BOURNEMOUTH – PICTURESQUE POSTCARD OF DORSET
…”When you have something permanently, for free, you don’t appreciate it. Sometimes you have to lose it, to understand what you lost” …
M.KALICIŃSKA, ” HOUSE BY BACKWATERS”.
When, more than two months ago, I posted my text about Lanzarote, a place that gained a special place not only on my list of frequent returns, but also in my heart addicted to travel, I did not expect it to be the last one before what was about to happen – global epidemic, causing a huge restrictions to any movement …. When at the end of January, returning from Krakow to London, I snapped a photo of the wonderful sunrise through the window of the plane, I had no idea that it will be the last photo I will take during the journey …. When landing then, at London-Stansted in a monstrous fog, I complained about the winter, about the weather, about the delayed journey, I did not know, that such problems would literally be nothing, compared to what was waiting for me, just a few weeks later …
On the day when I learned, that due to the specificity of my workplace, I cannot attend there until further notice, I have not yet fully understood what is happening to the world … A terrible mass of contradictory, mutually exclusive information, growing panic, fed effectively by the media, an avalanche of theories, these conspiracies , and pseudo-scientific ones, unprecedented confusion and chaos … Only that I was able to register in my mind, to reach the conclusion, that terrified me – the world was closing down itself…
Not everyone is able to fully understand what is happening in this kind of scenario, in the mind of a person for whom the possibility of travelling the globe is like getting a breath of air after running up a steep hill, or like a day off after a week of hard work … Honestly? I didn’t quite know either. Until now …
The wave of subsequently canceled flights, which rolled through my email inbox, grew in my consciousness to the size and effects of the tsunami. Not only because of the finances. That was the smallest problem. The fact that I was taken second after second off, what was obvious to me and always available, and above all extremely important, literally paralysed my normal thinking …
Hold on ! What? Borders are closed? That flights will not take place until further notice? I should stay at home ??? Adapting to it, to the everyday life filled with restrictions is extremely difficult. Finding yourself in it, requires not only time, but also a great amount of positive and rational thinking. The search for any bright sides of the situation, for all of us and each of us went and still goes, very differently ….
Personally, I decided to stop posting stories about my previous trips. Not only because it seemed unreasonable to me, at a time when you can’t go anywhere, but also because of my „traveling depression” growing in strength …
What is different now, therefore, that I changed my mind and came back with a new text? Nothing really … In fact, probably the only fact, that matter, is the spring this year in London – gracious and beautiful. Almost summery, sunny weather, allowed me to slowly direct my attitude according to my own recommendations … I once wrote myself, in one of the stories, that traveling does not necessarily have to be associated only with the palm trees and the sun. In life, you have to measure your intentions. However, remember to work on strength and set new goals….
That is why, it is time to remember what we have „behind the fence” 😀
Bournemouth – a coastal town in British Dorset, it is not literally behind my fence (unfortunately 😦 ), but it is very easy to get to it from London, and the journey does not cost a fortune :D. You can go there by train, of course by car, but also by National Express bus. This picturesque place I decided to show you in my first story about the beautiful places in the United Kingdom 😀
Founded at the beginning of the 19th century, today’s resort is located on the English Channel. This region, the so-called ceremonial county, has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages. And you can’t hide the fact, that it has a unique „something”. We were informed by the host, who had rented a cozy room for seven days for us. When he politely asked us where we were coming from, and we replied we’re from London, a nice elderly gentleman said with a smile: „From London? Well, after a few days in our town, you will never want to live in London again …” 😀
Unfortunately, he was right. The thought of moving from the British capital to any seaside town did not leave me for a moment ever since …. 😀 🙈
Our trip to Dorset was prepared, let’s just say – on average 😂🤷♀️ … We didn’t have a plan as such, deciding that we would embrace everything on the spot. Today, I can recommend the official Bournemouth tourist website. There you can find a list of attractions available in the town, as well as the surrounding Pool, Christchurch, or Ringwood.
In addition to typical tourist spots – such as pier, shopping centers, restaurants, beaches, this area has particularly pleasant attractions for nature lovers. One of them is Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park, numerous gardens and parks, or a beautiful oceanarium.
In this area we can admire the Boscombe beaches, where there are magnificent cliffs, the famous Durdle Door, the natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast, or the unusual New Forest, where while walking down the street, you have to give way to local donkeys 😀 And you can enjoy there nature not only visually. In local shops with souvenirs and specialties, you can, for example, buy delicious liqueurs, and other vodkas or wines 🙂
Around Bournemouth, you can take buses called Yellow Buses, or of course on foot. For further trips, it’s best to use the South Western Railway. This charming coastal town also has an international airport. All news on public transport can be checked on the official website.
Those, who have little time for sightseeing, can go ahead and use the HopOnHopOff bus. Day trips can also be made to Bath, Cardiff, or to see Warwick Castle.
Sandy beaches, picturesque landscapes, the smell of the sea breeze from the English Channel are just some of the advantages of Dorset and its small towns. Of course, small ones compared to London. And despite the fact, that in normal circumstances many tourists come here to spend their free days every year, there is not so characteristic for English, large agglomerations, rush, noise, crowds in local transport.
We visited Bournemouth and the surrounding area few years ago. I don’t quite remember why my choice fell on this place on the map. They were probably online photos from Durdle Door. Today, however, I already know why I would love to go there again. First of all, to explore those places, that we did not know at the time, that they were nearby, but also to visit our friendly host. To tell him, that he was right about how easy you can become addicted to marine landscapes 😀
I would like to thank to Grace Szemborowska for her pictures from Bath 🙂
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