My nose is sunburned, the conservatory is 3 feet deep in laundry and the kitchen floor is sticky and horrible, but I don’t care, the weekend was so good that it’s worth all the chaos that comes with chores left undone.

We spent Sunday in climbing and sight-seeing in Swanage, 2.5 hours away from here in Dorset, on the South coast of England.

It’s a pleasant drive to get there, and then an easy stroll past the lighthouse to the top of the cliffs.

Here are the girls, relaxing amidst what I think are sea pinks, while Bobby figures out exactly where the climbs are.





The climbing is on sea cliffs with no access from the bottom, so you have to abseil or rappel in. You land on a ledge about 5m up from the sea, and you can climb back up from there.

I have to admit that as I was standing at the top of the cliff about to rappel down, I seriously considered not doing it. It just seemed like a really stupid idea, launching myself off a cliff above scary rock-filled sea. Plus I had visions of being stranded down there, if I couldn't make the climb back up. However, a combination of pride and stubborness compelled me to do, and it was a really fun climb back up.




This is Bobby belaying from the top.





When we’d finished climbing, we went into Swanage itself and walked down to the seafront. We ate chips on the seawall, and went on a spur-of-the-moment boat trip to see the limestone cliffs from the sea. It was stunningly beautiful.






We are very lucky, to live close to so many beautiful places.

The rest of the pictures are here