Blogs from Isle of Man, Europe

Before we left, we had contacted the King Edward Bay Golf Course about a tee time, asking for an early tee time so Mike could golf on his own since it's been so long since he golfed much. The pro was very helpful, said he'd arrange clubs to rent and a buggy and I could ride along even if I didn't golf. So, we reserved a 7:20 tee time for this morning, got up at 6:30 and got a cab. No one there, no one arriving, no sign of life. A bit after 7:20, a grounds worker-type arrived and asked if he could help us; we replied that we had a 7:20 tee time. He didn't know anything about tee times. Finally, we gave up, called the cab again and headed back to the hotel. At ... read more

So, on our first day in Douglas, we took the bus to Castletown because Sue wanted to go to Castle Rushen again and see a bit of the town. Mike went in to the Castle, too, this time but not up the scary spiral staircase. Smart guy! The displays and information about the castle through time are really interesting. Mike stayed in the Banquet Room for a while, blending in to the display, and scaring folks when he answered their questions. We wandered around a bit, heading 'towards' the train station and caught the train to Port Erin, the end of the line. Stopped for lunch and then wandered around a bit. The wind off the water was VERY strong. After tea and cake at the little tea house at the station, we took the train ... read more

Isle of Man, stuck in time. Isle of Man is a little island ( population of 86,000) in the Irish sea between Ireland and Great Britain. Indeed, fought over by the Vikings, English and Scottish for control, this three legged symbol "wherever you throw it, it will stand"- the land of the Manx people. I imagined seal puppies and puffins (thanks to my aspiring zoologist nephew). If lucky, a couple of porpoises. Direct mega bus (1 hour) from London Heathrow to Gatwick. Then catch aeroplane from London Gatwick to Ronaldsway airport, Isle of Man (IOM). There was no passport check and 'easy' boarding in 'easyjet' which reinforced the pleasant idea that I was indeed going on a 'holiday'. At Gatwick airport, I was walking fast, afraid of being late. A woman commented that some people were ... read more

Dear All Greetings again! This is my second blog entry for my time on the Isle of Man, and it will relate my adventures on my second full day on the island. It was another wonderful day, rather tiring, but with some amazing views and experiences. After a wonderful night’s sleep of ten hours, I enjoyed a self-catered breakfast of porridge, pain-au-chocolat, yoghurt and orange juice. I was planning to make the 30-minute journey again on foot to St John’s for my first bus for the day, when upon leaving the annex I happened upon my accommodation hostess. She offered me a lift to the bus stop on her way to work, which was greatly appreciated, and it was just lovely to get to know her a bit more and express my feelings about the cosiness ... read more

Being woken up at seven by the loudest seagulls and what sounded like a strangled cat, you'd have thought that we'd have caught our nine forty tram and definitely made it for the ten forty one. Spoiler alert, we didn't. No idea where time went but as a result we skyped the Douglas tram and drove to laxey to catch the mountain railway. We *should* have had plenty of time but two laps of the town after missing a few turns and a closed road meant we were literally running to catch the train. Within two minutes of being in it, ash and I were subtly inching towards the middle of the tram, a little fearful of the edges. Seth on the other hand was not fearful, even as the mist crowded in and visibility decreased ... read more