Winter Barn Owl

Winter Barn Owl
Life's a Hoot !

Sunday, September 16, 2018

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 

Saturday, September 15, 2018

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!

Thursday, September 13, 2018

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

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

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.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

The Point of Ayre

If you are looking for a spot to be alone with nature, The Point of Ayre is the place to go.  It is a remote area at the most northern tip of the island.  The beach is a wave of pebbles leading to the Irish Sea.




 On our way back towards the south, we took the western coast road
 which led us to a fabulous view of Peel Castle 

 It was time for dinner, so for our last restaurant meal out, 
we went to The Hawthorn Pub.
It serves food that is a little more 'upscale' 
than the fare most pubs serve.

Vegetarian Wellington

Sticky toffee pudding
One last day to enjoy on the Island before
 heading to the UK for some family time.

Friday, September 7, 2018

A well deserved rest

Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man, located on the east coast.  There are many attractions, including a lovely promenade, shops, restaurants, but best of all is the Horse tramway, that goes from one end of the 'prom' to the other.

These hard working beasts spend part of their lives being a huge draw for tourists, but they do get their reward by spending the rest of  days at the Home of Rest for Old Horses.
They run to their heart's content, get many treats from all the visitors and are pretty spoiled by all the attention!




Not only is this a sanctuary for horses, 
it has lots of lovely little donkeys

Don't you just love the ears!!!

We ended our equine adventure with a simple supper, 
ready for more fun tomorrow!
A visit to the most northern tip of the Island coming up!