All Done

What a night. 

The gales blew relentlessly across the Devon coast. The Gorse Fox slept through the storm but at one point the balcony furniture was upended with a crash that woke the Silver Vixen. When we got up this morning the gale was still full of fury as it whipped up the waves and hurled them against the breakwaters and beaches.

Today was check-out day. We had most of our packing done before breakfast. That way we could take our time and enjoy a leisurely feast before setting off. That was another lovely break at the hotel that is rapidly becoming one of our real favourites. The Gorse Fox has no doubt that we will be back before too long.

He should mention the lengths to which the hotel have gone to protect their guests and staff from Covid-19. As you enter there is a sanitiser station and the reception desk is protected by a large perspex screen. All of the staff wear face screens. Wherever you go in the hotel you must wear a mask (though you can remove it if your are sitting down to eat or drink), and further sanitiser stations are available on entry and exit of every public space. Meals are taken in three sittings to enable social distancing. In the suites, you have to ensure that all personal items are packed away before leaving you room so that the staff can service and re-sanitise the room. As you occupy any table that contains a blue "sanitised" label, the label was removed and swapped for a red "Requires Sanitisation" label. As you left the table (be it in restaurant, the bar, or one of the lounges) the staff descended on the area and sanitised the table and the chairs, then replaced the blue "Sanitised" label. It really was a very well-oiled machine.

Finally, with the car loaded, we hit the road. The car's SatNav suggested it might take about 3 hours. The car's SatNav needs to get its act together! It was a Friday in August. The traffic was going to be foul... and certainly was! Bridport, Dorchester, West Moors, and Ringwood were all snarled up. Even Chichester had almost gridlock on the bypass. The Gorse Fox nipped round the back, through the town, and out the other side. It probably took us less time than it would have to get to the first roundabout. That was a result, but even still the whole journey had taken us about four and a quarter hours.

It was nice to get home and have Ellie leap on us. She was clearly very pleased to see us and was very chatty and playful. She and Urban-Cub are off to stay overnight with Cousteau-Cub tonight so the Gorse Fox and Silver Vixen have the place to ourselves.