The Jurassic Coast

The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is known as The Jurassic Coast. It covers 95 miles of truly stunning coastline from East Devon to Dorset, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth's history. World Heritage status was achieved because of the site's unique insight into the Earth Sciences as it clearly depicts a geological ‘walk through time’ spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Some magnificent views… earned after some steep walks! My calf muscles are still recovering…

Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove

Natural arch at Durdle Door

Durdle Door

Chesil beach near Durdle Door

Charmouth Beach

Axmouth harbour

Coastal path, Beer Head

View from Beer Head

View from Beer Head

Near Sidmouth

It's a long way up!

A Taste Of Devon...And Dorset

Hey everyone!

I'm back after a fabulous week of coastal walks and fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast... the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site. More on all that later, but in the meantime, here's a quick taster....

Deck chairs on Beer beach, Devon

Pebble balancing act on Charmouth beach, Dorset

Charmouth beach

Charmouth beach

Lamppost, Lyme Regis (Dorset) 

The Cobb (harbour) at Lyme Regis

Beach huts on Seaton Beach Esplanade, Devon

'Jolly Roger'

Traditional seaside fare

Devon cream tea - scoops of artery-hardening clotted cream

Evening on Seaton beach 

Map found here

People Watching In Paris...

 Accordion player near the Pont de l'Archevêché

 Baguette underarm...

 Serious buskers on Pont Saint Louis

 Couple on the Left Bank

 One way to get around the city

 Busker near Le Louvre

 The Wedding Photographer I

The Wedding Photographer II

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I'm going to be away in Dorset for the next few days... quite possibly without wifi.... so do excuse my lack of posting or commenting. Catch up with you all soon!

Lovers' Padlocks In Paris

All around the world, lovers hook little locks on bridges to symbolise their eternal love. The origin of this tradition is obscure.... the Italians claim it was sparked by a romantic novel titled “I Want You”, by Federico Moccia, in which the hero and heroine attach a padlock with their name onto a lamppost on Ponte Milvio, near Rome, kiss and throw the key in the river Tiber. Others believe this is a much older tradition, which started in Moscow.

This weekend in Paris, I came across one such bridge…Pont de l'Archevêché near Notre-Dame Cathedral, absolutely crammed with little padlocks. Apparently, lovers often throw the key into the river Seine as a sign of undying love, or keep it and open the padlock when they next return to the French capital.

Not everyone approves of the tradition though…declaring the rusty locks an “eyesore”, a type of vandalism. Paris' town hall recently said that the locks "pose a question about the preserving of heritage" and that "in time these padlocks will be removed". However, it promised only to do so when it had found an alternative home for them, such as installing metal trees to hang them on.

So what do you think of the lovers’ locks… a romantic gesture or a rusty eyesore?

Une Journée à Paris

Some days, I just need a little adventure...

Like getting up in the middle of the night to catch the stupid o'clock train down to London St Pancras... to grab some cheap, last-minute tickets on the Paris-bound 06.22am Eurostar.

Two and a half hours later, and I was buying my Carte Mobilis (one-day Metro pass) at Gare du Nord. First stop: Île de la Cité, for the majestic cathedral of Notre-Dame (Our Lady)....

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Then across the Pont St Louis to Île Saint-Louis... for pistachio and melon ice cream at the famous Glacier Berthillon.

A walk along the quays of the Left Bank of the River Seine....

And a cruise on the river...

Batobus in front of the Museum D'Orsay

A stroll down the Champs-Élysées....

Delicious macaroons at 'Angelina' on Rue Rivoli....

A walk through the Jardin des Tuileries...

And the Jardin du Carrousel....

Arc de Triomphe du Carousel

There was no time to say "Bonjour!" to the Mona Lisa, as the evening was drawing in...

The Louvre

It was time to hop back on the Metro and get back to Gare Du Nord for the 20.13pm Eurostar back to London...

Au revoir, Paris! More photos to follow....