V for Victory

A British summer can be glorious 

Why don't the canyons Stephen takes me in have bridges?

Sad to be leaving the island
or scared of the train?

Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth

HMS Victory, Lord Nelsons flag ship
(this is the real ship from 250 years ago not a replica)

Spot where Nelson was shot

Very daring, 100m in the air

Its another glorious day on the Isle of Wight, lets just fit one or two more ‘things’ in. A quick trip up to Brading, going around buses, driving in the middle of the road like locals, getting followed by Mercedes Man who thinks we know where we are going, only one wrong turn and we are here. At one of the largest Roman mosaics in UK. It’s Time Team on steroids. This has taken our journey back to the 1^st century.

Now we get back in the car and head back to Shanklin Chine. It’s a canyon that costs 4 pounds to enter. Bit strange for me, but a quaint Victorian tourist attraction from 1812. The most interesting bit is, Pluto, which is the pipeline under the sea. This pipeline carried petrol over the channel to the allies in WW2 and was the brainchild of Lord Mountbatten.

We try in vain to see a red squirrel, but no success. However I do see a woodpecker. This is pretty exciting, I would not have not known what a woodpecker was if Ricki had not shown me one in Central Park last year. The bobbing head is unmistakable.

Now to drop the car off, opps that’s a one way street, box around, left and right and we pull in with no dings and no dramas for a few days of zooming around. Very happy about that, my first attempt at driving out of Australia is a success.

Back onto the ancient, wobbly and noisy railway we go, onto the ferry and in no time we are back in Portsmouth and on the mainland. Goodbye Isle of Wight it’s been grand.

There is time to do a little more in Portsmouth, yeah. Quick as a flash I am off to HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. I love the sense of history in Britain this is the real ship from 250 years ago and I am standing in the exact spot where Nelson was shot.

Now its time to conquer more heights, the spinnaker tower. I hope there is a lift! Yes, there is, pay some money and 60 seconds later I am up the top. Wow, the whole Solent (the name for the stretch of water between mainland and Isle of Wight) is laid out before me. What a spectacular view. But there is one more challenge. Am I up to it? Of course I am, well maybe, yes, I must. Oh that really does look a bit high. Well I tell myself it cant be dangerous or they would not let me do it would they? Deep breath now and step. Right one more step and another, look down. Ohh, that’s a bit scary I am out in on a glass floor 100 metres above the ground! Lets get off the glass, take a breather now I am back out again and can get some shots. Gotta run now am late for my rendezvous with Jane.

Back to the meeting point and Jane has walked all over Portsmouth town centre, Southsea and Victoria Park. It’s time to head home.