Family Time in Dorset

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/100 sec at f/9, ISO 100 – Postcard of Dorset at dawn, with the sea in the background.

Three days in Dorset for the August Bank Holiday—one cozy cottage, three families, and a grand experiment in family holidays with Nina, Greg, Niko, and Caro. To our surprise, the weather was mild and sunny, perfect for two coastal walks and plenty of outdoor fun with the kids.

We kept things relatively organized, skipped heavy drinking, and even managed to get to bed before midnight each night. Apparently, that’s the family holiday vibe—who knew?

Dorset didn’t disappoint. Picture-perfect villages, charming cottages, and a stunning coastline with long stretches of sandy and rocky beaches offered a refreshing backdrop for our walks. While three days weren’t nearly enough to soak it all in, we made the most of every moment.

Chiara had her own mini milestones to celebrate—she’s now crawling, standing, and even taking assisted steps! Plus, her growing appetite for solid foods kept her happily fueled for the adventure.

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Chiara crawling in the garden – even more fun than crawling inside.

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One of many old houses of Dorset in Abbostbury, very pretty

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Arrived at the end of the walk, Chiara prefers to sleep rather than enjoying the view.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/1600 sec at f/3.2, ISO 100 – Weymouth on Saturday with menacing weather, the seafront is very nice and the beach prettier than the one in Brighton.

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The Samberger’s are ready to swap their Londoner life for a farmer’s position.

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The Gordon’s and their McLaren XT 4×4 special edition on the coastal path.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 100 – Chiara and Sab enjoy the last moments of sunshine in the cottage before heading home.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/50 sec at f/5.6, ISO 125 – Decorated doors in Milton Abbas, said to be the most beautiful village in Britain, it was certainly very pretty.

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Sunday Roast with Uncle Anthony

With Sabrina off to Kuala Lumpur, Chiara and I spent a classic London Sunday. The day started with some morning playtime, followed by a Sunday Roast at the White Horse (with a few pints for me), then a good bath and plenty of exercise. We also lowered her bed to make it safer for her to stand up without tipping over the bar—though she’s still in her “reverse gear” phase, crawling only backward!

Chiara had a blast playing with Anthony and trying lots of delicious food over the weekend. As for her fascination with the local ales at the White Horse? She’s still out of luck on that one—sorry, kiddo!

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640 – Early morning pull-up in the bed.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/200 sec at f/2.8, ISO 200 – Body climbing, always fun.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/25 sec at f/3.5, ISO 160 – She goes for the old Slug, a very strong dark ale.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/60 sec at f/3.5, ISO 250 – This time, daddy having fun with water !

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Funny 8 months old Faces

Today was a full-on Chiara-and-Daddy day! We played the “funny faces” game, spent lots of time on the mat doing exercises, sang plenty of songs, and even had Chiara’s first taste of beef. We stayed indoors since we’re both battling colds, but that didn’t stop us from having fun. She’s also loving Luka’s bouncer more and more—though with the way she’s bouncing like crazy, I’m not sure how long it’ll last before she wears it out!

Oh, and a little side note—apparently, some people have mentioned there’s too much photography talk on this blog and not enough pictures of Chiara. So, we’re working on it! All the pictures below were taken today—Chiara is about 8 and a half months old.

Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/250 sec at f/3.5, ISO 640
One of the shots shows Chiara playing funny face—or at least trying to figure out what game I was playing. I was making all the silly faces and snapping pictures at the same time to catch her reactions. The bottom-left photo? That’s her “default” Chiara face. Classic!

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Lumix GF1 – 1/60 sec at f/1.7, ISO 100 – Chiara standing up to look for interesting toys in her drawer. This picture has been realised without any tricks – she is standing on her own (and she’s gone there on her own too). Stability is not there yet, so yes JP is staying 20cm behind just in case (but you don’t see him on the picture – alright it’s sort of a trick). She was not look sad, this is her concentration face.

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/250 sec at f/3.5, ISO 640 – She is stronger and stronger on her arms and legs, but not crawling yet. The colourful Malaysian play mat is a good place to get some smiles. She stands on her hands and feet, but only goes backward (she could actually move forward by doing a circle backward but she didn’t figure this out yet).

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Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/100 sec at f/2.8, ISO 640 – Gina Ford (the goddess of baby books in the UK) said that at 8 months she/he should be able to use one hand to play on the tummy, while holding on the other one – here we go, box ticked.