England part VII: Lyme Regis

After our visit to Maiden Castle we drove on to Lyme Regis, which is pretty much the typical little English sea resort town. Lyme Regis is known as "The Pearl of Dorset" and boasts several shops devoted to fossils (there was to be a conference on the subject the day we left England). Jane Austen visited the area and wrote about its harbour wall, "The Cobb". Thomas Hardy's connection to Dorset should be well known to anyone with a smidgeon of interest in English literature.

Tourist season was still a few weeks away, but there were lots of people about on Thursday, enjoying the warm sun - especially on the beach. It's a nice little town with some cozy streets and according to my travel companion, the river area is good too, although I didn't personally wander in that direction. The town is pretty steep, and the hill starts almost as soon as you're off the beach, so I imagine a life in Lyme Regis would either make me fit or dead.

All Lyme Regis pics here.

I believe this is as close to a center as you come in Lyme Regis.


There are some colorful houses down by the beach.


Some even have thatched roofs. *lubs*


Naturally, this being a resort town they also have modern places where you can give up your soul in return for some mindless amusement.


Nice little detail... the lamp posts look like fossils.


Here they were playing bowling outside.


This doggy had the witlessly happy expression of dogs everywhere and was very friendly.