Blogs from Port Erin, Isle of Man, Europe

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

Spent the morning yesterday chilling and then my friend's partner and I headed out to the Sound on the southernmost tip of the island for a cuppa and a look at the Calf of Man, another small island. Saw a few seals basking in the sun. Man is surprisingly hilly in the southern part of the island. Then we had a walk along the seafront at Port Erin, where I tried in vain to find vegan sorbet. Beautiful sunny day. Today, my friend had the day off so we drove through the pouring rain to Ramsey, the largest town in the north of the island. Had lunch at a cafe and pottered around an art exhibition in the church where we got to vote on our favourite piece. Bit of a mixed bag in terms of ... read more