Poole, U.K. – I thought I’d add a quick post about the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, (RNLI) which is near where I stayed in Poole. In fact, you can book a room there and I wish I had. As you may know, the U.K. is an island nation, so that means a lot of coastline. Lots of boats and a lot of beaches and swimmers. The U.K. has an official Coast Guard but it also has a system of local lifeguards and sophisticated local lifeboat (sea rescue) teams. The RNLI is the national guiding organization for this scheme and even offers a “college” where teams are trained and certified. It’s also a charity that raises funds for the necessary equipment.
The RNLI campus is very nice and, as might expect, is on a marina with an outlet to the English Channel, south of Poole. They also have a very nice restaurant/bar and I had dinner there one night. The restaurant was ingeniously designed, with a modern look that cleverly incorporated nautical motifs. The staff was terrific and the food was outstanding, and the sunny view over the marina and port at dinner time was a bonus.
The Occasionally-Examined Life 