| Day 24 - Isle of Wight |
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| Copyright Famocon Tours 2001 |
| While in Portsmouth the day before we booked a ticket on the Isle of Wight Car Ferry located near Gunwharf Quays. We simply turned up today at the appointed time and place for what was a remarkably well run and user friendly service - we had no difficulty getting on or off and the trip over is a delight. Well appointed spacious lounges, refreshments and good views over the Solent were appreciated. We were able to get very close up photos of a large assortment of shipping, including huge container ships, hovercraft and even bigger ferries from mainland Europe. The Isle of Wight is justly proud of its picturesque villages, sandy beaches, towering cliffs, lush farmlands and downs and fertile river valleys, all located within short distances. On leaving the ferry at Fishbourne we drove west and then north to East Cowes, the quiet smaller sister to West Cowes. Henry VIII built a castle at both places but by making the castle at West Cowes bigger, he ensured 450 years of rivalry between the two towns. On the way to the Cowes we stopped at Osborne House, the famed principal residence of Victoria and Albert and their horde of children. This residence offered more privacy and security than the other residences at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Brighton Pavilion. We could easily understand the attraction that this residence and its gardens, grounds, outbuildings and views over the Solent had for the Royal Family. We crossed from East Cowes to West Cowes via a pontoon bridge, cleverly named the Floating Bridge, and then headed to Yarmouth on our way to the Needles, the most westerly point of the island. The Needles are a row of serrated rocks that jut out from the end of Alum Bay. The bay is famous for the varying colour of its sands that people have collected to make those bottles and other glass objects filled with coloured sand. We didn't see any blue, purple or green sand, but the colours present were very bright and varied. Access to the bay and its pebbly beach is either a 5 minute walk down lots of stairs or by chair lift. Access back up is a lot easier in the chair lift. Sitting at the top and watching people struggle back up the stairs can be an amusing 10 minutes, especially if you engage them in conversation when they finally arrive. We then headed inland to Freshwater and then around the majestic south western coast with its myriad of bays and golden sandy beaches, such as Collwell Bay and Compton Bay, the latter known for its surfing and dinosaur footprints. From here we veered back inland via the little villages of Brighstone and Shorwell to Carisbrooke. Here on a hill overlooking the town and the countryside are the remains of a castle which has a walk around the battlements. This is the same walk that King Charles I did every day for at least a year before he was taken back to London and made shorter. His daughter was later imprisoned here and died after catching a cold. This Norman castle, built on earlier Saxon and Roman defences, has a wonderful history, including breaking a French invasion in the 1300's. We then returned to the car ferry in time for the return trip. It would easily be worth staying another day on the island just to see the eastern half where most of the population lives around glorious beachside resorts. The island has a long history and there are many historic sites and quaint villages in the hills and dales. Back in Portsmouth, we dined at a very good Italian restaurant and planned tomorrow's trip to Brighton. |
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