| One of the joys of maturing is having time to make friends and spend time with them. One such enjoyable experience, in spite of the blustery weather, was rambling around Southern England with my friend Linda from the Isle of Wight. Here are some of my photos from that trip (Note: I've left some quite large to preserve details) ... Mary D. |
Click for larger versions ... ... Michael and Linda picked me up at Gatwick Airport. After a ferry ride, we arrived at their charming home in Seaview on the Isle of Wight. We were greeted by their two lovable whippets (and I'm not a dog person), dainty Lulu and larger Freddie. What don't show are Linda's large "polytunnel" hot house and several raised beds for vegetables. |
 There, Linda fed me fabulously, including the best Sticky Toffee Pudding I have ever had. To see it "plated," click here. The three of us also discovered a wonderful new little restaurant that we liked so much we went there twice. |
 After all the food, including a stop for lavender scones, we needed to walk, a lot, and birdwatching at Newtown Bay was a great spot for that. Others at the bay said is also a spot for finding fossils (besides us "old dears"). The Isle has a Dinosaur museum, which we also visited. |
 Along the way we saw some relatives, the black sheep of the family. But before long it was time to hit the road and head for the ferry. |
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We heartily recommend ST. HELEN'S RESTAURANT Isle of Wight |
Our night's first stop
was a beautiful and comfortable B&B at Stockbridge: We recommend OLD FULLERTON STATION |
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 Upon entering, one is almost overwhelmed by the enormity and spaciousness of the nave, which can house crowds of people. I was fascinated by the huge west window made of randomly placed medieval stained glass (right). The original panes were deliberately destroyed by Cromwell's forces following the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642. |
Soon after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the broken glass
was gathered up and used again but the original design was lost. In spite of severe damage in WWII,
the repairs have kept the reconstructed design. |
 The enormous baptismal font dates to the 12th century, the early days of the cathedral. It is carved from a single block of black marble from Belgium and depicts scenes from the life of St. Nicholas. These include restoring three murdered children to life and giving dowry money to an old man to save his daughters from prostitution. It was used to baptize royal children from the nearby castle, including Henry III. |
 Deeper into the nave, one sees where those of special status would have been in ancient times. Right , is close-up the great screen. |
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 One could spend days exploring the details of the cathedral, such as the altar cloth (above) and the vaulted ceiling (right) |
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 Near the cathedral, is the Bishop's Close, with these picturesque buildings. |
 This bookstore could have been out of the days of Old England, perhaps patronized by one of Winchester's most famous authors. |
 Nearby is the house where Jane Austen lived her last days before dying in 1817. A shameless photo op for Linda ... |
 ... and Mary. (Photo by L. Pankhurst) |
On to Stonehenge and Salisbury ... or use the interactive map below
