This morning, after a tasty breakfast with Heather, I strolled through Lyme Regis on my own. Heather had to take her daughter, Bethany, to a doctor appt. Bethany is here on school break. She attends Oxford University. This will be her second year at Maudlin College where she is concentrating on the history of 16th century religion.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking the streets of Lyme Regis. Many of the streets are very steep, and lead a winding path towards the shore. Most of the houses are stuccoed and painted either in white or pastel colors. The river Lym (no "e") is nothing but a narrow stream that meanders through the town. There are many cute cafes, restaurants and art galleries. I spent some time wandering through the local history museum reading up on the background of Lyme.

Heather and Bethany were back at lunch time and we enjoyed a lovely meal on their patio. The weather continues to be gorgeous. After lunch Heather and I headed out to Forde Abbey, a 12th-century monastery that became a private residence in the 16th century. The owner turned the sparsely decorated stone building complex into one of the most sumptuously decorated residences I've ever seen. Since the 16th century, ownership has changed hands a few times; the Abbey is still privately owned but much of the building and the adjoining gardens are open to the public.

That evening Heather and Bethany pooled their talents and resources to prepare a fabulous meal: duck breast served atop sauteed spinach and corn fritters and topped off with a red wine/blackberry sauce. Delicious. Bethany had had this meal in a restaurant recently and she and Heather conspired to reproduce it. After dinner we watched an episode of the modern Canterbury Tales now being serialized on the BBC. We also saw QI a hilarious new game show hosted by Stephen Fry.