Welcome to new readers! I have been posting a photo-diary of our cycling holiday last August on the Isle of Wight -- in serial / instalment form. This one covers our last day, before catching a ferry back to the mainland.
If you wish to 'catch up', here are links to previous instalments:
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| The Sunshine Trail - sign outside Shanklin train station |
Our 'goal' for today was simply to pack up and get ourselves back to Ryde to catch the ferry to Portsmouth and from there get a train home. We cycled to Shanklin and caught the island train to Ryde, arriving with loads of time to wander around and have a proper look at Ryde before departure.
We left the train at Ryde Esplanade station, right on the town promenade -- a perfect vantage point to watch the Hovercraft come right onto the beach.
And then watch it leave again, leaving a rainbow in its wake.
We had a leisurely cycle ride down the promenade. It was a lovely warm sunny day so this was a popular place to be!
Also a peaceful place for some.
We spotted a few kite-surfers.
Halfway down the promenade, we came to Appley Tower, a picturesque folly -- quite romantic if pictured on a windswept rocky outcropping in a more desolate area!
We came upon an elderly dog who had stationed herself in the middle of the path for the sole purpose of soliciting attention and making new friends!
Heading back towards Ryde, we went past the marina and amused ourselves looking at a wide array of private vessels...
...some with unusual faces!
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| Enjoying the day! |
Back at Ryde Esplanade station, it seemed sensible to go in search of lunch and finish off a little souvenir shopping. This, however, meant cycling UP to get into Ryde town centre! The reward is a view of the sea, once you're up there!
We had lunch in a Wetherspoons pub with air-conditioning, then hobbled up and down the street in our cycling shoes to buy various presents, giving particular thought to something nice for our neighbours who were looking after our cats while we were away.
Then it was time to go catch our ferry. The road out to the Wightlink terminal is wooden with (naturally) the boards running lengthwise rather than crosswise! Some of the gaps between the boards were a bit dicey. I was glad my tyres were 28mm wide, not 23mm!
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| Freighter watching from the top deck of the ferry, Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower on the right. |
And with that, it was goodbye to the Isle of Wight. For this year at least -- as I know we'll be back!
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