Gone camping

I am a fairweather camper. When the sun's out, as it was for the whole of our stay, the tent is dry, the nights are clear and starry, and there are solar powered hot showers not so far away, I'm in love with the idea of life outdoors. The mornings and evenings are my favourite. There is something special about those times; early morning dew and sea mist creeping sleepily around the bottoms of tents, taking in lungfuls of clear air as soon as you wake, the smell of the first bacon rasher frying. Then in the evening, as the sunlight fades, it's replaced by little campfires watched wide-eyed by small children, the lighting of lanterns and candles marking out pitches, stars - so many - and the moon.

The campsite we stayed on was part of a working farm on the coast of Dorset. Being surrounded by the sea and the countryside was lovely. We clambered down to the private beach, sampled rolls, pastries and flapjacks from the onsite bakery, drank local beer and ate the best pizza ever, made in front of our eyes in a pizza van with a traditional stone oven. Watched children having the time of their lives playing on hay bales. We cooked pasta and bacon, drank hot chocolate as night fell, played endless rounds of cards. Our waking and sleeping patterns started to follow those of the sun. And round every corner were mischevious, funny farm animals to interact with. Newborn puppies with milky eyes. A grumpy pig who needed braces. Three proud roosters. Goats playing hide and seek around the farm buildings.

The best things I found about camping were the constant supply of fresh air, feeling so much better for the earlier bedtimes and mornings, and the complete change of routine. Change is invigorating and sometimes you forget how much you need it.

A playlist for driving west

Tomorrow I'm setting out on a trip around Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. There'll be camping on the coast, a private beach to explore in the early mornings, waking up to fresh sea air and sizzling bacon. Taking in the sights of Chesil Beach, Corfe Castle, Durdle Door, Lulworth Coast and beyond. Drives along coastal roads with good music playing. Living in my dungarees, Breton tops, Converse. Bike rides, fish and chips on the beach, belly boarding, lots of fresh air.  Cornish pasties! And maybe even a meal at the River Cottage canteen.

I can't wait. Lots of photos shall be taken.

We make the drive down from London to Cornwall every summer as it's where we have family. And every summer we hire a car (because our own car is twenty years old, with no electric windows, no cd player, a very dodgy radio and a driver's door that doesn't open) and compile a playlist for the trip. Here's the one I've made for this year.

1. Everybody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson

2. When You Were Young - The Killers

3. Land Of Hope And Dreams - Bruce Springsteen

4. Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys

5. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

6. Atlas Hands - Benjamin Francis Leftwich

7. Free - Dexys

8. Runaways - The Killers

9. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

10. Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight & The Pips

11. Gold On The Ceiling - Black Keys

12. I'm Getting Ready - Michael Kiwanuka

13. Gumboots - Paul Simon

14. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright [Bob Dylan cover] - Johnny Cash

15. Charlie Brown - Coldplay

16. Love Generation - Bob Sinclair

17. Drive In Saturday - David Bowie

18. Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros

It's a bit eclectic, to cater for our different tastes, but the essentials - sunshine music for sunny moods - are all there. These are the songs that represent the summer holidays, the beginning of some much needed rest and a change of scene. No stresses allowed. I wish I could have made a playlist you can actually stream, but I'm not au fait with Spotify and couldn't find another way of doing it!

Like the first song says, I'm going where the sun keeps shining through the pouring rain. Going where the weather suits my clothes. See you in a couple of weeks.

Apples & lavender

 

We have a gnarled, ancient dwarf apple tree next to a long clump of lavender and I can't get over how nice the two look together when they're both in bloom. The plumpest red and green apples bending branches so low they skim the grass, against a backdrop of purple lavender brimming with honey bees and bumble bees.

(I sound like an old lady.)

The apple harvest is going on and on this year, every evening we come in from the garden with a few more handfuls. There are more apples than we can store or eat, more than we know what to do with. I already have plans for apple and blackberry kuchen (a Nigella Lawson recipe found here), apple pies, crumbles, stewed apples with yoghurt for breakfast, baked apples... Apparently the blackberry crop this year is going to be huge too - go for a ramble and you're bound to find some, even in the most un-rural of towns. I still can't believe people actually buy those expensive punnets of blackberries from the supermarkets when you can fill up a few Tupperwares for free!

I planted some wheat just for fun in the spring and it's finally gone tall and swishy and gold. Reminds me of going for walks across fields in Devon and Cornwall - which is where I'll be this time next week, at last! I'm in desperate need of a change of scene. Fingers crossed there's not too much rain.