A visit to the paddock!

Before we headed back up to Creg-ny-baa for the final sidecar race, we stopped at the paddock to see which celebrity was hanging around!  

Much to my surprise, Both the Dunlop brothers were there,
2 of the best road racers  in the world!

William Dunlop

Michael Dunlop, busy at work

A close up view of the sidecars.....

.....and the drivers....champion, Dave Molyneux

Off to Creg-ny-baa...

...to watch the sidecar race

The inside of the most famous pub in the IOM!

1949 race!

We went back to our new favourite Italian restaurant for dinner.
A great improvement over the hamburger!

Seafood Linguine

 

How to watch a race!

Can you guess what these people are doing?

One of the most famous places to watch races in the IOM is at Ballaugh Bridge.  The racers have to go over a bump, which sends them flying in the air for a few seconds!  Exciting to watch.  So many people want to see it, that the crowds are huge!  If you get there too late, your only hope is to climb a ladder.

This is what it looks like.

Our next stop was the Sulby Hotel to watch the end of the race.

Race over, time for a pint with our new friend, Fred, from Manchester.

Wish we could have found something better for dinner, but the menus are limited during TT week.  We had to settle for a hamburger!

Back to the Races

Day 2 of racing took us to Bradden Bridge to watch the 600 Supersport.

Guy Martin (everyone's fav!)

A different angle for the sidecars!

The following race was watched up on the mountain at a very famous place called Creg-ny-baa.  The view was breathtaking from both sides of the road!

We chose our spot along the grassy knoll, in a farmer's field.  We were joined by the 'pit crew' of the leading TT champion, so far this year, Michael Dunlop.  They are there to hold up signs for the racers to let them know what their race position is and if it is time to refuel.

K wanted to take a picture of me, enjoying the day, so the pit crew thought it would be funny to 'photo bomb' me. 

 If you have ever wondered what those signs say, have a look.  

Too hilarious!

Even I, a seasoned race watcher, could not believe 

the speed and proximity of the racers!

Back to the Port Erin Station for a dinner of Lamb Shanks (again, I know) and smothered chicken (called a Station Stack) for K.

Sightseeing

Our day started with a visit to the southern part of the island, to view the Calf of Man.

A certain bovine and grazing sheep were keeping a close eye on me!

As this is Motorcycle week in the IOM, helmets must be worn while on the bikes, however, this couple decided they should be worn at all times!

 Port St. Mary was having a vintage farm fair, with plenty of steam engines and old motoring vehicles.

For the Cruickshanks!

 

 We ended the day at the Shore Hotel for a local delicacy, Queenies, 

which is a small sweet scallop.

Served with linguini in garlic butter sauce; yummy!

Tomorrow: back to the races!

A day at the races

Saturday was the start of the 2014 TT races.  We found a great spot at May Hill in Ramsay to watch.  The Superbikes were up first featuring the best road racers in the world, such as John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Guy Martin and Conor Cummins.  The average speed was in excess of 130 mph. 

 Here is a taste of how close we were to the action:

For the afternoon sidecar races, we moved to Sulby bridge. 

The passengers made moving their bodies from side to side seem effortless!

We walked 2 kms (V-star Lady), to Port St. Mary for dinner.

I had to have fish and chips at least once, right??

We passed a farm on our way back, with freshly sheared sheep.  

This little guy was so happy to be free of his heavy coat that he used the nearest branch to scratch his back.

Tomorrow, a day of rest!

A voyage back in time

After a leisurely day strolling around Port Erin, we stopped in again at The Station and tucked into a a traditional "steak and ale pie" (made with local brew).

I noticed a very sage saying above the dining room.

No trip to the Isle of Man is complete without a ride on a vintage steam train!  The following day we travelled back in time to a more gentile period.

 We rode from Port Erin to Castletown in a '1st class car"

The afternoon was spent visiting the capital of Douglas, with its harbour and pedestrain shopping area.

 You can even bet on the outcome of the races if you wish.

 The promenade was filled with a carnival atmosphere amid the classic motorcycles.

Love the sidewalk art!

Getting back we opted for a more modern mode of transport!

All that walking around is hungry work!  Wood fired oven pizza called out to us!

A sunset stroll was the end to a perfect day!