Last weekend I headed down south for the opening weekend of Cowes Week on this Isle of Wight. I stayed with my mum in Lymington, Hampshire, for the weekend and we spent a glorious weekend in the sun, cycling along the coast, playing on the beach, and the main event: popping over to Cowes for the opening weekend.
Cowes Week is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events (running since 1826!!) and even if you're not a sailor yourself (my last sailing experience left me with a hole in my boat & being rescued by the safety rib!) it's a true sight to behold when the boats take to the water.
Lymington itself is a beautiful little coastal town and on Friday we took an evening wander after a full day of cycling along the coast.
This is one of my favourite shots of the weekend: these young kids are so competent on the water they don't even flinch when a huge great ferry goes right by them!
On Saturday we got an invite to the Toe in the Water party so popped over the water from Southampton and landed in sunny Cowes!
Like all good evenings, ours started with a burger...and then on to an amazing party at Shepherd's Wharf of which, there are sadly no photos...
After a (rather) late night, we spent the day watching the racing from the shore, and soaking up the atmosphere of Cowes. There was so much going on; from watching from the beach or the green, or strolling the parade and high street shops. If you really fancy getting into the thick of it you can even pay for a private rib ride out to the action!
What struck me most about Cowes, and the south coast in general, was how friendly everyone was! Wherever we went we were greeted by a smile and a hello: a welcome break from London!
After a beautiful day in Cowes we said goodbye and headed back across the water for one last day in Lymington. Mum took me to her 'secret beach' where we sat down to a picnic and a play.
Mum even beat me at 'pooh sticks'!
As the day drew to a close the clouds drew in too, so we skipped back to the car before the rain came!
I was sad to only see one weekend of Cowes Week but work was calling! It apparently revs up towards the Wednesday and culminates in a huge fireworks display on the the Friday night. Next year I'm definitely booking the whole week off to come - and maybe I'll be able to experience it from the water too!