Medieval Times in the Isle of Man

Good morning, Port St Mary

Our adventure for today was a to get in touch with the past.

Castletown, on the south east part of the island, is home to Castle Rushen, which was the main protection against the invading forces.

Although its main purpose was to keep the enemies out, it was also used to keep convicts it....imagine being shackled up in these!

...with this for a view...

...and having this as your 'privy'...

(this view came with full sound effects - charming!)

Seems a little barbaric to me....

If you did get a chance to escape to the roof of the castle, you probably would not have been able to scale the walls down, but you would have had a fabulous view!

  Enough history, time to enjoy the scenery...Niarbyl 

has the best view of the western coast of the island...

  We carried on up the west coast to Glen Maye to take in the calming effects of this famous waterfall

Off to Harold's farm for night 1 of practice - it was cut short,
but the bees still had time for dinner.

Then off to our favourite Italian restaurant, Andreas,
for a delicious dinner....

Pepperoni, artichoke & olive pizza with a fried egg

Warm chevre cheese with pecans

Seafood linguine

All in all, a busy but fab day!

Back to The Isle of Man...

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I visited this charming island.  It is just like coming home...meeting up with old friends, eating at my favourite pubs and getting the opportunity to show the island off to my visiting Aunt.

Our first day started off with a trip down to 

the Calf of Man to take in the views.....

as well as a jaunt around Cregneash, a preserved historic village.

Sighting of the local 4 horned  Loaghtan sheep....what a handsome fella!

Since the day was starting to clear, we headed up to the top of Snaefell mountain by way of a 1865 electric railway

Such a clever design on the cappuccino.....The Three Legged Man!

As we are here for the Classic TT, we felt it was a fitting tribute to visit the statue of Joey Dunlop, 26 time TT winner who tragically was killed during a race in Estonia.

Adorning the mountain was this artist's rendition of the local sheep.

A quick visit to Laxey to meet up with Lady Isabella...

...a walk through the mines...

... and admiring the source for the waterwheel.

 First dinner out......salmon pasta at The Station in Port Erin.....yummmm

Nighty night...

Wakes and Woofs!

Each year, Kingston hosts hundreds of 'cigarette boats' for their annual poker run down the St. Lawrence, leaving their huge 'wakes' as they scream down through the 1000 islands.

They congregated at Confederation basin, enthralling the crowds who wait patiently for the loud roars and plumes of spray as they try for the best poker hand.

Confederation Park is full of history as it once served as

 downtown's train station.

'The Spirit of Sir John A. McDonald' sits proudly in the park as a dedication to its past.

As the boats start heading out of the harbour,

 everyone is captivated by "My Way", fascinated by its engine which is  propelled by jet fuel.

 Notice the heat coming off the stern!

and they are off......

A visit to downtown is not complete without a walk through 'Market Square', behind City Hall, on 'market' day!

Another major international event was also happening; 

the annual Kingston Sheep dog Trials

Activites abounded, such as The agility course.....

and the hugely popular 'Dock Dogs' - check out this video!

More Jumps...

A wonderful weekend, culminating in a fabulous steak dinner....

.....and spectacular sky

100 kilometer journey

Given that it is a long weekend here, I took the opportunity of an extra day off to travel within a 100 kilometer radius of home.

First up, a trip for lunch to Perth, Ontario.

There are many wonderful restaurants to choose from, but decided on

The Stone Cellar

What caught my attention was the lure of this burger:

A Nutty (Veg) Burger A blend of pecans, peanuts and almonds ground in our kitchen, mixed with fresh herbs and vegetables, crisp Bibb lettuce and tomatoes, then crowned with our house peach jam. Served with fresh greens, fresh fruit, balsamic vinaigrette and sweet potato fries topped with a local maple syrup drizzle.

All washed down with local brew....

Next up, a trip to the village of Westport for a car show at the local church.

There was something for everyone:

For fans of the movie GREASE, a replica of 'Greased Lightning'

Then, back to Kingston for a fabulous dinner at Le Chien Noir

Final outing; off to Prince Edward County for a stroll in Bloomfield
and lunch at Agrarian Market and Speakeasy

A first for me; Eggs Benedict poutine!

Yummy poached eggs with hollandaise, bacon and parmesan sitting atop crispy fries!

The crowning glory of the weekend;
ice cream from Slickers Ice Cream

Happy long weekend!