Right in the thick of it!

We are very fortunate to have made friends on the Island, 

one of whom is the Head of Motorsport.

After a lovely lunch,he presented us with 4 'grid passes'.

This allowed us to be 'right there' on the grid with the racers, as they headed off!

 We started our viewing from the grandstand....here is how it looks from up top

 We snaked our way to the front of the racers as they were preparing to start

I couldn't believe it when I found myself right next to John McGuinness, 

winner of an amazing 21 TT's! (video to follow on another blog).

Here are some of the other racers!

A jubilant Ollie Linsdell, winner of the 2013 500cc Classic TT,  chatting with his girlfriend

Racers passing us on pit lane

A lovely drive home through the picturesque mountains

Then home for tasty spaghetti dinner!

More to come.....

A Nature Walk

As we have been to the 'Island' many times, 

we always look for something new and different.

We found a lovely coastal walking path south of Castletown,

 at Scarlett Point, which is part of

 'The Raad ny Foillan or 'Way of the Gull'

 After a 3 km hike, we headed to the Calf of Man to check out the waves

....it was a super windy day!

Even the birds were so tired of fighting the wind, 

they had to take a break on a visitor's car!

We ended the day at the Crosby Inn to watch the practice 

and have a bite of dinner.....

 Off to the paddock tomorrow!

Another visit with the Mann Sanctuary Cats

At the risk of everyone thinking I have turned into the Crazy Cat Lady,

I would like to share some 'up close and personal' photos of the Mann cats!

Do you have any of those treats left??

One of the oldest residents

Don't mind me if I continue my bath, ok

I wonder if there is any milk in there??

Lip smacking good treats!

Notice that she was once feral! (check the ears!)

Meet some of the other residents!  Every creature is loved equally!

A lovely visit.  They do such great work.

I asked the lady who owns the property how many cats she now has

 and she said to me:

"I really don't want to know" (being her, not me)

Tin Bath Harbour Races

We thought we came to the IOM for the motorcycle races, but no, we were wrong!

They were having races in the harbour in old Tin Bathtubs!

This poor guy didn't even get off the starting line, because his boat caught on fire!

This guy looks like he is about to sink!

And this poor fella lost his paddles!

A few flying leaps off the break wall.....

....and on to the inner tube snake race!

 The symbol of  the IOM, the Three legged Man

Back to the Cottage for a light supper!

Cheers!

Next time, back to visit with the Mann Sanctuary cats.....

Beach Motocross & ATV races

We started our annual pilgrimage to the 'Isle of Man' from Toronto,

 with a hearty dinner (full of fat) at the airport.

Grilled Chicken & bacon

The clouds were so fluffy and picturesque

After 28 hours of traveling, we finally arrived! 

No visit to Port Erin is complete without a meal at our favourite place, The Station!

Grilled gammon steak with egg, mushy peas (had too) and chips

After dinner we were treated to fast paced Beach Motocross in Port  Erin

An they are off!

Can you imagine this happening at Sandbanks Provincial Park?

As there can be marine mishaps, the island relies heavily on the efforts of the 

'Royal National Lifeboat Institution' to provide rescues at sea.

Their mascot joined in the fun, to the delight of all the children!

A wonderful first day, then off for much needed sleep!