The Tennyson Trail

Today we hiked part of the Tennyson Trail, named after the poet  Alfred Lord Tennyson, who lived on the Isle of Wight for 40 years from 1853, and loved to walk the route.

Starting at the Tennyson Memorial cross (147 m) on Tennyson Down....

And following the undulating chalk ridge to view the three Needles off Alum Bay. A former fourth needle-shaped pillar called Lot's Wife used to stand in the midst of the formation, until it collapsed in a storm in 1764. The remaining rocks are all short and squat and not at all needle-like, but the name has stuck.

The Needles - View from the experimental rocket launching site 

The Needles - once four, now three distinct stalks of chalk 

Close-up of The Needles and Lighthouse (built 1859)

Round the other side

Sand cliffs of Alum Bay

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Half a league, half a league,

  Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

  Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns' he said:

Into the valley of Death

  Rode the six hundred.

          Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ferry, Cross The Solent

Hey everyone..it's Nat, coming to you live this evening from the fabulous Isle of Wight! Some wine has been consumed already (for the first time in many months) so there's no accounting for the quality of this post....some might say that the quality of all my posts is dubious, but that is not for now.

Anyway, we had a good trip down to Portsmouth, somehow managed to negotiate the 8956 complicated roundabouts (traffic circles) that are necessary to get to the ferry terminal, drove the car onto the ferry (and not over the jetty and into the English Channel), and then out again on the other side of the Solent, and down to Ventnor on the south coast of this lozenge-shaped island.

Some photos from the crossing....

Leaving Portsmouth

The Spinaker Tower

Ferry

Jet skiers in the ferry's wake

A canine passenger

Yachts

Flying the flag

Hope your weekends are plain sailing!

Leaving On A....Ferry!

In just over a week's time, I'll be winging my way, on a plane, to (hopefully!) sunny Spain!

But before then, I'm going to spend a few days exploring somewhere a bit closer to home... the Isle of Wight. Located in the English Channel, the IoW is separated from mainland Britain by The Solent, and is known for its natural beauty, and its sailing based at the town of Cowes. The island also benefits from a milder climate than the mainland, has good walking paths and many coastal resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times. Hopefully lots to discover and photograph...

We’ve rented a coastal cottage that comes with wifi, so I plan to keep connected to the blogosphere for the next few days...if not, I’ll be in touch again after I get back from Seville.

Bye for now...

Isle of Wight photo from here

Wish I Was There Tuesday

10 places on earth that I hope to see one day before I die....

1. Machu Picchu, Peru
I'd really like to hike the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu after 4 days of hard slog - it would be the ultimate reward. But there's the small matter of having to get superfit to do so... and having the good luck to not succumb to altitude sickness or some dreadful stomach bug en route, not to mention the necessity to camp. For FOUR nights. And I do not do camping. So in reality, when I do get to see "The Lost City of the Incas", I will most probably be arriving by train....at least I'll smell fresh!

Machu Picchu from here

2. Venice, Italy

Enough said.

Venetian scene from here

3. The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

There is so much more to see in India and I plan to go there one day and see as much as possible...hopefully I will make it there in time to see some tigers in their natural habitat too.

The world's most beautiful mausoleum from here



4. Uluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia

I visited family in Australia twice as a teenager, but didn't make it anywhere near the Outback, let alone this amazing natural site. Probably just as well, as at that age I would not have appreciated it.

Uluru from here

5. Arches National Park, Utah, USA

Didn't make it this far on our Road Trip in 2008, but one day....

Arches National Park from here

6. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The symbol of Cambodia....a country with a secretive and more recently tragic past.

Angkor Wat from here

7. New York City

I want to feel the energy of the ultimate metropolis...

New York! New York! from here

8. The Namib Desert

I've always thought being there, in that surreal landscape, would be the closest thing to being on Mars...

Dunes of the Namib from here

9. The Galapagos Islands

These volcanic islands teem with life in all its variety and were the inspiration for Darwin's 'Origin of Species'...

Bartolome Island, Galapagos from here

10. Iceland

Yeah, yeah...I had a bit of a run in with Iceland earlier this year....or more specifically, with an annoying Icelandic volcano that erupted, spewing ash into the European air space and putting paid to my plans to travel to Amsterdam. I am still in dispute with my travel insurance company for compensation (I don't give up easily!).

All that aside, I do have a fascination with this country of Fire and Ice...and the chance to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) would be an added bonus.

Aurora Borealis over Iceland from here

So that's my top 10...what are yours?

Attention To Detail

Sometimes, just looking carefully at something very familiar can reveal more than you'd noticed before.

Some photos taken of the church in my village...

Gargoyl

Old grave stone

Church window

One broken tile

It's A Winner!

Remember a while back I asked you, my faithful readers, to help me pick my entry for a photography competition? Well, it seems like all your good advice paid off, as (amazingly!) I won with this one....

Long shadow

Thanks again for your help!

Now I'm going to check out Amazon to decide how to spend my vouchers...

Must Be An Angel

Probably the most famous piece of public art in the UK, Antony Gormley’s towering 20 m (70 ft) winged figure – the Angel of the North- stands guard over Newcastle and has become an icon of contemporary art. It’s also one of the most viewed pieces of art in the world - seen by more than one person every second, 90,000 every day or 33 million every year. Most of these viewers are driving by on the A1 but it’s well worth stopping off to see the Angel up close, as I found out last autumn.

The Angel spreads its 54 m wings to welcome all who enter Tyneside, and remind them of the workers who once mined coal in the ground underneath.

I sit and wait
does an angel contemplate my fate
and do they know
the places where we go
when we´re grey and old
´cos I´ve been told
that salvation lets their wings unfold
so when I’m lying in my bed
thoughts running through my head
and I feel that love is dead
I’m loving angels instead

and through it all she offers me protection
a lot of love and affection
whether I’m right or wrong
and down the waterfall
wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
when I come to call she won't forsake me
I’m loving angels instead

when I’m feeling weak
and my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
and I know I'll always be blessed with love
and as the feeling grows
she breathes flesh to my bones
and when love is dead
I’m loving angels instead
[Angels - Robbie Williams & Guy Chambers]