before, I was unprepared for the maze
of streets and canals that awaited me. Time after time
I got lost, turning a corner only to find a dead end, or yet another, identical bridge over a canal.
I was actually looking for the Rialto bridge – one of the most famous in the city. However, it soon became clear that I was hopelessly lost, a fact not made any easier to bear by the frustrating signposts that
I found along the way, and that I had foolishly left my street map in the 'van.
The locals must obviously be sick to death of being asked directions, as was illustrated by this sign (left, top) that we found scrawled on the back of an old piece of cardboard. We trudged on, only to find this other, official, sign (left, bottom) – all very confusing but well worth a photograph.
In the end I resorted to using my trusty Garmin sat-nav unit, which has a 'pedestrian' setting – sometimes only technology can help you out of a pickle!
Wherever you go this month – and however you decide to give yourself a treat – I do hope that you enjoy your travels.
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Now, here's a bit of luxury for your 'van: a travel guide book with a difference. Insight Guides has just published three lovely editions of Fascinating Earth which cover Ireland, Scotland and Italy. The titles are jam-packed with the factual background of each location featured, lots of interesting information and glorious images.
I received a copy of the Scotland edition and it makes for a great read. The 250-odd photos really inspire you to make that country your next touring destination. The facts within it are interesting, too: for instance, did you know that the Loch Ness monster has been a 'protected species' since 1934? Anyone who manages to catch Nessie must immediately return him (or her) to the loch! In the back of the books, atlases show you where all the main attractions are, as well as website details to help you plan your tour.
The Fascination Earth guides come in at a
not-at-all-luxurious price of £9.99, available from bookshops, and online at www.insightguides.com.
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