So here we are at the back end of the summer. Isaac is busily editing his book, Louie has done a theater camp and is now this week dancing. In 2 weeks they will be back at school and the summer will be a memory!
We made the annual pilgrimage to the Isle Of Man and met with family. It was a quick trip but I managed to take a ton of pictures. I hope that you enjoy them, I really have enjoyed looking at them again and the Island really shows it's different skies!
But to kick off it was my birthday so we have my birthday shot (taken by Isaac, Damian is no longer allowed to take my photo! long story).
Then it was Damian's birthday!
Arriving to a sunny Island. This really shows the colours of the Isle of Man and the most wonderful sky!
One of my first plans was to go and look at some Manx Crosses that are located on the East Coast of the Island at Maughold. Driving there from Douglas we had to go down some pretty narrow country roads and we got behind a Manx Electricity service truck/ van. Firstly I loved the chevron! and wow look how he fills the road. Believe me there is no passing this baby!
When we got to Maughold I spied this sticker on a parked car and thought that was quite fun.
This is us looking at the hills of the Island from Maughold
It was quite windy up there as the church yard is on the side of a hill!
Damian is looking so peculiar as he is sucking on a sweet! Rhubarb and Custard flavour...amazingly enough I declined to part take!
As you go into the church yard the crossed are housed in this structure to protect them. The boys lined up and I said they had best turn around as they looked like they were at a urinal! That got there attention and we got smiles mostly around, apart from Damian still sucking that boiled sweet!
The crosses are properly ancient and they are beautiful. It is an amazing place and quite a sight to see
As you can see from Louie, the temptation to touch them is high! They are truly wonderful.
In the grave yard it's self there are many Celtic head stones and I like this picture especially as it has all the elements, the green hill side (bracken plants) the dry stone wall of Manx slate and the carved head stone crosses.
This is a headstone that caught my eye this is the inscription on it and it just was quite moving. The style is of Archibald Knox a Manx designer famed for his Arts and Crafts motifs. And this grave is from the time.
As we were leaving Maughold head we came across a tuft roofed house. Quite snazzy!
We moved from Douglas to Port Erin and this is a classic shot of the main features of Port Erin. Isaac and I took these snaps on the walk to my parents house.
The beach shot is significant as there are people IN THE SEA!
Throughout the British Isles they are commemorating 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. This flag has been made especially for that. It is unusual to see the Union Jack on the Island as we have our own flag. So this really stood out for me.
This is the rocky coastline and below is a hairy caterpillar that Isaac and I spotted on our journey.
And this is the house that I grew up in and where my parents still live. I was pleased to see them and they both looked wonderful.
Dad looking so well and relaxed and Mum also doing a splendid job of looking fantastic!
This has got to be the best shot of the holiday, Isaac willingly doing the washing up at my parents, and of course I love the reflection in the mirror.
One of our favorite things to do is walking....and here we are in Peel on the West Coast of the Island going for a breezy walk! There is a Castle at Peel and we walk around it and this is the view from one side.
And not forgetting the boiling seas!
Caroline and Louie trudging off
The thing about the castle is the coastal views and the wonderful stones
This is close up of some local stone, Peel Sandstone, you can see how weathered it has got. The castle building is made of the Sandstone and the walls are a mixture of sandstone and Manx slate.
This is behind the castle and you can see the land on the horizon, which is the North of the Island.
We did get some cute shots of Caroline and Louie and me and my sister!!! What I love about the picture of us two is that in my glasses it reflects what I am looking at, the sea, the rocks and Isaac, who is taking the picture.
Isaac doing his catalog pose!
This is a mix of hairy lichen and yellow lichen. I took this for Caroline, as she had an essay to write about it for her Art Therapy course. We love the lichen that grows on the rocks on the Island. Clean air!
This is yet more of the Castle and then below is Fenella, a carved statue that is be made in that last years that is overlooking the small beach at the foot of the castle. The beach has been called Fenella Beach for a long time. This is quite an interesting addition.
These are some shots of the South of the Island and the sweep of land into the sea.
Managed to catch this sunset in Port Erin and the Mountains of Mourne on the East Coast of Ireland, this normally tells us Islanders that rain is coming..........but heck rain is always coming to the Isle of Man at some time, so not a purely scientific way of accessing the weather.
Then the cousins arrived, this is Louie and John awaiting the bus and then all of us on the said bus travelling to Douglas.
Obviously Louie just couldn't help himself.! This is me and my eldest sister Elizabeth and her elder son James is over her shoulder.
On our bus ride we go past the Airport and this statue is outside, and has been for years. It is an interesting interpretation of the three legs of man. My Mum hates it....but well I leave that to the observer, and as they say art is in the eye of the beholder.....or is that beauty..........
Our journey to Douglas ended at the Manx Museum, I have always liked these carvings along the top of the building under the roof. They show various aspects of the Island history, so this is the Celts
The vikings
And finally the Lords of Mann
This was another interesting sight that I found in Douglas's main shopping street, they have installed these tiles on the paved area to represent all things Manx
Louie had one simple request whilst we were on the Island to go on the train. So off I went with the boys to Castletown. Isaac had wanted to go to the Castle there.
At our stop at Castletown the trains cross and I thought that this was a neat shot.
This is the train that we were on.
And this is the Castle at Castletown that Isaac wanted to visit. This is made of local limestone.
Outside the castle walls is a small building designed by Balliey Scott, another arts and crafts designer who designed some lovely buildings on the Island.
On our way to castle the boys were fascinated by the steps into the harbour and how they went into the water...........
Sometimes in the harbor we get swans and I was amazed to see white and black! swans.
So now we are inside the castle and time for a silly shot. Yes he is holding the whole building up!
spiral stair cases and old graffiti
These are views from the ramparts
To the North and to the East
And to the South
Isaac was quite impressed with the ammunition so this is a picture for him.
In Douglas they are obviously trying to make it look nice and they had these amazing structures around, this is a dress
Old fashioned telephone...but you could probably have guested that...
A stiletto shoe
And a teapot!
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So that really wraps up the trip. Always seems a big thing to travel and going to Island is something that I long for and dread, in equal amounts. This trip was a good one and well worth the effort for all concerned, we all got something out of being 'home'. For me coming away from there is always so very hard and to make my journey more bearable I decided to buy a book at the airport. It is not a very cheery one, I suppose the thinking is that I could have been in a worse situation and therefore life a'int so glum....it is a about a shipwreck. This is a first hand account of a wreak that happened off Madagascar. Written by the Captain of the ship in 1867. The book was quite a revelation. The Captain had bought a house on the Island before the wreak called Rose Hill in Braddan. I mention this, as Brian my father in laws early days were spent in the same house. That just blew me away. I have heard a lot about Rose Hill and obviously the previous owners loved it as much as my family did. Even years after living there Thomas Cubbin described as formally of Rose Hill. Pretty amazing stuff. By the way it is an absolutely terrifying read and such a miracle that he survived that wreak!
So imagine my surprise when this print showed up in the Exchange, it is of a ship coming into the East India Dock in London and the date.........1860's......this is just where Thomas Cubbin would have been. The same time period of the book. Of course I bought the print but at $30.00 who wouldn't!I can almost see him on the deck!
Love to you all till next time Miranda x
