Isle of Wight
Sunday Sept. 8th 2019
When I got up this morning and saw the cloudless blue sky, I knew it would be a good day to go on the ferry to the Isle of Wight.
Now that I am back in my studio I can easily say it was a perfect 10 day.
The ferry leaves from Lymington just 5 miles from here and the boat ride itself only takes 40 minutes. You can take a hydrofoil for a 10 minute ride. The ferry moves super slow because of the many sailboats and yachts in the harbor here and at the IOW.
The ride reminds me of the Block Island ferry as it approaches the island. The town of Yarmouth is the port town with many shops and restaurants. And Dogs! I think everyone brings their dog here on a leash but still all are welcome inside bars and restaurants. I saw mostly Black Labs. And all are well behaved. No scuffles between dogs. No peeing and pooping and no sticking their noses where they aren't welcome. All dogs were perfect. I was especially impressed with what I thought was a mini Labradoodle. It was a Tibetian Terrier that just had a haircut. So unbelievably well mannered and attuned to its' man. ok, enough about the dogs. Makes me want to get 1 or 2 for Ali' as a companion.
I had originally thought I would bring the car over on the ferry but decided against it and it was the perfect decision. The roads were extremely narrow and with all the many bicyclists and walkers, I would have not been able to enjoy the scenery one bit. There were buses that for one price you could get on and off as many times as you wanted. Even change buses to see all of the island. And the island is BIG. The coastline is quite impressive and with all the hiking paths everywhere, the island is a hikers paradise. You could easily spend a whole week just navigating the many different hiking paths without overlap. I sat on the upper open deck of the double decker bus. The weather was perfect for this all day ride around the island excursion.
The first loop left Yarmouth and took me to along the coast to an area with a tram that took you down to the beach. You could get off at the beach and hike back up or just stay on. I stayed on because of time constraints.
I then took a different bus to Newport, more in the center of the island. This was more of a typical large town with many apartment buildings and stores.
By far I did not see nearly all of the small towns but the countryside is all farms. Many corn fields and many fields just harvested with what? I don't know. The island is definitely an extension of the mainland with the rolling hills, animals and very little people.
The island was first settled in the 1100's. The French invaded it soon after and again in the 1500's after which the island built fortifications to ward against any more intruders with the use of cannons built in the sides of the hills that still remain today.
I will probably return to the Isle of Wight before leaving this area as there is still much to see on what I could call as "the perfect island".
Tomorrow: THE NEW FOREST where donkeys, sheep, ponies and all animal roam free.
Isle of Wight is 14 times bigger than Block Island
When I got up this morning and saw the cloudless blue sky, I knew it would be a good day to go on the ferry to the Isle of Wight.
Now that I am back in my studio I can easily say it was a perfect 10 day.
The ferry leaves from Lymington just 5 miles from here and the boat ride itself only takes 40 minutes. You can take a hydrofoil for a 10 minute ride. The ferry moves super slow because of the many sailboats and yachts in the harbor here and at the IOW.
The ride reminds me of the Block Island ferry as it approaches the island. The town of Yarmouth is the port town with many shops and restaurants. And Dogs! I think everyone brings their dog here on a leash but still all are welcome inside bars and restaurants. I saw mostly Black Labs. And all are well behaved. No scuffles between dogs. No peeing and pooping and no sticking their noses where they aren't welcome. All dogs were perfect. I was especially impressed with what I thought was a mini Labradoodle. It was a Tibetian Terrier that just had a haircut. So unbelievably well mannered and attuned to its' man. ok, enough about the dogs. Makes me want to get 1 or 2 for Ali' as a companion.
I had originally thought I would bring the car over on the ferry but decided against it and it was the perfect decision. The roads were extremely narrow and with all the many bicyclists and walkers, I would have not been able to enjoy the scenery one bit. There were buses that for one price you could get on and off as many times as you wanted. Even change buses to see all of the island. And the island is BIG. The coastline is quite impressive and with all the hiking paths everywhere, the island is a hikers paradise. You could easily spend a whole week just navigating the many different hiking paths without overlap. I sat on the upper open deck of the double decker bus. The weather was perfect for this all day ride around the island excursion.
The first loop left Yarmouth and took me to along the coast to an area with a tram that took you down to the beach. You could get off at the beach and hike back up or just stay on. I stayed on because of time constraints.
I then took a different bus to Newport, more in the center of the island. This was more of a typical large town with many apartment buildings and stores.
By far I did not see nearly all of the small towns but the countryside is all farms. Many corn fields and many fields just harvested with what? I don't know. The island is definitely an extension of the mainland with the rolling hills, animals and very little people.
The island was first settled in the 1100's. The French invaded it soon after and again in the 1500's after which the island built fortifications to ward against any more intruders with the use of cannons built in the sides of the hills that still remain today.
I will probably return to the Isle of Wight before leaving this area as there is still much to see on what I could call as "the perfect island".
Tomorrow: THE NEW FOREST where donkeys, sheep, ponies and all animal roam free.
Isle of Wight is 14 times bigger than Block Island
There is so much history there!
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely. I can picture Clive Standen (Rollo from Vikings) in full regalia invading the island. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteAnimals roaming Free! That is what I envision for my perfect Home.
ReplyDelete