A home from home - Perth Ontario

As it has been a few years (2022) since we stayed with Pam and caught up with family and Canadian friends we decided it was time for a visit. It is rather like a home from home and timely as all the family were on the lake to remember the 5^th anniversary of Robin’s passing. The garden and weather were spectacular.

And local fauna were feasting. The car may not be a natural background but it does help contrast with this fast moving humming bird.

We really hit lucky with our week as there was virtually no rain. This was in stark contrast to our pre-arrival weather which was so wet the lake was at a record high with the dock close to being submerged.

The plus side was a trip around the lake could take us to parts never visited before. (The exception to this may have been one of Robin’s groundings!)

Of course, a trip around the lake enables more bird sightings. Here a bald eagle is scouting for dinner.

And this golden eagle seems to have arrived from outer space.

The arrival of everyone meant that some sort of dinner party occurred each evening. Here, for those interested in a family update, is Lily (her parents were in the kitchen preparing dinner), Pamela, HH, Nikol, her Dad George and one month old husband Stefano (although he does look older) and Mum Julia.

With the brilliant weather, taking the Seadoo out was mandatory. All is well when someone is controlling Dad (Neil)…

But when he is on his own there can be moments when the inevitable is an unavoidable split second away.

A quieter time was to be had with the older generation when we visited the nearby Newboro lock on the Rideau canal.

There was still some excitement particularly when asked to help operate the locks by closing one of the gates.

We rounded out our week with an invite to Nikol and Stefano’s new house in Ottawa. Pride of place was a table that Pam bought as a wedding present when we were in Egypt last year. (We have one from the same artist on our front porch.)

And with that very quick week Pam took us for a far too early start to catch a flight to Halifax and then headed back to Lake Otty to entertain even more relatives. 

Scousers and the Isle of Man

As part of our-near-UK-tour-of-islands, the Ise of Man has been on the bucket list for many years. In many ways it seems we left the best to last.

We overnighted in Liverpool and our hotel window overlooked a queue of people. Further investigation drew us to the Beatles museum and that was too good to pass up. It all started as a group called the quarry men based in Halewood. Quite a coincidence as I started my career at Halewood – living on site in a caravan extending the sewage works!

Next came the famous cavern which had been carefully reproduced. It would have been quite a hot bed of activity…

One thing can be said about the fab four – they were so self-assured – even before they became household names….

They’re statue sits near to Cunard House. I wonder what personal details are hidden in their vaults. I suspect Edward V11 records might outweigh Halling.

And after that short overnight stop we headed just up the road to the local “Tassie Cat” to zoom us over to Douglas in a mere 2¾ hours.

We stayed at a B&B in Glen Mona some ten minutes south of Ramsey. The garden was something to behold. Fortunately, a robo lawn mower kept the grass under control.

The views were spectacular. The sea ensures a temperate climate and although rain had been in short supply there was sufficient to keep fields green - in stark comparison to the mainland.

After dumping our bags, we visited the local beach and then traversed a ford,

en route to a small group of standing stones. “Cashtal yn Ard” is a Neolithic chambered tomb and dates back to around 1800 BC. (That is close to Stonehenge times.) There are five burial chambers – a dramatic site in the middle of nowhere.

The Isle of Man is not too large and a little over an hours drive North to South. We headed for the West coast and the stunning port of Peel. The harbour’s entrance is protected by Patrick’s Isle which initially had a small wooden fort (built by the Viking king Magnus Barefoot around 1100 so well before Nike). The stone castle was built during the 14^th century.

This view was from the hill that leads up to a stone tower known as Corrin's Folly built around 1806.  Next to the tower is a small graveyard where Thomas Corrin's his wife and children are buried. The walk to the tower included a few ups and downs before the 150 metre summit was achieved. 

It is understandable why Thomas spent so much time up here with views like this.

After well earned and unusual brie and cranberry sandwich we headed south to the Calf of Man which apparently gets its name from an Old Norse word kalfr - a small island located near a larger one. 

There was quite a tidal race which whisked through a small boat (that can be seen left above) but was of no challenge to a small herd of seals safely ensconced on the other side away from human sightseers. They do blend in well with their surroundings. (Look closely – you should see 11 of them.)

The usual blue, green landscape colours were enhanced by the grey rock interspersed with contrasting white quartz veins. This appears to be a small harbour given the hewn steps that can be seen towards the middle left.

The next day our exploration was focussed on the East coast and the capital Douglas. After several hours walking the 2.5 kms promenade and a meandering tour of the town there was real appeal in returning via the horse drawn tram. 

The horses seem to enjoy their work and are changed after each “there and back” so are far from overworked.

At the North end was a shed of trams of a slightly later vintage given they are electically powered.

We decided that the return trip to Ramsey would be a fun but not onerous adventure and were rewarded by spectacular views. It is hard to imagine a tram ride anywhere in the world with a similarly stunning vista.

About halfway is the town of Laxey where a second tram can take you all the way up to Snaefell the highest point on the island (unlike the road which leaves you with a reasonable walk).

Laxey has a large wheel (built in 1854) which was used to pump out water from the deep shafts of the lead, zinc and copper mines.

And finally there was Ramsey where the focus is inevitably drawn to the Queen's Pier. Completed in 1886 it is almost 700 metres long and was built to serve as a low-water landing stage so that larger steam packet ships could pick up and discharge passengers and cargo without getting stuck at shallow low tides. Unfortunately, it has been closed for some three decades but is now slowly being repaired as a local community project.

After some quick swapping around the tram with its second car we were off for the return journey back to Douglas.

The Douglas front brims with colour. Here the Bee Gees have a similar statue to their Liverpudlean counterparts. Many of the sea front hotels also overview a series of sunken gardens.

A few of the buildings were particularly attractive. The Villa Marina concert hall

and the Gaiety Theatre and opera house were clear standouts.

All of which were enanced by a variety of flower arrangements. This one has Conistor Rock in the background. Unusually the structure is not a castle but a refuge for distressed sailors (most of whom were in trouble because of hitting the submerged reef that it is built on).

It is hard to go to the Isle of Man and not be aware of the famous 37 mile long motorbike race. As we toured, preparations were underway. Although padding and hay bales were in evidence their placement seemed a bit piecemeal with many hard surfaces (stone walls, trees) left alone. The more Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix are separate races (and months) to the Isle of Man TT (tourist trophy) (held this year in June) where cutting edge superbikes are wridden by professionals at extreme speeds. With average speeds nearing 140 mph on normal narrow roads it is ridiculously dangerous and since 1907 has claimed 271 lives.

This is the high point adjacent Snaefell where we filled up on a huge (bike rider sized!) and flavourful shepards pie together with an Aussie Bundaberg Ginger beer....

And with that we returned to Douglas and awaited our Tassie ferry “Mannan”.

A fantastic few days. I recommend the Isle of Man being added to everyone's bucket list.

Cornwall and Addicroft Mill

This year’s trip was centred around a surprise holiday for Jo (Helen’s sister’s) 70th birthday celebrations. Her son Phil rented Addicroft Mill which was down a hidden and very narrow lane near Rilla Mill, Bodmin. A stunning location for royalty to reflect on while eating breakfast and patiently waiting for a second cup of coffee.

Apart from considerable acreage there was a large heated swimming pool, sauna, woodfired hot tub and tennis court. 

Internally the accommodation had large rooms with superb finishes and fittings that were modern but melded well with the building. It takes a bit of imagination to recognise that the wooden mechanisms of the mill would sit well with a bronze bath. 

The house is owned by Jack Harries who makes YouTube travel documentaries (see https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTqEu1wZDBju2tHkNP1dwzQ). The video is worth watching. Given the work involved in refurbishing and then maintaining the house short documentaries must be a lucrative business. Mind you there is still lots of work to do with the water wheel somewhere near the top of the list.

The trip was all about family sharing some good time together – which is all too rare. We took turns in the kitchen and I had a rewarding day cooking a beef wellington. It did not last long…

We did manage to get out for a couple of trips. All were up for a visit to King Arthurs castle (Tintagel). Although Helen and I have been before (see August 2017 blog - https://hallingholidays.blogspot.com/search?q=tintagel) I was keen to see the new access bridge. It is a very clever slim cantilevered design.

Unusually the middle isn’t joined other than by a couple of pins to maintain alignment. The deck was also unusual with slate edges providing a non-slip surface to compliment the castle’s structure. The weight would also help to dampen any movement as walkers bounced across.

It is eye catching from many angles.

Although the bridge removes the need for traversing down and up almost 150 steps, the path down to the bridge was steep. The exercise was enhanced by a detour to the toilets (requiring seriously more down and up). This could be the reason our intrepid travellers look rather pleased with themselves at having finally arrived on the island.

One in particular felt particularly at home with a sword in his hand (even if he is on tip toes).

We also squeezed in a quick visit to Port Isaac home of Doc Martin. This was our third visit. (See the link above and https://hallingholidays.blogspot.com/2011/07/20sw-england_17.html). Sailing is clearly a few hours off and I suspect studying in the school atop the cliffs would be a challenge given the view’s obvious potential to precipitate daydreaming.

Our only other trip was to Padstow. The tide here also sees a considerable number of marooned boats. The town was heaving with visitors, so Helen and I headed for a walk out of town while the rest of the team opted for some time on the beach.

The walk included some magnificent views and at the end of a long walk around this bay we were rewarded with a Cornish tea on one of the (angled) cottages in this shot. A sign advised that in this part of the world jam goes on first ahead of the clotted cream (just in case you are not in the know).

Visits aside, the focus of most of the week was time at the Mill with swimming, hot tubbing, football and playing “Five Crowns” a card game introduced to us by Steve and Jilly. A contrasting mixture of frivolity and quite reflection. TV was a wonderful absence.

It is difficult not to chill when you wonder around woodlands like this. 

Where views, ever changing shadows and bird calls were the only distractions. A week where we all slowed down and rejuvenated our batteries and souls. Just brilliant!