A day in the paddock

Having been to many race tracks, I know it is a privilege to get into the paddock area.  We were thrilled to find out that the paddock area was hosting a 60's themed event.  There were plenty of bikes, music, beer tents, vintage cars and stunt motorcycle shows.  We were able to see rare and valuable bikes, close up, that the public never are able to see. 

Our friends from the UK had just arrived, so we headed off to see the show.

There was even a display of the motorcycle driven by Gorge Formby, in the classic movie, NO LIMIT.  This slapstick comedy was about a rider at the TT races.

The highlight of the event was seeing the 20 time TT race winner, John McGuinness, fully decked out in  60's garb, chatting with the fans.

Before heading off to enjoy a meal at our favourite pub in Port Erin, The Station, it was heartwarming to see my better half spending quality time with our friend from the UK who we have not seen in a year.

After greeting the Manger, John, we enjoyed a superb meal with our UK friends and our IOM friends who run the best BnB on the island (in our humble opinion).

Gotta love fish, chips and mushy peas, all washed down with local IOM beer.

 

Dhoon Glen (part 2)

We started the day in the capital of Douglas.  It is on the east coast and is where the ferry arrives from the mainland. The promenade still boasts the original mode of public transportation (mainly for tourists), the horse pulled tram.

The Isle of Man has 3 main industries; tourists, sheep and cattle farming and high finance (it is a tax haven).  You could be following a tractor on the road or a Ferrari.  Douglas is where all the 'deals' happen, so the headquarters are in lovely buildings, surrounded by flowers in full bloom.

The Strand is just behind the promenade allowing all the serious shoppers to linger on the pedestrian walkway, window shopping or spending serious 'pounds'.

We are about to head off to some 'serious' walking!  Dhoon Glen is one of the most challenging 'walks' non hikers can attempt.  You think you are in shape, but, oh no, this will make you hurt tomorrow!!  As we arrive, the extension of the horse drawn tram, the electric railway, pulls into station.

We know we are about to undertake a 'heart thumping' trek, but we are ready! Dhoon Glen covers 44 acres and has one of the highest and most spectacular waterfalls in all of the glens.  It totals over 130 feet in two drops.  Sounds spectacular!  Ok, we have to get down there and then we have to get back up.  Down and down we go; paths, steps, slippery slopes.  We meet people coming back up, huffing and puffing (one in flip-flops; how she made it up and down, I'll never know).  They looked at us like we were crazy!
If you had all day, you could take a more leisurely pace, but we had to get back to meet up with friends.  We were awarded with stunning views that the camera can't quite capture!

The further down we went, the quieter it become; a true paradise!

Who needs 'interval training"; our hearts were pumping on the way back up.  Good thing we got some exercise, because we tucked onto a tasty IOM beef burger with caramelized onion relish for dinner!

Bikes, bikes and more bikes to follow!!

Isle of Man - A hikers dream: Glen Mooar (Spooyt Vane) & Dhoon Glen

If you love exercise, these two Glens are a must.  Glen Mooar, located on the west coast, is home to the highest waterfall, known as Spooyt Vane or 'White Spout'.  We walked through lust forest paths before heading down steep stairs, anticipating a wonderous site. We could hear the rush of water on our descent to the base of the falls.  We were not disappointed:

We have been most fortunate that the weather has co-operated during our walks.  Most of the paths would be extremely slippery if they were wet.  I really didn't fancy a head first fall down one of the ravines!!

After a hard day's hike we went back to the cottage for a cold supper of chicken salad, tomato caprese and crisp greens.  All washed down with a chilled Pinot, followed by a selection of cheeses with baguette!

The hike to Dhoon Glen continues tomorrow.  (I know K will be upset with me as she hates it when I tell her I have something to share with her, but by the way, I will tell you tomorrow)!

Isle of Man - The story continues

Ah, don't you just love computers and 'cyber life'!  Just when I thought I could post every day, the wireless internet connection on my net book died.  Two days later and 50 UK pounds lighter, I am back in business.

Other than the motorcycle racing (which is the main reason we are here), one of the things on my IOM bucket list is to visit as many Glens as I could.  There are 17 of these fabulous places, each of which offers different degrees of difficulty to visit.  Some are meandering walking paths, while others require a need for good physical fitness (and hiking boots!). There are trails, paths, forests full of vegetation and a few with the reward of stunning waterfalls at the end!

The first we visited was Glen Maye which covers 11.5 acres. Each Glen has been rated by degrees of difficulty and she was considered moderate. Stairs were carved though the forest for ease of descent to our first 'waterfall'.

We continued along the path that would eventually lead us to the Irish Sea.  Water played a big part in this Glen as we encountered another gushing stream.

The rush of water over the millennium could be seen by the gorge that had carved its way to the sea.

Finally, after walking for over 40 minutes, the beach and (if a clear day) a view of Ireland.

After the return journey (all uphill!), I rewarded myself with my first 'pint'.  Oh, so good!

And a simple home cooked meal of roasted chicken, potatoes and peas.

The following day was spent visiting Port Erin, which is the town that can be seen from our cottage. In its hayday, it was THE spot to visit by the city elite of the Victoria era. The fresh country air and the sandy beaches drew thousands of visitors from the mainland (England) each summer.

Finally, the BIKES!  In evening, we went to watch the first practice race from one of our favourite pubs, The Crosby!  It really is a rush to be feet away from the bikes as they fly by.

Time to enjoy the pub grub of Lamb hot pot and Fish and Chips!

More forks in road to travel, just around the corner!

Isle of Man - The trip begins

The next few posts will be about our adventures on the Isle of Man.  It is situated in the Irish Sea, between England and Ireland.  The island is 48 kms long and only 13 kms wide.  The geography boasts everything from rugged coasts, lush meadows alive with heather, dense forests, barren moors and looming mountains.

Every year it hosts thousands of motorcycle race enthusiasts who come over to watch the thrill of motorcycles zooming around the island at speeds of over 180 miles an hour, inches away from them as they sit along hedges.  It really gets your heart pounding.

Our journey starts with a short stop in Mississauga to drop the car off (thanks, V & G for the taxi services).  A quick meal at the airport Irish pub gets us in the mood for our UK adventure.

We squeezed into Air Transat seats meant for 'really small people' and endured the cramping for 7 hours.  Arriving into London, we were met with the traditional pea soup fog!

After a short flight from London to the Isle of Man, we check into our rented cottage and 'really' started our holiday.

The views from the cottage over Port Erin are breathtaking.

We enjoyed a light meal before heading off to a well deserved rest after being awake for more than 30 hours!

http://www.visitisleofman.com/


      
Check out the Isle of Man - it is surely the 'fork in the road' you want to take.

If you are at all interested in the Canadian food scene, (and even if you are not) check out the blog 'FEAST: An Edible Road Trip'.  Lindsay and Dana are traveling across Canada 'feasting' on many non traditional food experiences.  They are trying to debunk the thought that Canadian food is only 'poutine and beaver tails'.  Look to the right of my blog and the link is there.  Enjoy.  They definitely are following the 'fork in the road".

Trout: From Tank To Table

Really fresh fish ...

About to hit the grill ...

Grilled to perfection ...

Now swimming ... in a butter caper lemon sauce

A visit to Linwood Acres Trout Farm resulted in a delicious dinner! Trout, fresh from the tank to the grill to the fork!