18th birthday tour, day 9, homeward bound . . .

---

Sadly, this was to be the day we returned home and we were all sorry to be leaving Lyme. With an hour to go before breakfast I walked up the hill for the last time to move the car from the car park to a space across the road from our guesthouse where short-term parking is allowed. It was a lovely, mild, breathless morning, and having done that I decided to grab my camera and take a walk through the ornamental gardens. On my way I met a couple who had clearly been for a swim in the calm, blue sea. I paused, drinking in for a few moments the wonderful view across the steeply sloping gardens towards the beach and The Cobb. The tide was in and yachts bobbed about in the harbour, their paintwork shining in the sun and sparkles reflecting off the ripples, all worthy of a photograph to remind us of our stay.

Our hearty breakfast over, we bade farewell to The Lyme Townhouse and set off on what proved to be a slow and frustrating journey home, and if I can say that I learned anything from our holiday, it is that Chard definitely needs a bye-pass!!

---