Posts tagged Portsmouth

18.11 Portsmouth to London (or dizzying heights to bright lights)

0530 I was in bed ultra early, exhausted from the walk. I’m feeling OK now, but ready for breakfast; I didn’t have dinner last night. Outside the sky is perfectly clear. Excellent for what I have planned this morning.

0630 There’s only one other strange person at breakfast this early on a Sunday morning.

0700 I work on yesterday’s blog.

0740 It looks so good outside. Undoubtedly, it’s cold, but after a few cloudy days the clear sky is so enticing. I decide to wander out to experience it and take some photos. It is bracing, but I love that. And it’s so tranquil to walk around the harbour at this time of the morning with no-one around. The sea is just ever so gently heaving from edge to edge.

0815 Time to start re-packing.

0840 Re-packing done. The suitcases are getting harder to pack and heavier to lift!

I notice some comments on my blog. Thank you everyone who has interacted with me. It’s somewhat of a “1st world problem”, but I do get a little lonely at times on the road and these comments and interactions are lovely and very much appreciated.

0915 Time to check-out. I wander to the harbour to wait until my booking for the Spinnaker Tower. I notice my waistline. I don’t think I’ve put on any weight yet. I haven’t gone overboard with food and I’ve definitely kept my activity levels up.

0930 It’s a beautiful clear crisp day. It’s lovely just to sit by the harbour and notice the city wake up.

1000 I have a booking to go up to the observation deck on the Spinnaker Tower. It’s a spectacular view and the weather couldn’t be more perfect for it. I can clearly see to The Isle of Wight and all around Portsmouth. There’s even a little “sky garden” one level up.

1040 I’m back on the ground. I don’t want to head to London too early because check-in isn’t until 1500 I’ve already done most of the maritime museum attractions which had originally been on my plan for today. There’s one thing left, to go across the harbour to see a submarine but I don’t really feel like it. I sit quietly by the harbour again for a while.

1100 On my way reluctantly back to the hotel, I notice a sign for harbour tours and the next one departs at 1115. Sounds like a great idea. I get a ticket and get onboard.

1115 The tour just takes us around the docks and includes a good commentary on the ships that are in harbour today.

1210 We get back to the quay and I go back to the hotel for my bags. I then make my way to the train station. There’s a London train waiting already.

1232 I’m on the South Western Railways service to London Waterloo. We depart calling at (deep breath) Fratton, Havant, Petersfield, Haslemere, Goldaming, Guildford, Woking, West Byfleet, Byfleet & New Haw, Addlestone, Chertsey, Virginia Water, Staines, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo. I have a first class ticket and it’s worth it to get a nice seat and a quiet carriage.

1340 It’s a long journey and luckily there’s a trolley service onboard. I get a sandwich for lunch.

1456 We arrive in London. Google tells me it should only be an 8 minute walk tot the hotel. I start walking down Waterloo Road and the buildings aren’t looking all that flash. I hope the hotel’s not too far out the way. But soon I get there and everything is fine. The hotel looks very new.

1515 I check-in.

1600 After freshening up I head out again. It’s still clear and my weather app tells me that won’t last this week. I decide tonight will be the best for finding Christmas lights in the city. I walk into the centre of London, heading towards Covent Garden. I stop along the way to grab something to eat so I don’t have to worry about it later.

1700 By the time I get to Covent Garden market the sun has gone down and it’s dark. The lights in the market are beautiful and there are people everywhere. I slowly follow the crowds along streets, discovering little pockets of lights and massive displays in the streets leading into Piccadilly Circus. I’m not sure if everyone else was doing the same thing, but it certainly seems as if people were there for the lights. It feels so late but I keep reminding myself how early it still is.

On my way back I drop into “Christmas in Leicester Square”. It’s a mini-Christmas market. I’m glad I get to experience one of these. As expected, it’s nothing exceptional but it still has an air of Christmas magic about it. I get myself a mulled wine to wander around and take in the atmosphere. Back home I’m not a big fan of the hot Australian Christmas, but here I feel I could get into it. It feels more authentic, maybe even familiar from my early childhood?

1800 It’s still quite early but I’ve seen enough. I catch the tube from Charing Cross to Waterloo and then walk back to the hotel.

1830 I’m done for the day. I look through my photos. I’m not so happy with the Christmas light photos; they didn’t catch the magic. But I guess that will be difficult. I did take some video that gives a hint. I watch some TV before bed.s

I took a little bit of video. Make sure you watch it at the highest resolution.

England 2018Ian Barber19 November 2018Cityscapes, UK, London, Spinnaker Tower, City Lights, Portsmouth Comments

16.11 Isle of Wight

0515 I wake up after a good sleep. The bed in this hotel is very comfy.

0600 I download walking maps for the day as well as purchasing a ticket for the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday.

0630 I head down to breakfast. I‘m the only person there at the start. There‘s a good selection in the buffet. On the TV there‘s lots of Brexit turmoil in the news.

0720 The sun is coming up. It’s overcast and misty.

0800 I head for the train station.

0815 I decide to catch the catamaran ferry to the Isle of Wight. The Solent looks quite still. I was hoping to stand outside but the weather is poor and the “sun deck” is closed. It’s so misty that there’s not much to see anyway. The crossing is very smooth. There aren’t many people on the ferry at this time of the day.

0835 The ferry arrives at Ryde on the Isle of Wight. I walk up to the High Street. Many of the shops as still closed. I hear the distinctive sound of seagulls in a seaside town. On the way back down the street I buy a Belgian bun from a bakery.

While waiting at the Ryde train station I see a notice warning of engineering works on the line to London on Sunday; the day I travel to London. I will need to see how that might affect me.

0951 The train departs to Shanklin calling at Ryde St John’s Road, Brading, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin. It’s an old train. I think it may actually be an ex-underground train. It rattles.

1010 We arrive at Shanklin. I walk around the town. In general, the towns on the island are bigger than I expected. But the overcast weather does cast a dready light. I’m sure they are more lively in Spring and Summer.

1054 I catch the number 2 bus to Godshill. I‘ve seen photos of thatched houses in this town and would like to check them out.

1107 The bus arrives in Godshill. I wander around the town. I think I’ve seen the best parts then I look at my map. I notice another part of town and wander up Church Hill. Here I see some more thatched houses around the church; gorgeous. I take a short stroll on a footpath out of town and see some of the countryside. I walk past massive fields of cabbages (I assume).

1206 I catch the number 2 bus back to Shanklin.

1220 We arrive in Shanklin. I’m going to catch the train back to Ryde.

1238 I’m on the train back to Ryde. I’m feeling quiet sleepy at the moment.

1300 We arrive at Ryde. I had hoped to catch the hovercraft back to Portsmouth. As a child, I remember seeing a hovercraft at Dover but I don’t think I’ve ever been on one. Unfortunately, when I get to the hovercraft “station” there’s a sign indicating that the service is temporarily suspended. That’s disappointing! I make my way to the catamaran ferry instead.

While waiting for the ferry back to Portsmouth I notice two large structures in the sea. At first I assume they are large ships. When they don’t move I realise that they are sea forts. Unfortunately, they are too far away and it’s too misty for me to get a good photo.

1347 We depart Ryde.

1405 We arrive in Portsmouth. I head to the hotel to freshen up and drop off my back pack. I’ll visit more of the maritime museums while I have the time and I want to travel light.

1430 I make it to the museums. It’s lightly spotting rain. I visit the Battle of Jutland display, the M.33 (a surviving ship from Gallipoli), the HMS Victory museum and the Naval Museum. I make my way to a shop and stop for a coffee and cake. Today, as with yesterday, I notice heavily armed police walking between the museums.

1551 I head back to the hotel again. The hotel is next to a massive outlet shopping centre. I decide to look around. I buy some light sweaters for my next trip to Bavaria at Christmas.

1655 I’m back in the hotel and working on my blog. I’m not sure if I’ll do anything for dinner; I’ve eaten plenty today. I’d prefer to sit in, read some of my acquisitions and head to bed early. I’d like to do some walking tomorrow.

England 2018Ian Barber17 November 2018Isle of Wight, Godshill, Portsmouth, Shanklin, UK, Museums, Ryde Comments

15.11 Moreton-in-Marsh to Portsmouth

0500 I wake up after a fitful night. The weather forecast all week has been for fog this morning. I’ve been hoping to get some interesting photos. But it’s clear this morning. Boo hoo!

0730 Breakfast.

0830 Time for the ritual repack. Today I’m moving on but I don’t have pre-booked tickets. That means I have more flexibility and less pressure. It’s nice. I dream of a time when I may be able to slow down the pace of travel to be more like this.

0852 Finished repacking. Only 22 minutes!

0910 Time to check-out.

0930 I get to the train station. It’s quite mild. Warm from walking, I’m just in t-shirt now. I buy my ticket but don’t properly read the train signage on the platform. I go over the overpass to platform 2 where the London trains would usually depart from. The station master calls out from across the tracks to confirm which train I want. She tells me it’s going to depart from platform 1. Back over the overpass! The sign on platform 1 still shows the 0929 train to Moreton-in-Marsh, so when a train arrives I take no notice. But the train sits at the platform for quite some time and the sign changes to my train. I check with the station master and this IS my train. That was all a bit confusing.

0950 Great Western Railway departs, calling at Kingham, Charlbury, Hanborough, Oxford and Reading. I bought a first class ticket but this train doesn’t have a first class carriage. The conductor says I can get a form to request a refund if none of the trains offer first class seating.

1105 We arrive at Reading.

1115 Great Western Railway departs. The weather is very overcast now. This train does have a first class section and it’s worth it.

1150 We arrive in Guildford.

1204 Great South Western departs, calling at Hazelmere, Petersfield, Havant, Fratton, Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour. This train also has a first class section, so I’m happy with my ticket choice after all.

1305 We arrive at Portsmouth Harbour.

1318 I check-in. The WiFi doesn‘t appear to be working in my room or at reception. I speak with the staff. I pop to the nearby pret-a-manger for a hot chocolate and to use their WiFi for updates. But I can‘t connect to that either. Oops, maybe it’s my phone? I restart my phone and everything is OK again.

1400 I’d like to visit the Spinnaker Tower, but when I check online I realise I will have to book for another day. I decide to explore the Mary Rose museum instead. I make my way there. The Mary Rose was King Henry VIII’s ship that sank in 1545. What’s left of it has been recovered and is preserved in a museum. Admittedly, there’s not much left but it was fascinating all the same.

1450 I finish at the Mary Rose museum after buying my big book for the trip: Britain’s Tudor Maps County by County.

My plan had been to visit the other maritime museums on Sunday but I realise it will be really busy then and it’s very quiet now. I decide to get a ticket (it will be valid for a year) and I visit HMS Victory and HMS Warrior in relative peace.

HMS Victory was Nelson’s ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. I remember it vividly from my childhood because a friend made a really great model of it. It’s really special to walk through the real thing.

HMS Warrior was an iron-clad warship from 1860. I’m not so familiar with it, but explore anyway.

It’s late in the day and birds are congregating on the top of one of the masts. They get disturbed when a guide shakes a rope and fly off in a flurry.

1645 I get back to the hotel. The last hotel was lovely but every floorboard in my room creaked. It’s nice to not make noises as I walk in this hotel. I organise laundry for tomorrow. I’ve done really well with packing this trip; just a few things need washing.

1830 I shower and head out to find some dinner. The hotel is located in a shopping/dining precinct, so there will be plenty of choices. Being a week night, it’s relatively quiet out. I settle for The Old Customs House and have a delicious chicken and leek pie with mash and greens.

2030 I watch a little TV and then sleep time. I’ve really noticed the Christmas ads on the TV here. All snow and tinsel; it just feels so much more authentic than Christmas in Australia.

England 2018Ian Barber16 November 2018Portsmouth, Museums, Ships, HMS Warrior, HMS Victory, UK, Mary Rose Comments