After a full day of traveling with the dogs we had a quick break at our hotel, the Boho Beach House. We were ready to spend our days in Bournemouth.
We were to be picked up by my cousin Alison (Ali) and her partner Dean and taken to meet my Great Aunt and Uncle, Grace and Keith. I was feeling very nervous about meeting my extended family here in the U.K., but relieved that they were so open to have Chevy and Sterling come along.
Ali and Dean showed up promptly, we all loaded into their SUV and we were off. It was a short drive from Bournemouth City Centre to Keith and Grace’s house in the suburbs of Christchurch. It had been a while since the boys were in a car, but after a 6 hour journey by train, this was small potatoes for them.
We were met with a warm welcome on our arrival.
My other cousin Louise (Lou) had also joined us. The furniture had been cleared out of the sunroom at the back of the house and sheets had been laid out for the boys.
Grace and Keith had not hosted any pets in their home before, so this was new territory for everyone. Chevy and Sterling let us know right away that they would not be happy being left out there on their own (the boys don’t always take separation from us, in strange places, well).
As a result, my aunt and uncle allowed them into their lovely home. After a quick sniff about, they were soon snoring on the floor, tired after their long day of traveling.
It was absolutely amazing to spend the next couple of hours talking about family and getting to know our relatives.
We shared our story with them and spoke about what it was like to be living here in the U.K., and what our short term plans were. It was such a great experience to hear about the history of my family and hear stories of my grand parents, who were also from Christchurch, before they moved to Canada.
Although I had never met them, I instantly felt like part of their family. My nerves had been eased. We stayed at Keith and Grace’s place until it was time to head out for supper. We had reservations at the Three Tuns Inn, a wonderful thatched roof pub, from the seventeenth century.
After some rumbling about, finding a table where we could sit with the dogs, we enjoyed a tasty Sunday roast dinner. It was the first time we had been treated to the Sunday pub staple, since arriving from Canada in March.
We continued to chat and laugh, sharing more stories and getting to know each other.
At the end of the evening, Ali and Dean drove us and the boys back to our hotel. It had been a long day for all of us, but Hayley and I had both enjoyed meeting everyone.
Once we had Chevy and Sterling set up on the single bed in our room, it was time to call it a night.
We were so happy that the boys had slept well in the unfamiliar environment, although it was not too much of a surprise, since they did have an entire bed to themselves. We got ready for the day.
The collapsible bowls and dehydrated raw food were perfect for the occasion. Eating is never an issue for either of our pups, but we hadn’t known how they would react to a change of routine. It turned out to be fine, though.
Ali and Lou showed up early to pick us all up for a tour of the area.
We drove over to Sandbanks and took a short ferry across to Shell Bay instead of the longer drive through Poole and around the bay to reach the coast.
We made a short stop in the beach town of Swanage, for coffee and a walk along the beach. From there we drove to Corfe Castle, the remains of an eleventh century castle built by William the Conquerer.
Because we had the boys in tow and the castle grounds do not permit pets, we didn’t take a tour of the remains. Instead, we took a few photos and a quick walk through the village and loaded back into the car.
The next stop was for lunch.
Ali took us to The New Inn, another thatched roof inn (this one from the sixteenth century) with a great view over the beautiful Purbeck Hills, formed by a long ridge of chalk.
The food here was fantastic. I had fish and chips, while Hayley went with the healthier fish choice of salmon. We were now fueled up for the next part of the day.
A half hour drive took us back down to the coast, to Lulworth Cove.
After parking the car, we walked up the Lulworth steps, part of the South West Coast Path. This hike was not leisurely, but at least we were wearing appropriate footwear.
Chevy and Sterling were troopers on this trek; it was not an easy climb. We were rewarded with a mind blowing view out over the Jurassic Coast, named for the continuous archeological finds from that time period. This striking part of the coastline also features an arch-shaped rock formation known as the famous Durdle Door.
This is easily some of the most beautiful coastal scenery I’d ever seen.
The walk back was predominantly downhill and seemed far less grueling. We went to the small beach at Lulworth Cove and let the dogs splash about, in the stream running alongside the village.
It had been a wonderful afternoon and the weather had been warm and sunny. We had all had our fill of fresh air and it had been a pleasure to spend the day with Ali and Lou.
We made a brief stop back at our hotel, to grab food for the dogs, on the way to Alison and Dean’s home.
They have a very nice home that they just moved into earlier this year, with a great back yard. We sat outside and enjoyed a drink, while Chevy and Sterling relished the freedom of the yard.
And relish, they did!!
They haven’t had a yard to freely run around in, since moving out of our place in Canada, back at the end of February. It was quite surprising that they still had so much energy after a busy two days.
After feeding the dogs, we walked over to the local pub and had some dinner ourselves. It was a great evening of conversation and getting to know Dean and Ali better.
It was late when they dropped us off, back at the Boho.
We had plans to spend the next afternoon with Ali again.
We were going to get out and about to see more of the coast. The morning was nice and warm with sunshine. Hayley and I walked a block up the road to have breakfast at the Flirt Cafe. It is amazing to have our choice of restaurants, where dogs are welcomed.
The Cafe was very welcoming, with bright decor and lots of plants. The food was very good and it was an excellent way to start off the day.
After breakfast, we walked over to the Central gardens and through the park to the Bournemouth Pier. I felt nostalgic, thinking that at one time my grandparents once walked along here holding hands. I was told later that my grandfather proposed to my grandmother here.
We walked down the promenade along the beach to an area that allowed dogs. We took them down to the water and let them play in the waves. Chevy enjoyed it briefly. It seems that he is more into streams and calmer water.
Sterling loved splashing around and running into the waves. He didn’t mind getting wet at all, although he did not go far enough in to have to swim.
We walked back to the hotel and dried the boys off, waiting for Ali to pick us up.
While the morning gave us warm temperatures and sunshine, Mother Nature had decided we’d had enough.
The weather for the rest of the day was cooler with rain, which lasted pretty much all day. We drove around, seeing the coast near Christchurch, stopping briefly in some spots to get out and take some photos. It was disappointing that we weren’t able to truly enjoy the day due to the weather, but we did enjoy spending more time with Ali.
We made a stop back at Keith and Grace’s home to chat for a bit, before saying goodbye. It was such a joy to meet them. We hope to get back down to the area soon, to visit again. We went back to Ali’s for a home cooked meal and more conversation.
It had only been a couple of days, but it was a welcome feeling to have connected so well with Dean and Ali. I reminisced about home as I stood in their garage, having a beer and admiring Dean’s Harley Davidson motorcycle and talking about cars.
It had truly been a great time and Hayley and I had enjoyed meeting everyone.
After one more night at the hotel, it was time for us to make the journey home to Sheffield.
Having already put the dogs through the process, we were feeling confident about the trip. All involved, now knew the drill. We boarded the train in Bournemouth and set off.
The connection in London was the same, although we had slightly less time to get from Waterloo Station to St. Pancras. Despite getting to St. Pancras with plenty of time, the departing platform was still not posted. We were unfamiliar with the station, having come into London at King’s Cross.
There was a moment of panic as we tried to figure out which train we were supposed to be on. There were two trains, on the same platform, departing at the same time, to two different destinations. With the help of a worker, we found our carriage and got seated.
The train was far less busy and we were able to get seating across the aisle from each other, with the boys occupying the window seats.
The final leg of our trip home took just over two hours with a connection in Doncaster.
We arrived back in Sheffield in the late afternoon.
We hadn’t known how Chevy and Sterling would take to the trip before we left. It was a lot to ask of them, their first time on a train, a ride on the underground tube in London and a strange place to sleep. But, by the time we had arrived home, they seemed like veterans of travel.
It was a great trip and we now feel confident that we will be able to travel more with them in the future, whether that be another short trip of a few days, or something longer.
We found out how difficult it was, to fly in and out of the U.K. with our pets, when we moved here. There are other options, however. One is to drive to the continent with a car or another would be to travel on a ferry as a foot passenger.
Whatever we decide to do, we now know that our dogs can take the constant changes when traveling, in stride.