Friday 31 December 2010

Last day of the decade..

Well Christmas has come and gone and just like the snow it is a distant memory. Everywhere is just so damp now and when I go outside the cold and damp really gets into my bones. My knees are especially suffering and climbing up hills and steps is quite painful.

We had a lovely Christmas at my parents house. We actually celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas day - I believe it’s a Swiss / European thing. So as the rest of the country were preparing for the next day, we were tucking into our feast and opening presents. Normally my parents Christmas tree has real candles on it instead of lights but this year my mother we could not get any of the special candles, so we had fairy lights on our real tree. Christmas day was spent pottering and Boxing day we saw some of our friends.

Whilst we have been in London we have been out and about a bit. Seeing friends, going shopping, popping into see colleagues at work and shovelling snow from the front garden.

One of our trips was to Northala Fields in Northolt which is four manmade mounds with earth taken from the demolition of Wembley Stadium. Their purpose is to act as a sound barrier for residents, but is also forms a country park with a few ponds, a visitors centre and a walk up to the top of the mounds. Perhaps it is not the nicest place to walk, especially compared to the wonderful countryside of Wales, however, it is a nice bit of green in between roads and housing estates. The views from above are meant to be good, however, we could not see very far. We walked around the largest of the mounds which was very noisy on the side of the A40, however, on the other side it was quieter. It really does therefore work as a sound barrier.

We have also been to Brentford to see where the River Thames meets the Grand Union Canal. If we decide to come back home via the Thames then we will need to know where to turn left!

There are still patches of ice around the boat and even though there are signs of defrosting, I think it will be a long while before we will be moving her, unless spring comes early (fingers crossed)

As today is New Years Eve, I just want to wish you all a very happy, healthy and stress free 2011!

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Photos of frozen Britain, lydney Harbour and Gloucester Cathedral

Have been fighting a cold so have not done any major trips. We have been walking locally and have been surprised how cold it actually is. I recall last year walking down the canal at 7.30am to work and being cold, so cold that Scott had icicles on his beard. What I do not recall was that the cold continued throughout the day and here the frost just not melting and it is so icey. I am pleased though we are not in Scotland and also rather happy that I am not working so I can stay under the covers, all nice and warm for a bit longer.

The news discusses Frozen Britain and whilst it focuses on the travel and transport, however, these pictures demonstrate to me how the countryside has also just been frozen. The scenery is just lovely, the white trees look so pretty and the countryside as a pastel look which is a stark contrast from the vibrant colours of the summer


Just a couple of places which we have been to which I forgot to add previously.

Lydney Harbour
This is a harbour in Lydney and has been under some redevelopment. My word it was cold and the fog made it very eerie. The harbour is on the Seven Estuary and was used to aid the transport of Iron and Coal.





Gloucestershire Cathedral
We took a drive into Gloucester and wondered around the shops. It was just like any other town really, however, teh Catherdral was nice. For some reason I did not take a photo of the outside, however, the picutre on the left is part of the building and was in the Harry Potter Films.

Sunday 5 December 2010

Chilly start to December..

Trying to sightsee and do things in December has proven very tricky. All the normal 'tourist' places are shut during the week and even though the countryside is very pretty and white, the coldness and slippery pathways have hindered our motivation to go walking. It seems that all I want to do is curl up on the sofa under a blanket.

We have however been shopping to Sainsburys and rediscovered Beanfeast, been on a couple of walks and today treated ourselves to a Sunday lunch at a very busy Weatherspoons pub.

Below are some photos that I have taken recently.


Tuesday 30 November 2010

Its been 6 months...

It has almost been 6 months since we have been away and we are getting closer to going back to work and at the end of the journey.

So far, this has been an adventure of 2 halves and a bit. The first half was travelling to the famous Trevor Aqueduct by boat, second half has been exploring North Wales and area around Chirk (with a quick trip to the Isle of Man). The final bit has been going back and forth to the Forest of Dean and area.

Our attention initially was different, we had always planned to keep travelling along the canal until winter and the stoppages, however as the Leeds and Liverpool canal was closed coupled with falling in love with North Wales our plans changed.

I loved cruising along the canal and recall with great affection sitting on the top of the boat taking deep breaths and enjoying the fresh air. We travelling through fields, woods and towns. Even though I preferred the countryside, the towns no matter how rough they were was interesting to travel through looking into peoples gardens and the different architecture of the buildings. At times there were many boats along the canal and other times we were the only ones for miles. To me the travelling had a draw back as I could never get attached to a place as we always moved on and even though we stayed in some places longer than others, I kept an emotional distance as I knew that if I loved a place I would be sad to leave which is why the decision to stay in Chirk for longer than expected was not surprise to me.

The second half of our trip was travelling around North Wales and surrounding areas and we have done over 3000 miles in 3 months. We have seen places which the canal boat would never see and probably where you would not go if you were on a weeks holiday in the area. I have lost count as to how many different places we have visited and I think I have walked more miles in the past 3 months than I have ever done. Some of the views have been breathtaking and I would not have missed them for the world.

This journey has not fully been about sightseeing. I have been able to switch off from the stresses and strains of everyday life and have enjoyed doing one task well rather than many tasks badly. I no longer multitask or always rushing. I can spend time just sitting and taking in the surroundings and therefore notice a lot more, ‘smelling the roses’ if you will. It of course was not always like that, at the beginning I really missed work, the routine and feeling useful. It has taken me a long time to fully appreciate and enjoy the journey. Perhaps through my training for work, I do lots of reflection, so I started to think about a few learning points and what I would tell a stressed, anxious, harassed version of me. As I thought for a moment I could only come up with the usual cliché such as ‘life is too short’ or ‘ wake up and smell the roses’ or ‘ you only live once’ and it dawned on me, my light bulb moment, I have always known of these sayings, but was always to stressed, harassed and anxious to appreciate them and realise how true they are.

So what does the next 6 months hold? Well, there are stoppages along the canal so we are going to stay put for a while, we are in a fantastic location for transport back home, shops, countryside etc The stoppages finish I think around mid February so that is when we will look at our canal guides and plan our journey home if the canal is not frozen! In the meantime, we will continue to use our little borrowed car and devalue her even further by adding even more miles to the clock.

Monday 29 November 2010

Abergavenny, Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Sharpness and the snow

I guess I cant write this blog without making a note of the snow. All very pretty, but my word it is chilly. What I have just realised is that I have never been to the countryside when it is snowing so I am just loving the white fields and watching the poor sheep and cows trying to keep warm huddled together. Initial pictures of the snow below, guessing that there will be more later.

We have been on a couple of trips, however, with the weather being so cold all I want to do is to stay indoors with a blanket. I hope this winter will not be a long one, I do prefer sightseeing when the weather is nice, rather than sitting in the car with our flask of coffee and sandwiches.

Abergavenny and The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

Abergavenny is a pleasant market town in Wales and close to the border of England. It is another town which is located in the Brecon Beacons national park. We only took a small stroll through the town and went to the market. It has a nice array of shops of which oddly in the windows of a few were dogs just sitting and staring into the street.

This town is close to the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal so we could not resist a quick visit to a place called Goytre Whalf. The Whalf has a café, a marina and a place where you can hire a boat for holidays. We walked along the canal for a bit and enjoyed the countryside views. I would really love to travel along this canal and made a mental note that this would be a good place to hire a boat for a holiday one year.


This picutre on the left shows platforms into the canal. I have been debating what they are for. My first thought was for fishing, however, I now think that they are for mooring as the canal was rather shallow on the edge, therefore the platforms allows a boat to moor in more deeper waters.



Sharpness

Perhaps an odd location for a day trip, however, I wanted to visit the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. We first when to Saul Junction to view the canal then drove to its start in Sharpness. Sharpness is a dock area and the canal was built to make navigation easier to Gloucester. The canal runs alongside the tidal River Seven. Sharpness was all very bleak and very windy. I was surprised to see two rows of houses in the dock and figured that they could be for the dock workers. I noted a couple of things which interested me (pictures), Firstly the lock was the biggest I have ever seen and huge mooring dollys, just like the canal only bigger. It shows that a good design can be adapted by size no matter how big the boat is..

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Tintern Abbey, craft shops, cider factory, docks and a canal basin

Been out an about over the past few days. Luckily the weather has been good but it is now rather chilly now. Snow on the way I believe. I don’t recall ever having snow in November before. I am looking forward to seeing the countryside in the snow, all crispy and white, the photos will be amazing! Other than visiting a few places we have not been up to much. I did have some correspondence from the BBC regarding a photograph I sent to them of Matilda, they wanted my contact details so that a reporter could interview me, but sadly they did not call. I had visions of being on the news but I think the announcement of the Royal Wedding scarpered those plans. Below I have listed a few places which we have been to recently.

Tintern Abbey:

The Abbey was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow in 1131. It is a fantastic building sitting on the backs of the River Wye. It is a very impressive building and I feel that my couple of photos do not do it justice. The present-day remains of Tintern are a mixture of building works covering a 400-year period between 1136 and 1536. Very little remains of the first buildings. I would imagine on a dark winters evening walking it would seem a tad eerie.

Taurus Crafts

This is ‘village’ of 7 little craft shops, a deli and a tea room . It is a centre which provides opportunities for people with disabilities to gain work experience and qualifications. It is an Aladdin’s cave of knickknacks s and I could have easily spent a fortune on bit and pieces. Luckily for me, I am mindful that there is not much space on a boat.

Cider Factory

This is in the heart of Herefordshire and when you step out of the car there is a distinct smell of apples in the air. Unfortunately we were unable to go on the tour so we settled for a drink of apple juice which was lovely and sweet. The café had walls and walls of different cider bottles both old and new.


Herefordshire and Gloucester Canal

I was unaware that the above canal existed and from what I have read it is still being restored by the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust. When it is completed it will restore 34 miles of rural canal from Gloucester to Hereford. According to the trust website, once finished it will be one of the most attractive cruising routes in the country. I am unsure if any of it is navigatable just yet, there were a couple of boats on the basin, however, I think they were part of the restoration project. I also could not establish when it will be finished, however, it is worth while keeping at eye on the Trust Website as I would imagine it would be a lovely canal to have a holiday on.

Gloucester Docks

We took a quick visit to the docks to look around, very modern with new flats which I guess were converted from old warehouses. There is a Waterways museum there, but we did not visit as we went there last year. This marks the start of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, which I believe can only be accessed via the River Seven and seeing it flow quickly I think you would have to be very brave to travel along it in a narrowboat.

Symonds Yat Rock

This is a rock which raises about 120 meters over the River Wye and it one of the most popular view points in the Forest of Dean. We only quickly stopped to look at the view and I hope that we can go back there again for a longer walk. (Weather permitting!)

Only 31 days till xmas! - Apologises for the quality of some photos, they were taken with the phone,

Sunday 21 November 2010

The tale of a Church, a big apple and a pub

This weekend saw a quick trip back to London and on Saturday we found ourselves at the Swiss Church in London. This Church was founded in 1762 and is for Swiss nationals to meet to particpate in a wide range of activities and to feel less isolated in a foreign country. As a child I recall impatiently waiting for Father Christmas to give me my gift during the Christmas Service. It was also the home to a mother and baby group where in the 70’s my mother made some Swiss friends who turned out to live only a few miles from her. The church at the time was falling down, but now it had a face lift and is very modern. We went on Saturday as they had their Charismas Bazaar where all sorts of Swiss produce could be bought from cheese to chocolate but no cuckoo clocks.

After we had a bread and cheese lunch, we walked to the Apple Store in Covent Garden. It is the worlds biggest Apple store and had a wealth of toys to play with. It was busy with people playing with the different apps and checking to see if you can really open up the macbook air with one finger. I can confirm that it is possible.


Covent Garden was very busy and in fact so was the underground. I recall with a shudder the days that I used to commute for over an hour to South Kensington.

In the evening we went to the pub with a number of our friends and we choose a pub which we thought would be quite, but it turned out to be very busy as a band was playing, however, time went quickly and it was good to catch up on all the gossip.

We even managed to have a quick look at the Canal and saw the lady who made our cratch cover so we gave her an update on our journey. The canal was very busy and I forgot how congested it is with all the boats compared to Wales which is rather quite at the moment. I have not tried at looking at the boats on the canal, each boat is so unique that no matter where you are on the canal it always is interesting to walk along the towpath looking at the different styles and paintwork, to me it is still rather magical and special to see a line of boats with the fires on, smoke out the chimney and the burning of coal smell.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Cheese Factory and a Royal Wedding

Well a Royal wedding is soon to be upon us and as I recall the excitement of the Prince Charles and Lady Diana wedding where as a little girl I got up early with my Swiss cousin to watch everything from the build up to the ceremony waving my little plastic Union Jack flag I wonder about the timing of this wedding. Is it now just when there is huge debt, high unemployment and spending cuts that this announcement ensures that there is a ‘feel good’ factor in the air? Or am I cynical? Will we as a nation be hurrying to purchase commemorative coins and stamps and will they sell the little plastic flags again?

Today it rained and it rained so a trip to a cheese factory was in order. We saw how cheese is made from start to finished and was very surprised at the amount of mold which grows on it as it matures, it was like fur!. It was a small factory and the work seems very back breaking and extremely scientific. Unlike a cheese factory we visited in Switzerland this one did seem less hygienic as the one I had visited before was all behind glass, where this one we walked around the factory floor. The cheese was expensive to buy, however, from the tour I can see how much work goes into it from filling the moulds to turning the cheese by hand everyday whilst it matures.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

Black Mountins, Hay on Wye, Brecon and the Forest

Black Mountains, Hay on Wye and Brecon

In order to visit Hay on Wye we took a longer route via a road through the Black Mountains. As we drove towards the mountains it was very foggy and I began to wonder if we had made a mistake, however, the fog soon cleared as we were able to see the road ahead. I am of course used to the fantastic views of the Berwyn Mountains of North Wales so was slightly disappointed with the journey however, as we turned one particular corner we were greeted with outstanding views of the countryside which rival any of the ones in North Wales. After a photo stop we arrived in Hay on Wye and took a stroll. The town lies in the Brecon Beacons National Park and is famous for its secondhand bookshops. It is also host to a 10 day Literary festival . I would highly recommend a visit if in the area and in fact a nice trip could be to combine a walk in the Mountains with a spot of lunch in Hay.

After we had a cupper and Scott had a warm scone with cream and jam we drove 15 miles to Brecon. This town sits north of the Brecon Beacons and is a market town which marks the start of the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal. The basin was a slight anti climax as there was not a signal canal boat (apart from the day trip ones). The Canal is 35 miles in length and runs mostly through the Brecon Beacons National Park and I have read it meant to be a lovely stretch of water but sadly, unless we put our boat on a lorry and take it there by road it will never cruise this canal.

After a another stroll around the town and a cup of coffee we drove through the Brecon Beacons via a reservoir. This area is one of the three national parks in Wales. It is home to Welsh Mountain Ponies who graze wild as well as the many sheep. I have a feeling that we only explored a fraction of the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons so we have made a promise to ourselves to return very soon.


Sculpture trail

As it was such a bright, frosty and sunny morning we drove at first to a place called the Pudds which is just above the village of Lydbrook to look at the view.

After The Pludds we drove to the Sculpture Trail which as the name states is a series sculptures in woods. The actual trail is quite long and as we forgot any form of refreshments we only did half. The weather was lovely, nice and bright and as the sun melted the frost the air was clear, mist was rising from the leaves and little sounds of droplets falling could be heard. The ground of the forest changed and underneath some larch trees lay a bed of needles
which reminded me of snow as we walked along it. Some of the sculptures were odd to say the least but it made a walk in the woods more interesting.

Pictures: Top two views from the Black Mountains, next two are the reservoir in the Brecon Beacons, next are some sculpture and I will leave you with some forest ones below, note the mist in the first one below rising from the ground.


Friday 12 November 2010

Forest of Dean

We have been fortunate to have spent a few days in the forest of Dean and will be going back and forth over the next few weeks. Even luckier for this journey Matilda came with us. She was fine on the journey and slept for most of the way despite her initial meows of protest. She settled in very well however I think we may need to clip her claws as she likes the new carpet.



In return of some basic DIY we are able to stay in the village of Lydbrook. The village perhaps is not the most prettiest, however, it is nestled in the forest with the River Wye at the end of the Village. Neighbours are nice and the village has a local shop which is a few minutes walk. From the patio window you can see into the garden and forest beyond whist the winds blow the leaves from the trees. In between DIYing we will have the opportunity to explore a bit.

We have been out and about a little. We drove to Monmouth which is a market town and worth a visit Cinderford which has seen better days, Colefold to nip into the coop, we popped to Tescos in Lydney and we undertook a forest drive which was not indicted very well and we got lost on a couple of occasions. The drive is called the Royal Forest Route and takes you to a number of the attractions within the forest, some are along the route and others are just off it. Unfortunately most of the attractions were either closed (due to being out of season) or cost to get in. We were however able to go to a couple of nice places, Cannop Ponds which is a largish pond in the forest and a walk along a nature trail. The forest reminds me of a big Black Park which is a county park near home.

There is loads to do here in the Forest of Dean, I would however recommend it for a holiday but perhaps when the weather is a bit warmer and in the holiday season.

Photos: Various picutres taken in the forest

Monday 8 November 2010

Waterfalls and a mishap..

Yesterday the weather was lovely, nice and sunny. We decided to take a drive to the waterfalls. I know we have been there quite a few times, however, I never tire of the journey . We took a long walk and had a cup of tea in the café which was surprisingly busy for a Sunday in November. As time is ticking, I have a feeling that this may have been our last trip to the waterfalls for a while.

Today was not without event. We decided to take the boat out as we needed a pump out and fuel. Just as we were untying the knots, I heard an almightily splash only to see poor Scott in the cold water of the canal. He had slipped from the edge of the boat and as he was wearing gloves they inhibited the ability to grip to the edge to save himself. He had to heave himself back onto dry land. He is fine, but has a slightly bruised rib and perhaps a bruised ego as well.

Number of times fallen into the canal:

Scott 2, Rebecca 1, Mailtda 1

Saturday 6 November 2010

Bonfire Night...

Last night was bonfire night so we went to the local fireworks display at Chirk Football Club. For a mere £2.50 we were treated to the biggest fire I have ever seen and some basic fireworks. It started at 6.30 and we left around 7.30. It was slightly chilly, but the fire and hot chocolate kept us warm.

It reminded me of bonfire nights of yesteryear when I would spend hours raking up the leaves for the fire and eagerly waiting for my favourite firework the Catherine Wheel which was nailed to the fence whilst drinking my home made soup.

More recently we were in Switzerland on Swiss National Day, staying with relatives who have a fantastic view over the Lake of Thun and the towns and countryside below. Not only could we see the professional displays along the lake but everyone else’s fireworks miles away.

Yesterday was also Diwali, so I would like to wish everyone a Happy Diwali.

Today we walked again to the ruin above Llangollen. I was not looking forward to the hike as it is really steep and a long way, however, despite my initial grumbles I walked to the top (with only one rest) where we had a picnic lunch. Being such a lovely day the views were outstanding and clear and below we could see little dots of sheep being herded into the next field by a sheep dog with the farmer being on a quadbike.

On our way back we stopped at Llangollen for a cuppa, sadly it was the weakest cup of tea ever, so we are back on the boat have a real tea whilst Scott is playing on Spectrum Games on his PC. I was quite eager for this revival thinking that as I am a few years older the games would be easier, sadly this is not the case. It appears that even though I am older with a few years of gaming experience behind me, it seems that my reactions have slowed down, ability to remember the keys and my lack of patience have hindered my progress on many of the classics.

The two photos above are from the fireworks last night, however, I thought that I would share a couple of photos that I took of the fireworks on Swiss National Day.

Thursday 4 November 2010

Country Park..


I have just come in from the wind and the rain taking my flowerpots off the top of the roof. They had blown over in a very strong gust of wind, it is very windy here at the moment. This afternoon it has done nothing but rain, all very miserable. This morning the weather was better so we went to the county park again and walked along the River Dee to the Aqueduct at Trevor. I have been to the Aqueduct a number of times, but am still impressed by its marvellous feat of engineering. Tevor was empty, we were the only ones walking around which is a stark contrast to the summer when it was busy. We walked back just in time before the rain started and it has not stopped since.


Yesterday we drove to Ellesmere to buy some special toilet paper at the chandlers, but they did not have any. It never occurred to me to phone first. We took the opportunity to have a coffee at the lake and shared a bowl of chips for lunch before we walked around the lake. I really do like Ellesmere and was pleased to have taken the opportunity to see it in autumn.


Currently we are sitting inside, doors open as the fire is very hot listening to the noise of the rain on the cratch cover. I love this sound as it remains me of the many wet Glastonbury Festivals sitting in the tent waiting for the rain to stop before venturing out into the muddy fields. Fingers crossed for better weather for bonfire night.


Photos: The first one is of the Viaduct for the trains over the River Dee, second is a picture of the Aqueduct from its base and finally is a view from the aqueduct which has been shown before on this blog but I thought it highlights the different colours of the trees.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Chester...

Yesterday it was a bright and sunny day and unfortunately it was also washing day. We had no clothes left so washing had to be done. The morning in the launderette seemed to drag and I was itching to get outside into the country air. Once the washing was done we drove to horseshoe pass where we walked for a while. Normally when we have been there it is always very windy, however yesterday it was very calm. After our walk we went to Oswestry to get Matilda some cat herbs which is enjoyed at the cattery. Sadly they have had no impact on her and our boat is smelling rather odd.

This morning was a morning where you don’t really want to get up, cold, wet and windy, however Matilda had other ideas and was up very early. She obviously does not know that the clocks went back.

We took this opportunity to visit Chester and I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was. The journey was only 30 minutes by car and we found what must have been the most expensive carpark in the whole of Chester. The Micra was in good company surrounded by BMW and other such cars.

Chester is well worth a visit. We wandered around the shops, saw the cathedral (but did not go in as it was £5) took a walk to the city walls and found the canal which looked slightly unloved and very grey. The City has a multitude of shops and restaurants. It is very lively, busy and pleasant . I would highly recommend a day trip. We left the city just as the rain started and got a tad lost around the ring road, luckily the Satnav came to our rescue before we went around it for the third time.

So, Autumn is truly upon us and the trees are so colourful, fantastic shades of browns, reds and yellows. The weather forecast is miserable for the next week so I think some autumn cleaning of the boat and a good sort out is in order, however as I write this, the fire is on, Matilda is snuggled next to me, it is getting dark so we may just watch a movie and clean tomorrow.

As it is November and we have been away for about 5 months I feel that some refection is in order. We are both enjoying our time away, are both very relaxed and are always grateful for the opportunity of taking a year away from work. The constant knot in the back of my neck has vanished and I have learnt to appreciate my surroundings. I don’t feel the need or have to multi task everything I do and fit everything in the shortest time possible. I have especially enjoyed cooking from scratch and taking my time. The lie-ins have been fantastic and the alarm clock is rarely used. I have enjoyed spending time with Scott and Matilda and we have not really got on each other nerves (yet!). We have however, tried to do something everyday and I probably can only count a couple of times where we have not left the boat; whether this is because I still have the need to be busy or because I want to ensure that no day of my year is wasted I am not sure. The difference being of course is we do things that we want to do rather than because we have to.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Black Park

Today we picked up Matilda from the cattery. She seemed fine after her stay and has forgiven us for abandoning her. This afternoon I took a walk to Black Park which is a county park not to far from the Marina. The weather was nice and the trees were a fantastic colour. The country park is on the edge of the River Dee which was flowing very quickly, it was interesting to see the river from close and this river was the reason why the aqueducts were built. There is a walk along the River taking you to the base of the aqueduct which I will do again with my camera.

Yesterday we came back from the Isle of Man on the ferry. The journey was not that enjoyable. The ferry was modern and we had a good place to sit at the front with lots of windows so that we could see out. Unfortunately it was very windy and I was told by a member of staff that this is the strongest wind that the ship sales. It was very very choppy and poor Scott was not well (despite taking seasick pills) . Walking around the ship was tricky especially as I needed to keep getting up to get Scott water, tissues and dispose of his sick bags!

For our last night in the Isle of Man we went to a Indian restaurant which was 13 miles away from the hotel. The drive there was a little hair-raising. It was very dark with no cats eyes on the road and it was terribly windy. The restaurant was very busy however, the town was completely dead.

So we are now back on our boat. It is odd that normally when I return home from a holiday I am very sad to leave our holiday destination as it means that the relaxation is over. In fact, I was not sad to leave the Isle of Man and happy to return to our boat and to continue our time in Chirk.

Picture of a windfarm from the ferry:

Thursday 28 October 2010

Isle of Man

Firstly apologies for no blog for a while, but we have been on holiday to the Isle of Man.

The reason for picking the Isle of Man was a simple, Scott has always wanted to go and being in Chirk made the journey to Heysham to pick up the ferry very easy.


The Isle of Man is an Island off the coast from the Mainland UK. It is self governing, (apart from foreign affairs and defence) has its own currency, tax system, mobile phone network, car number plates etc. It is almost like going to a foreign country and in many ways it is foreign. In 2006 the population was 80,058 people, of whom 26,218 reside in the island's capital, Douglas.


The countryside around the Isle of Man was slightly disappointing, I felt that it lacked the wow factor of Wales that I have seen, however, the scenery around the coast was dramatic and I must admit at times I was wowed.


Houses range from very expensive (a few million) to cheaper flats. There are some very grey housing estates dotted around the island. Douglas appears to have all the usual shops, however, as the ferry to Liverpool is 2 ½ hours away, islanders go shopping to Liverpool. There is a Tesco’s. M&S, HMV, Boots to name a few high street shops on the Island. The Island also has a cinema and a theatre.


Day One

After an early start and a drive to put Matilda in a cattery we were on our way to Morecambe to stay for a night before embarking on the ferry to Douglas. I had high hopes of Morecombe and choose to stay there as I really wanted to stay in a seaside town.


The journey to Morecambe was about 2 hours along the motorway and we only hit a bit of traffic into Lancaster. We booked ourselves into the Westleigh Guest House which is on the sea front. The hotel was terribly outdated. The carpet was similar to the show house of 1969 at the slate museum and the bathroom was a shocking pink colour. The room was cold and the only redeeming feature was the lovely view of the bay and the mountains beyond which as the sun set gave a fantastic colour over the horizon.


Morecombe itself is very rundown. The beach and sea is very petty, however there were so many shops empty or which could have done with a lick of paint. We walked along the promenade and along the road on the way back. We popped into a amusement arcade which clientele can only be described as people in Jeremy Kyle’s waiting room.


I was very sorry to see how sad Morecombe looked, especially as I would have imagined that it was a bustling and vibrant seaside town. I read that it was thriving in the mid 20th Century and between 1956 and in 1989 it was the home of the Miss GB beauty contest. Now, apart of the nice views over the bay there is no reason to visit unless you wish to see the statue of John Eric Bartholomew, better known as Eric Morecambe.


View of Morecambe Bay

Statue of Eric Morecambe

Day Two:

We woke up very early Monday morning and saw the frost outside on the cars. The sea and beyond looked lovely and I noted that I have never seen a frosty seaside before. I had a bad night, there was a distance humming noise in the room which kept me awake for a while and the blue light of the standby of the TV was very annoying. I was in the middle of writing my review for the hotel whilst Scott was in the shower when the power went, the whole hotel had a power cut. I went to find someone but only found a stressed and grumpy landlady who did not know what to do. We did go down to breakfast but all we could have was cereal and being so cold I really wanted a coffee. As a refund the landlady gave us £10 to get breakfast elsewhere, which we did in a Weatherspoons.

After breakfast and a walk along the promenade we drove to the port to get to The Isle of Man. The crossing was OK, the seating area was awash with children being half term and by 5pm we went on deck to see the boat cruise into the harbour with a fantastic 180 degree turn at the end. The sailing took 3 ½ hours and apart from the last hour was very calm and pleasant.


As we took the car on the ferry, we were able to drive out of the harbour quite quickly and head to the hotel. The journey was fine, however, we did not realise that the Sat Nav postcode feature did not work on the Island so we had to rely on good old fashioned map reading.


The hotel was lovely, nice room and the best shower ever. It is situated about 20 minutes drive from Douglas in the countryside.As it was late we had dinner in the hotel.


Day Three:

Up again bright and early and headed to Peel, which is a harbour town on the coast. However, it was dead and the only shop open was a charity shop. They had a couple of museums, however, we skipped them and headed to Port Erin to go on the Steam Railway. The weather even though was not raining was damp and cloudy so the views of the countryside were not as dramatic as it could have been.


I dropped my parents at the station to park the car. When I arrived back at the station I saw them chatting intensely with the Station Master. I discovered that he used to work with my Mother at Elal Airlines in their London office. What a small world. He looked after us and we travelled in the first class carriage to Douglas and on our return from Douglas we met him for a coffee where we began chatting about life on the Island.


The steam train took us to Douglas in an hour. It mainly followed the coast stopping at stations along the way. It was a nice way to see the area especially as no one was driving so all could enjoy the view.


We did walk a bit around Douglas to find somewhere to have some lunch, the shopping area could be anywhere, however the seafront however was very nice. After 3 hours in Douglas we took the train back a tad cold and tired. Doughas Bay: The Steam Train:

Day Four:

Again, up quite early as today was Manx Electric Railway day. We boarded this train at Ramsey and took it to Douglas and return. The tram hugs the East coast with some outstanding views. The journey is 17 miles long and the line began its life in 1893. The tramway winds itself along fields and roads whilst crossing a few roads along the way. The journey was not without incident with a couple of emergency stops and one where a lorry nearly crashed into us.


After lunch (which has been difficult to find a place to eat) we went for a drive in the country. First heading to the most northern tip of the island at its pebble beach followed by a drive over the ‘mountains’, I would be more inclined to call them hills. The vegetation of the mountains reminded me of the mountains around the horseshoe pass and the Berwyn mountains in Wales. Very bleak with heather growning on it. The colours were lovely, browns and greens.


The roads in the Isle of Man tend to be single carriage ways. I did not see any duel carriageways. For some strange reason it’s easy to get lost on the island and take the incorrect road. The island is home to the famous TT races, which is a motorcycle race round the island. The road for the TT is very well marked and one could drive the course if wanted. I understand the island gets very busy round TT time.




View from the tram:

View from the Mountains


Day Five:

Up again very early and drove to the South West tip of the Island to a place called The Sound. It has fantastic views of the Calf of Man, a little island and the sea beyond. There is also a café which makes the most of the views.


After we dropped my parents at the Airport it started to rain so we went back to Peel to one of the island many museums. This museum explores the island Celtic, Viking and Maritime traditions. It was a very interactive museum which kept the interest going.


Once we had lunch in a local pub we drove to The Niarbyl Visitors Centre. In fact the Centre consisted of a TV in the café. The Café is on a cliff over the sea and the wind was gale force. It was so windy. We walked along the cliff which was a little precarious especially as the footpath was very muddy and the wind could have almost blown us over. We did not walk for long I was worried that the fog would set in and we would not be able to find the path back.

After a bit of a drive we arrived back at the hotel and took a stroll along the river near the hotel to the waterfall. The walk, which I thought would only be a short wander, took around an hour and we arrived back at our hotel tired and rested whilst we had a cup of tea and the complimentary biscuits.



The view to Calf of Man




The road to nowhere


Cliffs near Niarbyl


Two types of rocks from derived from two separate continents:


Waterfall near the hotel


So this ends a very long blog and our trip to the Isle of Man....