2017 day 47 (18th October Cowes to London to Singapore)

Missed a day as the WiFi at Heathrow was not "secure" so two days in one!

Had Tuesday morning having a casual wander around Cowes checking out the fabulous yachts there - dozens of beautiful racing and leisure craft - hate to think how much money is tied up in the pleasures of Sailing!  Look fantastic though.

They had originally suggested that we catch the 3.15 ferry to Portsmouth to then connect with train from there to Working then bus to Heathrow. We decided to give ourselves some more buffer time in case anything went wrong on the motorways etc so caught the 2.15 instead. Smooth trip over to Portsmouth although still very cloudy and occasionally drizzly- and cold so looks like we timed our exit from England to  Perfection!

Connected with the 3.30 train to London getting off at Working where the Heathrow bus was waiting.  About 3/4 hours trip into Heathrow so we were there in good time to have a very nice dinner before checking in for our 10.00 flight.

First experience of an A380 and it was a very comfortable, smooth and qui

et flight - certainly a magnificent aircraft. Seat was probably not as wide or comfortable as those on Cathay but still slept pretty well.

Arrived in Singapore on time (5.45) and have found the lounge where we will enjoy some drinks, food and a shower before re-boarding at 11.45 for Sydney. Almost finished!

2017 day 45 (16th October- Cowes to the Needles)

Our last full day of holiday today and we took it easy. After breakfast we wandered down to the ferry terminal (5 minutes) and caught a bus to Newport where we changed buses to get to Yarmouth on the western side of the Island. We purchased a day ticket which also allowed us on the open top bus which then took us to the Needles which is a white rocky outcrop on the extreme western end of the Isle of Wight.  Quite spectacular. Also the site for some old and newer gun batteries dating from the time of King Henry viii but used as recently as WW2. They also tested their rockets here before being sent out to Woomera for actual launching.

Took the bus back to Yarmouth where we had our last scones with clotted cream for this holiday along with very good coffee. Took a walk along the river Yar but they were experiencing the wind effects of a hurricane so we didn't go too far.

Yarmouth is a beautiful little town with very quaint shops, pubs, cafes etc. Very relaxing place to browse around but didn't find detailed anything too exciting to buy.

Took the buses back to Newport and then Cowes. We are booked into a beaut little seafood restaurant tonight for our last "good" meal of the holidays.

I hope to get another blog in tomorrow night where we will be sitting in Heathrow waiting for our 10.00pm flight to Singapore.

2017 day 44 (15th October- Cowes)

Last day of cycling today as the bike shop has none left available tomorrow. We decide to head east again via Newport at the head of the inlet and see how close to Ryde we might get.

It was a bit rougher and hillier than yesterday's ride but fairly well signposted and the weather stayed good all day although it looked a bit threatening a couple of times. In Newport we discovered they were holding a vintage bus festival - named " Beer and buses" and had about 150 old buses and coaches from all over Britain giving people rides all over the island.

We went through Wooton where we also came across the heritage steam railway which was also taking people for rides. Had a coffee at the local pub and then continued on to

reach the Quarr Abbey which is an operating Benedictine monastery and had a very nice sandwich for lunch. Bikes had to be back at 4.30 so started for home about 2 and managed to take a slightly wrong track which took is into East Cowes by St Mildred's church which was the one Queen Victoria used to attend when she was staying at Osborne House.

Ferry back across the river and stopped for a coffee and scones at a great little cafe in town - Sails - owned by an ex-maths teacher and his wife and we had a lovely chat with them.

Plans are for a seafood diner tonight so we'll see what happens.

2017 day 43 (14th October- Cowes)

No rain predicted for today so we headed for the bike shop after breakfast - cooked by Johnathan as Melissa had had a big party last night apparently! Bought some ham and cheese rolls from the Baker for lunch and finally got away on the Red Squirrel Trail about 10. The trail proper started just out of town and took us on a shady bikeway up to Newport alongside the Medusa river which seemed to be a boat mooring site all the way. Also went past a couple of massive new industrial complexes which manufacture the sails for the wind generators - a couple could be seen in the yards - they are huge.

Through Newport where they were having some sort of vintage bus gathering - old buses and coaches everywhere. The trail had some soft and muddy sections but most was really was good bitumen wandering through fields and villages and along side little creeks etc - very picturesque and fairly flat. Great cycling.

The trail is well signposted so not difficult to follow. Only one diversion when we followed another cyclist up a track and missed the sign for left turn.  Soon realised we were wrong so went back 100metres and back on track. No eating places appeared until we were only a few miles from Sandown a town on the coast.

Little cafe on the trail called "peddlers" served beautiful coffee and scones with jam and clotted cream - and had plenty of customers. We got to Sandown about 2 and stopped on the esplanade briefly - quite big with a traditional English pier.

Headed home and stopped for our breadroll along the way. Arrived home at about 4, booked the ferry/train/bus for the trip to Heathrow on Tuesday and booked into a restaurant for dinner tonight as Cowes is VERY busy over the Weekend!

Just a beutiful days Cycling!

2017 day42 (13th October - Cowes)

Opted for precaution today and decided to visit Osborne House instead of taking on some cycling as the rain was hanging around just a bit in spite of predictions of fine weather.

This involved taking a little ferry just about 100 metres across the inlet separating east and west Cowes and then walking about 20 minutes up a hill to the house. Had to ask locals the directions as there were no signs anywhere giving directions. There is not even an info centre in either east or west Cowes which is a bit strange.

Osborne House was built for Victoria and Albert and  became their and later her favourite place to stay. Their 9 children also loved it there apparently. It is a beautiful building and the grounds are magnificent. It is basically as Victoria left it as the family handed it over to the nation soon after her death on 1901. All the furniture etc is left including very interesting pieces such as the piano which they both used to play - very well apparently - and the bed on which they both died. The nursery furniture is also intact as is the magnificent Indian-inspired Dunbar Room.

Also visited the Swiss chalet which Albert had built as a play house for the children and where each had a garden complete with monogrammed Wheelbarrows!  Miniature kitchen was also installed where they could learn to cook.

Back to Cowes by about 4 and checked out the many eating places for tea - opted for a seafood restaurant. Also had a chat to the guy at the cycle shop reviews possible trails to try tomorrow if the weather is OK as is again predicted. We are very impressed with Cowes - it is very picturesque and not too crowded with lots of great little shops to browse through.

2017 day 41 (12th October Bath to Cowes)

Today dawned a bit Misty and cloudy but apart from an occasional light shower it got better as the day went on. Beautiful breakfast at the Western Lawn B&B in Bath then we walked into town via the beautiful Victoria Gardens and joined the Mayor's Town Walk which was washed out when we were here in 2006. It took 2 and a half hours which was probably a bit long but it was very interesting. A bite to eat at a great little bakery and then left Bath at about 2 to head for Portsmouth and drop the hire car off. Thankfully I've worked out the satnav so it guided us there no problem except we found when we got there that the office now closes at 4 so had to leave the car in the car park and drop the keys in a box - not really happy about that but not much we can do.

Caught the ferry across to the Isle of Wight and then had to get a taxi to Cowes as our ferry stopped at Ryde and we are at Cowes which is not too far. Unusual B&B here has a little unit down in the back yard but it is very quiet and private and we have a back gate to a short cut to town. Our first impressions of Cowes are terrific - it is

such a quiet and quaint little place with lovely shops and heaps of pubs/restaurants. Absolutely charming. I think we are in for a great few days as the finale to our trip.

2017 day 40 (11th October Rosslare to Bath)

There seems to be something about us and the Irish Sea at the moment. Last week when we were in Wales getting ready to head for Ireland the weather forecast was saying force 9 gales were predicted for the Irish Sea on the Monday we were travelling but thankfully it was not as bad as that although a pretty good swell was evident. Checked the forecast yesterday for today's crossing and there is was again - force 8 possibly increasing to force 9! This time the forecast was more accurate as we had a force 8 gale, heavy rain and big swells for the trip. Left Rosslare early to  catch the 8.00am ferry and it was already pouring. 

Actually coped fairly well with the rough weather - these day the stabilizers make it fairly comfortable even in the rough weather. Arrived in Fishguard on time surprisingly and decided to go and visit St. David's where they have an old Norman cathedral which was commenced in 1120. Very different from the usual style of cathedral and very special - even the walls

are sloping and the floor also slopes quite significantly.

On through the pouring rain which was blowing horizontally so the driving was quite difficult with spray adding to the difficult conditions. Found a little Welsh cafe on the side of the motorway where we had the most delicious cottage pie - and chips and peas - for a late but much appreciated lunch.

Used the satnav to find the B&B in Bath - the same one we stayed in in 2006. Pub down the road served a lovely dinner so all good - and it stopped raining before we head to walk down the road to Tea!

2017 day 39 (10th October Newport to Rosslare)

Seeing as we were only driving today, it dawned without rain and cleared as we went to be a beautiful sunny Day!

It was planned as our driving day to get from the north west of the country to the south east as quickly as possible so the Google "shortest drive" was searched and the route planned.

We left Newport at about 9.30 and headed via Castlebar across the top on the N5 before turning south via Mullingar towards Tullamore where we stopped at the Tullamore Dew distillery where we enjoyed a very nice lunch and bought a couple of treats.

The transport curse struck again as we headed further south on the N80 as about 15 minutes out of Tullamore the notice came up that the N80 was closed and we had to return to Tullamore and divert on the 420 - a much longer drive of course. Eventually made it to Kilkenny which we visited in 2006 but stopped off again at the castle for a break and a bit more browsing at the excellent design centre there - nothing significant purchased though.

Continued our way south and got held up again with major roadworks just outside New Ross but got to the lovely Moyglare B&B about 5.30 which was a pretty good day's travel.

The "Coopers" pub just down the road is the best pub we've found in Ireland. Headed down there and had steak and Guinness pie, lamb shank, a couple of Guinnesses and Irish coffees to finish in front of a lovely coal fire and with great company. Is Ireland good or What? Not many pics tonight as most of the day was on the road.

2017 day 38 (9th October- Newport)

Plans change. My plan A  for today involved probably hiring bikes today and exploring the Mayo area using their apparently famous Western Greenway cycle path but we awoke to heavy mist and showers and a forecast of more of the same for the rest of the day so we quickly decided that cycling was off and we would return South of Westport to the Kylemore Abbey which we had missed on the way north yesterday because we took the coastal circuit.

Quite a wet trip down (about an hour) and not only did we find the Abbey but also some peat bogs which we had been looking for to photograph.

The Abbey was fascinating and we ended up spending most of the day there quite easily. It was built In 1867 by Mitchell Henry who inherited a fortune from his cotton mill owner father. It was an amazing feat given the remoteness of the site and building challenges confronting him but he developed the estate with massive tree plantings and a huge walled garden.

Tragically his wife Margaret died on a family trip to Egypt in 1874 and he brought her body back to be placed in a mausoleum built on the property and then built a "mini-cathedral" nearby in her memory. He sold the estate in 1903 to the Duke and Duchess of Manchester but he was a gambler

and bet the mortgage in a card game and Lost!

The estate was then purchased in 1920 by the Benedictine Nuns who had been based in Ypres in Belgium but their Abbey there was destroyed in WW1. They established an exclusive school there but a fire destroyed the accommodation wing in 1959. The Nuns still own the estate and hold retreats and conferences there as well as produce crafts and chocolates!

Toured the walled garden with its old greenhouses and chief gardener's house - all really interesting and beautifully restored.

Easy trip back to Westport for some coffee, shopping and browsing before getting back to the B&B are Newport. Almost finished our Irish holiday - just a drive back to Rosslare and the ferry to Wales the next day.

2017 day 37 (8th October- Kinvarra to Newport)

Met our first Aussies on the Irish leg of the trip today from Sydney. They were travelling in the opposite direction so we're able to give us some tips - and vice versa. As a result we confirmed that we would stick to the wild Atlantic way signs. Lovely breakfast at the B&B as usual and the lovely lady there also provided us with maps and details of points of interest.

Headed to Galway which proved to be too big to find an easy stop off point so changed direction and got ourselves back on the coast road again.

Very different landscape to the previous day's.  Quite rocky - read VERY rocky - and parts were quite wild and rugged. Flat near the coast with hills behind and how people make a living in this country we just don't know. Some sheep and cattle around but not that many until further north when the land clearly became more fertile. Other issue was that as is Sunday there was NOTHING open so it was not until we eventually reached Roundstone  at about 1.00 that we found a great little cafe open so enjoyed some really good coffee and fresh scones. Doubly enjoyable due to the Wait!

Turning more inland we went past some absolutely stunning lakes. Only one "diversion" up to a beach which had another surf school and no surf. Found our way back onto the road no problem and on to Westport and then Newport which is where we are at the Western Greenway B&B which is in a beautiful spot up on a hill. Their son is a cyclist who competed in this year's Paris to Roubaix

race so he must be pretty good. Dinner at a local pub which is pretty good but unfortunately no live music.