The beginning of the end....

It is always with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to the Isle of Man for another year.  What better way to spend our last evening, than with one of our friends, (Barbara, of West Lodge BnB,) at our favourite pub,

 The Station in Port Erin.

The winds were in our favour, giving us a fabulous view, as we soared higher and higher into the blue abyss

The view arriving into Manchester was just as breathtaking

Our friend Fred H, who we met at West Lodge at the TT last year, lives in Manchester and suggested we visit Piccadilly and Market Street to get a feel for 'his town'.  The streets were teaming with people (hate crowds), but the architecture was breathtaking...

We stumbled upon a food market that featured all sorts of tasty treats...

...under the watchful eye of Queen Victoria

The most surprising event that we couldn't pass up, was a 'cider tasting' happening  right in the middle of the square.....'come on in', they said, as they handed me a sample of their new 'cloudy cider'...

Tasty, tasty, tasty...

  We walked from the train station to the market, but saw that there were free buses that travelled through the city, showing off the sites......on the menu for next year.....

After many kilometres of walking, it was time to head back to the hotel for dinner and an early night (for an early flight).  Our burgers and fries hit the spot...

  The 'sky tube' that took us home.....

.....floated through the skies...

Home awaits......and dreams of more adventures that the future holds.....

Ramsey Sprints

Ramsey, on the northeast side of the island, 

is home to the annual 'sprints' (drag racing). 

A part of the promenade is closed off to allow bikes to 'strut their stuff', leaving skid marks behind them as they blast down the straight.  "Command central" for the sprints, is run out of this bus.  Gotta love the re-purposing of all the old double-decker buses! 

A few 'hot rods' were on display......

....and, my favourite, this miniature postal truck

Having had enough of 'near complete hearing loss', (wow, are those bikes ever loud), I strolled the promenade and headed into town.

 As I have seen in many of the Island's port cities, 

there is prosperity.....

 

              and neglect.....so sad to see.

When I visited last year, the bridge that links the promenade to the town was being rebuilt.  It is now open for business, 

allowing more activity in the town centre.

  The town square boasted a long standing chess game and a young lad who 'struck a pose' for the camera! (cheeky little thing)

On my bucket list for this trip, was another visit to 

the most northerly place on the island:

'The point of Ayre.'

We had a short stop in Bride on our way home. The town's children had created mosaics to adorn the buildings.

Coming up......farewell IOM, hello Manchester....

Jr Manx Grand Prix

Finding a good vantage point to watch the races is paramount!  Arguably, watching the bikes come down off the mountain and take the sharp right at Crag Ny Baa is a prime spot.  Usually, spectators are either in the grandstands, or behind fences to provide a small form of protection.  The risk takers (me) climbed over fences and walked through fields looking for the best spot to take some pictures.  It is hard to convey the speed the bikes are traveling at as they whiz by, and how hard it is to capture that on film, but I can say that most people with snapshot cameras or i-phones are not able 'stop the motion'.  I have been practicing with my trusty Nikon 3200 for over 6 years, so am happy to share the fruits of my labour....

I even managed to catch this shot between the buildings...

I changed locations to try to get the right hander that takes them down the stretch to Hillberry

With the races over, I stumbled across this interesting machine in the parking lot

 As we headed down the mountain, we stopped to snap the view.....

...and these beauties came bouding up to me to say hello 

(and stop for a snack)

We rounded out the day with a visit to new friends at their fabulous 'vintage' stone house.

Ramsey coming up......

An afternoon in Laxey

During a non race day, we took a leisurely drive up the east coast to Laxey, home of the Woolen Mill...

We packed a picnic lunch and sat on the promenade enjoying the warm sun and light breeze...

...enjoying the view of the bay while appreciating the fortitude of the young children swimming in the freezing water...

  Given that the island was flooded with bikes, it wasn't a surprise to see a line up of rare BSA Gold Stars out for a ride

Laxey's livelihood, during the 1700's to early 1900, was mining.  This statue sits in memory of the men who spent their lives (and sometimes lost them) working in the mines...

I wrote about the 'Laxey Wheel', known as Lady Isabella.  

But have you met Lady Evelyn?

In all our years visiting the Island, we seem to have missed her, hiding behind stone walls and high trees.

  She sits on the grounds of the 'washing floor' where the waste stone was separated from the ore.

It is now a lovely park with wrought iron art work and a dedication to the men of Laxey who lost their lives during both world wars.

Even the old ore carts were filled with blooms

 We capped off a great day enjoying dinner with our friends, Barbara and Eric, who own the charming B&B West Lodge, 

and our flatmates, David & Christine.

Spicy chicken curry

Barbara's 'Good old fashioned' English triffle

Next up, more racing.....