I’m back home in Dorset, spending Christmas with family and meeting new cute mini arrivals. Most days, we’ve headed out for walks into the grey, cold and damp perfection of English winter. Today being no exception, my mum and I ventured out to walk Redcliff beach over in Osmington.

Getting to the beach involves a short traverse across squelchy fields via the South West Coast Path. These same fields host a popular camping ground each summer yet become remote-like wilderness in the winter. A couple sets of steps take you down from the cliff top to a roaring pebble beach.

This time last year, I had just kicked off the drive taking Route 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles. At the time, particularly once we had hit the Carmel and Monterey area, I was reminded of the same jagged coast line here in Dorset.

A key difference here though is the foliage, where brambles, ivy and gorse (the fuzzy green bushes with yellow flowers) frame the cliff’s edges.

It was a pretty quiet spot, with just a handful other ramblers out in the fields and even fewer in the water today. Meanwhile, we could see tons of people out to the West for a Boxing Day walk along Weymouth beach and promenade.

It’s been a year, and one with (sadly) very little photography and writing. I’m hoping to get my camera out a little more in 2024 and to a few more beach walks before this year is out.

Happy Holidays!