Thursday, June 24, 2021

On the Isle


Well, we all made it to our hotel on the Isle of Wight, after a tube trip, a 1 1/2-hour train, a taxi, a hovercraft and another taxi. Whew!

I took the picture above during our lunch stop in Portsmouth, at a place called Clarence Pier that was very Coney Island. Lots of gaming arcades, snack and gift shops and other oceanfront "amusements." I had an uninspired sandwich of tuna mixed with kernels of sweet corn, which for some reason is the way British people serve tuna. It's a mysterious combination.

This was right before we hopped on the hovercraft, a very strange invention that does indeed float in mid-air several feet above the land and water surface. Riding on it was the high point of the trip for Dave, who took photos and videos and was quite enthralled by the mechanics of it all. I didn't much care how it worked as long as it got us there.

Olga made the trip just fine. She seemed to be in a state of excitement the whole time -- the good kind, in which she's energetic and enthusiastic. Maybe she was just as sick of sitting around the house as we were?


Here's our hotel room, which is very textured. Don't tell the management that Olga is on the bed.

So far we haven't done much. There are some coastal paths I hope to walk, and some of them will entail taking a bus. (The Isle of Wight is not small! It's 148 square miles!) It looks like we're going to have variable weather, so we'll see how that goes. I think Dave and Olga will hang out at the hotel if and when I take those longer walks.


I took this down at the beach yesterday -- the omnipresent community war memorial. Doesn't it bug you that the flags aren't quite symmetrical? The blue one on the left is apparently an environmental award signifying that the beach is clean and in good shape, which indeed it seems to be.

For dinner we had fish & chips in a beachside bar & grill and then watched trashy TV in bed. Vacation time it is!

55 comments:

Frances said...

I was wondering yesterday how you would get there without a car! Will you hire one while there? We went a few years ago and stayed in Shanklin, not far from " The Shanklin Chine" which is well worth a visit if you can get there. We took the dog, and he took it all in his stride.....even had a trip on the steam train...also worth a visit. We didn't bother with Osborne House as we couldn't take the dog in, though I would have liked to have seen it. Ventnor Botanic Gardens are worth a visit too. I hope that you have a great time and the weather stays dry for you...some hopes!!

Tasker Dunham said...

I don't get why tuna has to be tainted with the overpowering and unpleasant taste of sweetcorn either.

Beth Reed said...

Hooray for Vacation time. I was reading an article earlier about a girls first visit to London and although she enjoyed the trip the weather was very hit and miss. One day blue sunny skies but by lunch it was raining and the next day they had some snow and more rain. She said that the next time that she visits she is going to pack boots and umbrellas lol so I do hope that the weather stays good for you and Dave.
I am not sure what a hovercraft is so my question is... how did you, Dave and Olga fit on it and your luggage? Did you take any pics tp share of it? If not then maybe Dave will share a few.
I promise not to tell the hotel management that Olga was on the bed lol. She looks rather comfortable!
Enjoy your vacation. Hugs xxx

Yorkshire Pudding said...

In The Irish Sea you will find The Isle of Man but did you know that "wight" also means "man"? Geoffrey Chaucer used the word many times with that meaning in "The Canterbury Tales". Looking forward to photos from your coastal walks. By the way, I am "British" and never eat tuna with sweetcorn.

John Going Gently said...

Sounds like bliss , chips and trash tv

ellen abbott said...

tuna and sweet corn? I'll pass. a hotel room, TV, naps, and a book is my husband's idea of vacation too. the only difference from being at home is the hotel room.

Ms. Moon said...

My goodness! That was a lot of conveyance! I'm sure it's worth it. You're right- the hotel room is quite textured. Speaking of texture- corn in tuna salad? Hmmm...
Have fun and eat all the chips and watch all the trashy TV and take all the walks. I'm sure that Olga is having the time of her life.

Colette said...

How interesting about the tuna/corn combination. It isn't one I would ever have imagined. I look forward to photos of this vacation. Have fun.

Michael said...

It is so great that Olga could go with you! I must admit I had to look up Isle of Wight to see exactly where it is! I was wrong as I was getting it mixed up with the Isle of Man. Have a great trip.

Anonymous said...

Enjoy your vacation. Looking forward to your photos. Now I'm going to google hovercraft.

Moving with Mitchell said...

This sounds like heaven! Do the hotel owners actually allow pets and think they won’t be on the bed? Seriously? I had no idea how big the Isle of Wight was. Oh, and my maternal grandfather worked for a fish monger in Portsmouth in the 1910s. The family still owned the place in the ’70s. Enjoy your walks!

Bob said...

Except for the corn in the tuna .... WHY???? ... it looks like a fabulous place for a getaway!

Red said...

Some times the travel is as good as the trip. I'd forgotten about hovercraft. I road on on in 1965 in the arctic. They were noisy.

Sharon said...

So glad you had safe travels. Enjoy your walks. I hope the weather stays looking like that last photo.
Tuna and corn...really?

Edna B said...

Corn in tuna? Eyew! I love that Olga is vacationing with you. She does look super happy. Enjoy your time there. Hugs, Edna B.

Kelly said...

I'm with Dave... I think the hovercraft ride would have been a high point! (belated birthday wishes, btw)

Olga looks mighty pleased with herself on that bed. :D

Margaret said...

It looks wonderful! Enjoy your vacation. Getting away is so important for the emotional and mental health. (for dogs too!)

Mary said...

I'm with Dave...love a hovercraft, but rarely got to ride them. Most of my water trips around the UK were limited to the big old ferries crossing the English Channel between Dover and Calais. Those were some stomach-churning adventures. Learned how to carry a tray with multiple tea cup (actually china--not paper then) and hardly spilled a drop. Swayed it back and forth at a 45 degree angle to offset the wave action as I walked. On the rougher trips I preferred to stand outside, hang onto the rails with the wind in my face and stare at at horizon. Much easier on the stomach.

Hope the good weather days outnumber the bad ones on your holiday.

Susan said...

At least there is tuna in the tuna salad, not the mystery substance in Subway shops in the US. I am so glad that Olga got to go with you and has made herself right at home. I hope the weather cooperates with your walks and that the three of you have a wonderful, restful holiday!

Pixie said...

The flags didn't bother me until you pointed it out:)

Olga looks very happy. Hope you three have a lovely time.

Sabine said...

Lovely! Have a great holiday and when you come back you can watch "The beast must die", a new six (or is it five) part thriller on Britbox and elsewhere, really good acting, and it is all happening on the Isle of Wight.
https://youtu.be/j-PA6GXwcrU

Also, could you check if there are any remnants of the Isle of Wight festival, the "real" one from the late 1960s/early 1970s. I was too young but for years followed a guy on my way to school who wore a green army parka with signatures from Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez and Jimi Hendrix on it. When I got the courage to ask him where he got it all, he said, on the Isle of Wight, the festival of course as if this was what everybody knew.

Sarah said...

Olga looks very happy to be on holiday! I am jealous of the seaside air and fish and chips. Have fun!

Ellen D. said...

A fun adventure just getting there! I am glad to see the clear blue skies and hope you have a great time!

37paddington said...

Have fun! I do love coming along on your vacations!

jenny_o said...

The only thing that belongs in a tuna sandwich is mayo and finely chopped raw onion! lol

I love your understatements. "Very textured" being today's example :)

Olga looks exceptionally happy in that picture. Being next to Dave must offset having her photo taken. Belated birthday wishes for Dave, by the way - I missed commenting yesterday. Hope you both have a great time there.

Janie Junebug said...

Olga looks so happy! That's the most important part of the vacation. Tuna and corn is an odd combination.

Love,
Janie

Debby said...

It looks like you have all the makings for a good time. Enjoy yourselves.

Steve Reed said...

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately I didn't see them until after my walk to Shanklin -- I would have gone to see the Chine! Oh well. Next time.

Steve Reed said...

I'm glad it also seems bizarre to you!

Steve Reed said...

Weather in the UK is famously variable -- part of living on an island, I guess. The hovercraft is quite large -- it carries about 100 people at a time, I'd guess. So fitting the three of us and our luggage was no problem! I didn't take pictures but maybe I will on the way home.

Steve Reed said...

Interesting! The explanation I've seen for the island's name says that Wight means either "raised" (over the sea) or "place of division" (between the two arms of the Solent) -- in either case it's a very ancient name.

https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/information/frequently-asked-questions

And yeah, what gives with the corn in the tuna? In every UK sandwich shop or Tesco, if I buy a tuna sandwich, it's got corn in it.

Steve Reed said...

It IS pretty nice, I must confess. :)

Steve Reed said...

Ha! It's the same for Dave. He'd be doing this at home too.

Steve Reed said...

I guess in the states we put celery in our tuna, and of course we put lettuce and/or tomato on the sandwich. Which achieves the texture goal. But I'd never seen corn before moving here. (Which is funny because Americans put corn or corn syrup in everything else!)

Steve Reed said...

Photos will definitely be forthcoming! :)

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I always thought it was in the Irish Sea, too. But it's off the south coast, as you no doubt saw.

Steve Reed said...

I'll try to take some pictures/videos when we go back!

Steve Reed said...

They do ask that we keep pets off the furniture, and yet we're allowed to leave them unattended in the room. Anyone who's ever had a pet knows the first thing they do when left alone is get on the furniture! I love that you have family history in this part of the world.

Steve Reed said...

Texture, I guess? But yeah, why corn?

Steve Reed said...

They are such a strange invention, but quite a smooth ride, given that you're skimming along on a cushion of air.

Steve Reed said...

It's raining this morning, unfortunately, but I still plan to have some kind of adventure!

Steve Reed said...

She's having a great time!

Steve Reed said...

Dave says thanks for the birthday wishes! Olga is often on our bed at home so I'm sure she sees nothing wrong with it.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I'm surprised at how vigorously Olga has responded to this trip. She's really into it!

Steve Reed said...

Yikes! There are big car ferries running to the Isle of Wight too, but since we don't have a car we didn't need one, and the hovercraft is faster.

Steve Reed said...

Well, I'm assuming it's tuna, but who knows!

Steve Reed said...

Sorry about that. It was the first thing I noticed about that scene!

Steve Reed said...

Oh, interesting! I hadn't heard of that TV show. Before we came here I looked up the location of the music festival and of course it was on the other side of the island, but I might get over there today. I'm not sure there's any physical evidence left.

Steve Reed said...

She's having a ball!

Steve Reed said...

That's exactly it -- you have to look at the journey as part of the fun.

Steve Reed said...

I'm glad! I have fun writing about them!

Steve Reed said...

I have heard of celery in tuna, and I like that. Dave says thanks for the birthday wishes!

Steve Reed said...

She's having a great time, I think!

Steve Reed said...

Thanks! So far, so good!

The Padre said...

Holy Smokes!!! So Stoked For You Three!!! Just Started With Todays ( June 16th ) Post About The Loud Couple Arguing About Intimacy - Each Post Has Been Wonderful And Olga Girl Does Appear Happy To Be On An Adventure With Her Humans - Way Cool

Cheers