Boldt Castle

On a beautiful, crisp, autumn day we ventured out with friends 

in our classic cars to Wellesley Island, NY.

  Our destination was Boldt Castle, situated on Heart Island.

The first stop was for lunch at Hackers Restaurant

 at the 1,000 Island Golf Club.

After a filling meal, we took a boat ride to Heart Island.

Construction of the full size Rhineland Castle began at the turn of the 20th century.  Millionaire owner of New York's Waldorf Astoria, George C. Boldt set out to build the grandiose structure as a display of love for his wife Louise.

Photo courtesy of Boldt Castle website

He built 'Alster Tower' as a 'play house' for his children,

 which even had a bowling alley.

Sadly, Louise died before the Castle was finished, so heartbroken George stopped all work and left it to ruin.  The '1,000 Island Bridge Authority' bought it in 1977 and started restoring it.  They furnished several rooms in the way that they envisioned it would have been if Louise had lived there.

The grounds are just as impressive as the interior.

This truly magnificent Castle is a must visit .

One last UK outing

As I am sure you know by now, I love a new restaurant adventure

 and trying new foods!

My aunt told us that she had the perfect place in mind..

...The Railway Carriage Cafe in Lopenhead

 The restaurant is an old railway car...how unique!

I was thrilled to find that they carried my favourite Czech Pilsner

Between the 3 of us we decided to share some vegetarian fare.

Quinoa burger

Mixed veggie salad

Parm dusted fries with garlic aioli 

For our last night In Somerset, 

we tried a new Indian/British  Restaurant.

Some of the group tried a Mutton stew with plantains...

....but I felt I needed to get my last dose of F&C before heading home.

It was lovely spending time with my family

The worst part of the end of a holiday is the 'airport hotel restaurant'.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that they

 had 'lamb shanks' on the menu...

..a fitting end to a great vacation.

So long UK....until we meet again next year 

Minehead, Somerset

Our next adventure took us to Bishops Lydeard where we caught a vintage steam train to Minehead.

The coaches are the original ones, with a few minor upgrades.

Minehead was quite the resort in 'olden' times.

We stayed in town long enough to have lunch,

then headed back on the afternoon train.

Fish pie....yummy!

Once back at my Aunt's house.....

.....we went for a walk and came across this lovely beast......I didn't really want to disturb him as he was enjoying his dinner!

 A different train adventure tomorrow!

Welcome to the UK

As in past years, we always follow our IOM trip with a visit to my Aunt in Somerset, UK.  We use our time to visit the countryside and meet up with cousins.  We spent our first day in Lyme Regis, in Dorset.  It is always bustling with families on the beach
 and people strolling the Boardwalk.   

Enjoying an ice cream

The lost art of 'lawn bowling' is alive and well!!

 One of the main reasons we were visiting Lyme was to attend an art exhibit at The Courtyard Gallery. One of the artists displaying her work was Kathlyn Collins, who specializes in glass.

I just love the lines of the Jurassic coast

Up next....a vintage steam train ride

Laxey

Laxey is a lovely town located on the east coast of the Isle of Man.  In the 19th century lead and zinc mining began.  It became the largest industry in the village, but ended in 1929.  One of its main attractions is the Laxey Wheel, known as Lady Isabella, which was built in 1854 to pump water from the mine shafts. 

It is quite impressive watching the wheel in action

You can climb to the top level, but I didn't have the nerve!

We took a stroll down to the harbour.  

The tide was out so the boats were sitting on their keels

As you can see, the beach is not the 'sandy' kind

As this was our last day on the island, we stopped to appreciate the views from the mountain.....

.... and a stroll in Port Erin to admire Bradda Head

Nothing like a piece of Black Forest cake to end the day!

Off to Somerset, UK next.