Isle of Wight to Home
Saturday 12th June, 2010
Sunday 13th June, 2010
Monday 14th June, 2010
Tuesday 15th June, 2010
Wednesday 16th June, 2010
Thursday 17th June, 2010
Friday 18th June, 2010
Saturday, Sunday and Monday 19/20/21 June, 2010
Saturday 12th June, 2010
e left High Littleton early, about 0815, after farewells and thanks to Jim Merry. We followed the guide from the AA Website and it only went wrong a couple of times, mainly because of a road closure and diversion.
e arrived at the ferry terminal at Lymington at about 1100 so went off on a magical mystery tour to Beaulieu, a stately home built on a monastery, and a village that shrieks "Olde Englande", thatched roofs, roses spilling round the doors, absolutely lovely. We didn't have time to see anything much, just had a drive around the New Forest. This was full of the ponies which have lived there from time immemorial with their beautiful long legged foals. You have to be quite careful on the roads. The adults have developed some road sense but the foals haven't.
e came back to Lymington and had a large pub lunch at the Wagon and Horses, just along from the ferry terminal. The publican had spent some 20 years in Australia and there were some Australian winery bottles on display.
Ferry to Yarmouth
hen we headed back to the terminal and joined the queue for the 1405 sailing. There was no problem picking up our reserved tickets, so the Internet scores again. The trip was short and uneventful and, on disembarking, we headed for Bonchurch, following the directions given by the owners. It seems to be on a scenic route, Geoff says, there seemed to be a more direct route by the map, but it certainly was scenic. The last bit, through Ventnor, was another story, another difficult steep and narrow ascent. Ventnor is attractive but very narrow and crowded. There seems little parking.
e got to our address and found the designated parking place but had to search to find the bungalow which was not immediately visible. Finally found it, not too far away, but quite far enough to carry the luggage!
he cottage is small, our bedroom especially, although Geoff's has more room because it has only one bed. Our bed prevents us from opening the wardrobe fully, which is a nuisance.
It has everything we need I guess, except hot water. There is a water heater but it doesn't seem to work. Luckily the shower has its own power. Anyway it is only a week. If I can't wash clothes they will have to go home dirty. There is no dryer, either.
ac was pacified for some of these deficiencies by the discovery of a black and white cat in the garden which was only too happy to be patted and even came inside. Don't know where it belongs, but it is definitely used to people.
Sunday 13th June, 2010
lovely sunny Sunday. The view of the sea from our front windows sparkled. After breakfast and showers we went down to Ventnor and picked up a few necessities from the Co-Op. We drove down to the Esplanade, which is very attractive, lots of cafes etc, no parking. Space is at an absolute premium because Ventnor is in a cup shaped hole with high cliffs above and below it. Not much actual land. Our bungalow is high on a cliff and we see lots of shipping.
Bald Eagle at the Owl and Falconry Centre
hen we got back we decided to go to the Isle of Wight Owl and Falconry Centre (this seems to be becoming a theme) which is situated at an English Heritage property called Appuldurcombe House. We seem to have seen lots of birds of prey this trip. We got some lunch there and watched some of the birds work, including a pair of red kites, a bald eagle and a peregrine falcon. Geoff took over 200 photos!
Front View of Appuldurcombe House
hen we went to have a look at Appuldurcombe House. This is an amazing building, the empty shell of a 16th C mansion, which was once a monastery, a family home, a school and troop hospitals during both World Wars.
Behind the Facade, Appuldurcombe House
e met the Warden, who was born in the local village and had known the house all his life. He told us the house was hit by a mine dropped from a German plane which later crashed into a local field. The house was abandoned soon after that. English Heritage has stabilised and refurbished a bit of the front facade but behind that the rooms are empty and open to the sky. It looks good from the front, though.
n the way home we stopped for afternoon tea at Smugglers Haven Tea Gardens where we sat in the sun and I enjoyed a cream tea, Mac had a piece of blackberry and apple pie and Geoff had a rock cake and a chocolate milkshake.
A good day.
Monday 14th June, 2010
Red Squirrel outside the Cottage
e were visited at breakfast today by a red squirrel which spent two quite long periods digging up grass seeds or something just under a tree outside the unit.
Red Squirrel in the Garden, Isle of Wight
e were told that grey squirrels had not invaded the Isle and it was lovely to see this red one prancing about. So far this trip we have seen red squirrels at Strachur and Palnure (every day!) and now here. We have also had visits from grey ones at Plas Heulog and Greyfield Farm. They are so cute!
Gatehouse, Carisbrooke Castle
e headed for Carisbrook Castle, the final exhibit in our castle collection. It is in quite good condition because the Constable of Wight lived here. I am not sure whether a Constable still lives here but for several (in fact many) years Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice was the Constable and lived here with her family in the summer. EH has recreated an Edwardian garden named for Princess Beatrice and it is lovely.
Inside the Walls, Carisbrooke Castle
ing Charles I was imprisoned here during the Civil War. When it became more Uncivil he tried to escape but got stuck in his narrow window. It really must have been small because he was a very small man. His room is still there although the windows have been enlarged. Too late for Charles, though.
Princess Beatrice Garden, Carisbrooke Castle
here is a famous well in the Castle which is worked by a treadmill. Back in the 17th C prisoners worked it but since then they have used donkeys. These days it is only for show as there is piped water but the donkeys are kept there in nice stables.
St. George, Arreton Old Village
fter leaving the Castle we went to Arreton Old Village Craft Barns for lunch and a look around. We had quite a large lunch at the Dairymans Daughter Free House and Tea Room. The grave of the Dairyman's Daughter is in the churchyard of the St. Georges Church, an ancient and beautiful village church where we heard the organist practising.
Medieval Fish Pond, Arreton Old Village
s Geoff said, "who is this woman, the Dairyman's daughter? What is her significance to this place?"
No answer. Near the church there is a medieval carp pool (with ducks) which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. The carp were huge.
There was a potter and a glassblower (or sculptor) who had some quirky pieces for sale, but we resisted.
ome via Shanklin, a very attractive old village full of thatched houses, timber framed buildings and old pubs.
Tuesday 15th June, 2010
Osborne House, Isle of Wight
nother beautiful day today. We got up reasonably early and headed up the island to East Cowes, the location of Osborne House, Queen Victoria's summer residence. She and Albert bought the place, demolished it and rebuilt to Albert's design, a Mediterranean style villa with square Italianate towers and lovely grounds and gardens leading down to the sea.
Osborne House, from the Terrace
his is definitely the jewel in English Heritage's crown. Among so many ruins, evocative though they are, Osborne House stands out, with its furniture, pictures, curtains, wonderful ceiling mouldings and fittings.
he Durbar room, decorated in Indian style, contains many of the precious gifts given to Victoria on her golden jubilee by her Indian subjects. Of particular interest to me was the series of portraits of Indian "types" painted for the queen by Swoboda when she became Empress of India. They were all real people and wonderfully painted. Victoria was very interested in India although never able to visit it and had an Indian secretary who taught her to read and write Urdu. This was towards the end of her life, so no mean achievement.
Walled Garden, Osborne House
e had morning tea in the lovely Terrace Restaurant, scones with jam and cream and fresh strawberries, delicious. The Terrace formal gardens were lovely with fountains and statues. Later we strolled in the lovely walled garden, decorated with Victoria and Albert's ciphers all along the paths. It was great.
hen we caught the mini-bus to the Swiss Cottage, a chalet style "playhouse" for the nine royal children. In the grounds were the gardens the princes and princesses cultivated themselves, each with the owner's name on the fence (Prince Albert considered that children should be kept busy) and the brick built fort the children built out of bricks they made themselves, with a tower, flagpole and cannon at each corner.
Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine
nother exhibit was the deckhouse of the yacht that carried Queen Victoria's body from the Island (she died here) to Southampton en route to London. Next to it was Queen Vic's bathing machine, complete with plumbed in toilet, wardrobe etc. All so nobody could see her dipping into the sea!
e had lunch here and a personal disaster, when I broke half a tooth off while eating a chicken baguette. We will be home in a week, so I will wait to get back to Justin the dentist if I can. It is not hurting so far.
However, up until then, it was a good day.
Wednesday 16th June, 2010
his morning we drove towards Yarmouth and made our first stop at Dimbola Lodge, a museum in the former home of Victorian pioneering photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron.
There is a wonderful display of her works, mostly portraiture and poetical illustration, particularly of the works of Tennyson, who was a friend and neighbour. Her portraits resemble the style of the Pre-Raphaelite painters, rather than the severe realism of most Victorian photos. They seemed quite modern.
There was also a marvellous display of photographs by a dynasty of local photographers, starting with the grandfather's sepia prints to the grandson's terrific colour work, mainly of yachts and other boats and seascapes. We all enjoyed the exhibits and we had coffee there as well.
Yarmouth Pier
e went on to Yarmouth to make sure we knew where the ferry comes in and then decided to take a cruise out to the Needles. These are limestone outcrops of the cliffs, in a line out to sea, rather in the style of the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, ending with a lighthouse. We booked for a cruise leaving at 1400 and moved the car to a Pay and Display with a two hour limit.
Seagull Feeding Frenzy, Yarmouth Pier
nfortunately the Harbour Master and his mates were having an exercise in controlling oil spills with an inflatable boom, and this delayed our start until 1430.
Our Cruise Boat, MV Joybelle
hen the swell really came up. I have not been on such rough water for some time. The skipper said it would be dangerous to try for the Needles so took us around the coast. Then the sea went down a lot as we returned and he asked if anyone wanted to have an extra hour, free of charge, to round the Needles. Mac said, as long as he could move and reticket the car. So they docked for ten minutes while Mac and another passenger attended to their cars.
The Needles, Isle of Wight
Then off and away, along the coast to the Needles. These are quite spectacular and it was good to get close. So it all came out OK in the end.
Today has been lovely, warm and sunny, although with quite a fresh breeze. We are all getting sunburned.
Geoff Enjoys Afternoon Tea on Joybelle
Thursday 17th June, 2010
ut and about on another lovely sunny day, we headed first to Ryde and Waltzing Waters. This is another of the attractions we had first visited years ago in Scotland. It was equally good, updated with music choices from Michael Jackson and Disney as well as the movies and classics. As ever, the fountains and colours were spectacular and we were the only ones there at the 1000 performance. The girl said "The sun is shining, we never get many at the first show if it's fine". This week, if we had waited for rain we would never have gone!
Brading Roman Villa Site
Remains of a Mosaic (with figure) Brading Roman Site
fter this we went back a few miles to Brading, where we found the excavated Roman villa. This was very good. It was first dug back in Victorian times using the haphazard archaeological methods of the time, but has had a later revival, with a purpose built building over the mosaic floors which are the chief exhibits. These mosaics, although showing signs of damage from ancient fires and more modern farming are really something. Compared with Fishbourne the mosaics seemed more sophisticated or refined, even though the Fishbourne ones are in better condition generally.
Shanklin Beach, Isle of Wight
t Brading there is a hypocaust and a deep well from which a large number of artefacts have been recovered, as well as a skeleton. It was an interesting morning. We had lunch at their excellent café, then drove down to Shanklin beach where we topped up the Vitamin D with a stroll and rest in the sun. It was very warm and the beach was crowded although nobody was swimming, the water must have been cold. The sea was dotted with cargo ships going nowhere and the chalk cliffs stood out against the blue of the sky.
e decided we did not have the time or the energy to climb up Shanklin Chine, a supposedly very picturesque gorge with waterfalls, but checked out the top in Old Shanklin Village which was seething and not a parking place to be seen. It is a lovely place, though, I am not surprised it was crowded.
ame back to Ventnor and collected the laundry from the laundrette, and Geoff managed to buy a spring scale (for weighing the luggage) at a hardware store, as our current scale had failed. Its hand had broken off. So, with the last lot of boxes sent home and a reasonable amount of clean clothes we are ready for the off.
Friday 18th June, 2010
Godshill Village, Isle of Wight
ur last touring day! We spent a delightful half day at the village of Godshill. Godshill is one of those lovely villages with thatched cottages, sloping rooflines, baskets of flowers and 16th C pubs and churches. It also has a major tourist attraction, the Model Village.
The Model Village, Godshill
f all the model villages we have visited this is definitely the pick. Set among beautifully bonsaied and topiarised bushes it comprises a model of the village, built in the garden of the Old Vicarage. At least, that is how it started but it has taken over to the extent that it now encompasses Shanklin Old Village complete with the Chine, waterfalls and all, including the seafront with boats and hotels.
The Model Village, Godshill
ne of the most interesting things about it was the "model in the model in the model". This was the first model, 1/10 scale, including the Old Vicarage with its own model, 1/100 scale, which has its Old Vicarage with model village 1/1000 scale. Unbelievable.
Model Village, Godshill
here was so much going on in this village, cricket, football, croquet, netball, tennis, morris dancing, scout camps, picnickers, hikers, bikers, sitters, it was great!
The Tea Garden, Godshill
e had morning tea in a lovely tea garden with flowers, trees, fountains and fishponds, birds, bees and butterflies. Full of statuary, arches and stone picnic tables.
Stock Characters at Godshill
e had lunch at the Essex Restaurant next to the Model Village. I had fish and chips served traditionally in newspaper (on a plate), Mac and Geoff both had three egg omelettes with cheese and mushrooms and chips. Very good.
e came home then to pack up. Having sent home eight boxes, about thirty kg of stuff, our luggage seems a reasonable weight. Off tomorrow for Heathrow, via the ferry, get rid of the car, spend the night at the Comfort Hotel, then, all prayer wheels spinning, to Terminal 3 and home.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday 19/20/21 June, 2010
e got off with no problems except the bird dung all over the car windscreen, after Mac had cleaned it the day before, too. We arrived in good time for the ferry and the car was directed to the Garage deck which was raised like a lift and we had to leave it and go to the passenger lounge, which was nice with a sea view. We stayed out longer than normal because the return ferry was delayed and we had to wait in the channel until it had got past.
fter we had landed Geoff navigated us through in masterly fashion, via lunch at KFC in a services place, to the Comfort Hotel Heathrow, for the night.
n Sunday we called a minibus rather than a taxi for us and all our goods and chattels to Heathrow where we arrived three hours early. A good thing, too, because, as usual, our extra booking seemed to faze them and the Airbus was apparently oversold. I think that is criminal. However, we eventually got it sorted and the extra seats blocked on the plan so they couldn't allocate them to anyone else.
he flight was delayed for over an hour due to "congestion at Heathrow". Good luck for the Olympics, we say! The flight was its usual tedious self but gave rise to a mad scramble at Singapore to make our Sydney connection because we only had one and a half hours between flights and we were an hour late. The 777 was old and very uncomfortable but we got into Sydney about 1900 and shuttled to the Holiday Inn. We had a highly overpriced meal at the Biggles Bar (nice though) and staggered back to collapse on the beds. Zonk.
We're back!
