Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Sky beautiful sky!

Of all the places to go mid late November I find myself being pulled home! Now when I say home, I mean other home. It's hard to fight the homing pigeon thing around Thanksgiving. It is such a huge family orientated holiday and so for all of us and especially the boys, being with Family on the Isle of Man is what they want to do for Thanksgiving. But OMG it was freezing, beautiful but freezing and to anyone who has heard me already..I definitely was in the first stages of hypothermia. Just so cold! But I will know that next time, DON'T FORGET THE THERMAL FOOTWEAR! And if I look like I'm not even thinking thermal footwear please feel free to remind me. That aside what a beautiful place it is and Isaac said that it is the most beautiful place on earth and I think that he's right.
The flight from Manchester, England to the Isle of Man and the clouds were amazing!

When we got to the Island, the next day when I got up and you could see the Mountains of Mourne in Ireland! I don't think that I've seen them that clearly before!

This is the bay of Port Erin where we were staying and where I grew up

Truly lovely colours

And I could still see the Mourne Mountains on the horizon, they're massive and looming.. it means weather is coming

Yup a lot of weather

Clear waters

But having not had too windy an autumn there, there were leaves on the trees

and colour on the ground

Veronica still in bloom 

climbing geraniums

Not to mention fuschia

That could be a postcard! 

Look at the colour of that hydrangea

This is the spindle tree on the lane my mum and dad live on. This tree for some reason has mythical status in my family. The flowers are very interesting and of course it is poisonous! or that's what I was told :)
These chaps were with me! I love how the camera focused on Louie and he really is smiling in a cheeky way

We were at Noa's Bake House

They bake bread there with flour from the Island, er yum! and fabulous coffee

But the sky...wow I couldn't get enough of these pictures

Then the weather came in, remember that outline on the horizon and I said "bad weather" wasn't kidding!

The sky was just amazing, the whole time we were there

Those black bits are birds wheeling and being thrown by the wind

Later that day the sunset was so epic. I like the street lights all in a row

This is just a typical manx road

This is North Quay in Douglas

and I made an interesting discovery. The building that I am focused on is the Market. The Fozards used to have a stall in here and Damian has many fond memories of their butchers stall and sitting under it...really! I should ask about that, was there sawdust and that must have been a bit icky...but never the less happy days for Damian and in I go

and the market temporarily has had art students in there


Love the roof

The art work was...just so fantastic

The Market truly has a nice atmosphere

then outside there is this mural

Love the Robin!!!

That's the market, super brill!

and it has on it's roof the fattest pigeons I have ever seen!

what I love about the Isle of Man is that the landscape is ever present. So you have buildings and then as you look past them, there is hillside! 

I know it's blurry but the sentiment is there. I was in a stairwell of a car park and saw this. It sums up a lot of things. But truly is says all we need to know! Good old Island, it is a real place! No messing here

I also saw on the hillside that they have a memorial for fallen soldiers in the form of the Red Poppy on the ground. Just very moving to see that on Douglas Head

This is Onchan head and yes those are mountains of Cumbria this time on the horizon. We are on the East Coast of the Island for this shot 
Again that mix of natural and built up

I have to say I have until this trip never liked this sculpture outside the Manx Museum. But this time "the watcher" just caught me. Maybe it was the sky but it's quite something then I turned around and took the picture below

Yes that is the same sky at the same time! But what a picture. Talk about stark

The Manx Museum has lots and lots of memories for me and the boys and I liked that this time I saw something new and lovely in these terracotta tiles

The workman ship is amazing.

Yes Mum! Really. This picture cracks me up. His expression is so imperious...or maybe I'm the cheeky one catching him unawares...

More of this, natural landscape...so Isle of Man and look how green it is

On the higher ground after a heavy frost over night there was stuff...icy on the roads...yup slippy

But the views were amazing

But seriously these roads were a bit dicey

Of course I kept snapping as we drove along

But it was amazing the frost on the fields....it certainly was cold

The sun coming through these trees lovely

But we had to turn back and went past the old mines....I stopped taking pictures then, icy one lane roads...a bit tricky 

but out we popped out safely at our seat of power....Tynwald Hill (it's the one with the flag pole)

As we traveled along to Ramsey the morning mist was truly spectacular

Ramsey was bright and sparkly

But wow and wow. That is not cloud but mountains and yes that is snow on them there mountains and that is Cumbria. Our journey on the way home was amazing, coming down the east coast of the Island

The sky performed

magic! 

Seriously this was epic sky stuff

The colours were so vivid

and the sun is setting

Just took all our breath away

Look how on the Mountain the cloud is turned pink and smokey

This drive just showed how immense the setting sun is

The hues...and the outlines of the trees and tram lines..

The next day more frosty roads

Going to be an interesting day

Bradda Head looking regal

The air is cold and completely still

Just look at that morning sun reflecting on the water

I decided not to walk on that!

That is frost on the beach

I couldn't resist this picture

Also the smoke issuing from the stacks is fabulous and it is soo still

Found a thistle on my walk

and had to show you a mini standing stone

Ah my friend a robin and he is posing for me. It was flippin cold he wasn't waiting around, I was lucky to get him

I just couldn't take in the morning

so so still and prefect colours. I know you've seen this picture before and it just still captures me, it just doesn't look real

This is the house we stay in

But this is my favorite picture of all time. This is a church I wanted to photo for the longest time and I finally manage to do it and the end window is back lit by sunlight falling on other stained glass inside the church. Just sayin how perfect is this. Feeling very special to get that picture 

That is the full window. But I like the one above much better

The grave yard to the church was lovely and had such a nice peaceful feeling

The landscape was so rich in colour

I also noticed a sun dial on the church! Pretty cool

and how about this for a rope for the bell...look at the stopper for the rope. That's brilliant

They're still with me

Agh decorations for Christmas are up in Douglas and again see the hill side in the distance

The sun is setting over the lemon squeezer (sorry Sea Terminal Building, but doesn't it look like a lemon squeezer? I can't take credit for that name, but it is apt)

Truly the best sunsets ever while we visited

I mean look at that!

It's totally impressive and that is the end of that trip to the isle. Truly colourful and amazing! But cold!!!!