Day #14 – Off the Calf and more sightseeing

Steve enjoying the morning

This morning I woke up to LOTS of wind!  I thought “Oh no!  We could be stuck on the island for another day!”  Nicola had told tales of people stranded on the island up to 17 days!  And to my credit, Nicola woke up having the same feelings.  But, it turned out that the wind was from the west, and the water on the east side really wasn’t bad.

The view from my bed

Ready to head back!

We had a simple breakfast of cereal, toast and coffee before packing up and getting ready to leave.  It took most of the morning to organize ourselves.  The kids played outside near the house (there were snails which provided HOURS of FUN!) while we got ready to leave.  By 11:15 we had everything in the courtyard, and the warden came by with his tractor to pick everything up while we made the trek back down to the harbor. 

Chris and Nicola

We waited awhile for the boat (as Chris says, they are on Island time), but it came in time and we packed up our stuff and headed out.  We had two other passengers with us.  One was a student who had studied on the island for the past seven weeks, and the other was also a researcher.

Cow Harbor as seen from the mainland

Once docked, we headed over to the visitor’s center on the southern tip of the main island for lunch (the center overlooks Calf of Man, so we could sit in comfort and see where whe had gotten pelted with rain the day before!)  Lunch was wonderful, and soon we were on our way to see more things….much to Andy’s dismay as none of us had taken showers that morning and he HATES not having a shower first thing in the morning!

Cregneash

 

Our first stop after lunch was Cregneash, a small historical village where the movie Waking Ned Devine was filmed.  What an adorable town!  We walked around the town, but didn’t stay long enough to buy tickets to go inside the buildings.  After a walk around the village, we got back in the cars and headed to Castle Rushen in Castletown. 

Pete a bit too excited to be in locks!

Castle Rushen is one of the best intact Medieval Castles in the British Isles and is still used as a courthouse and museum.  We bought tickets and took the tour through the entire castle.  It was a lot of fun, with some rooms having been set up as they would have looked in medieval times.  We went as high as the turrets, and as low as the dungeon, and explored everything inbetween.

The Isle of Man!

After our tour of the castle, we headed over to a pub for some drinks before going over to the local airport for a fly around the island!  One of Chris and Nicola’s friends is a pilot and owns a small 6-seater plane.  He was so kind to take the five of us up and give one big circle around the entire island, pointing out points of interest, including the Jagus’ house!  None of us had ever been up in such a small plane. !  It was a really wonderful trip and quite thrilling.

After we landed, we headed over to a pub for dinner nearby.  The pilot joined us for a drink before having to go.  Steve, Emily and I had the steak pie, and it was really yummy…well worth the wait.

Casa del Jagi!

After dinner, we headed home in the dark with sleepy, dirty children and cars still stuffed with our Calf of Man trip.  We unloaded the cars, got the little ones to bed and visited for a bit before heading to bed.  The older kids tried decided to try and get in as much Harry Potter as possible bedtime as we are seeing the last movie tomorrow.  Sadly, they were too tired and only saw #5.  #6 and #7 part 1 would have to wait for another day.  I can’t believe they even tried! 

Day #13 – Calf of Man

Our boat!

After assessing the weather forecast, we decided that the weather was going to get better.  At least, that’s what we were telling ourselves.  We woke up, all showered, had quick breakfasts, packed food and a change of clothes, and were on our way to brave the elements on the Calf of Man!

We drove down to Port St. Mary to catch a small fishing boat.  After we had loaded all of our gear onto the boat, we were off!  The swells weren’t bad, as we sailed around the southern tip of the Isle of Man.  We passed cliffs where birds were nesting.  It was noisy and wonderful!  As we passed the narrow passage that divides the Isle of Man from the Calf of Man, you could see in the distance how rough the seas were approaching from the west.  On the east side (where we were), it was much calmer…yay!

Walking inland

We landed at South Harbor and unloaded the boat.  The warden on the island had come in a tractor to help shuttle our things up to the observatory.  We carried the rest.  It was a lovely walk through fields of grazing Loaghtan Sheep and wild hares.  There was much poo to step over, but the views were fabulous!

The Kitchen

Once at the observatory/cottage, we staked our claims to beds and Nicola got started on boiling water for lunch.  Where we were staying was attached to where the warden and any other students stay for up to nine months out of the year. (the entire island is a bird sanctuary, so there were definite areas to stay away from as birds were nesting)  We had to be very conscious of water conservation, taking wild ‘wees’ whenever possible.  We had to go through the warden’s residence to get to the only bathroom on the island when needed, and only flush when necessary..  As the sign above the toilet said, “If it’s brown, flush it down, if it’s yellow, let it mellow.”

After a pasta and bread lunch while sitting in the courtyard, we were ready to take a walk!  We headed up to Cow Harbor, which is the northern most harbor facing the southern tip of Isle of Man.  As soon as we crested the hill to head down to the harbor, the wind became fierce!  It’s amazing how much a mountain/large hill can protect you from weather.

Very curious!

Down along the water, we came across a seal who was just as interested in us as we were of him.  We spent quite awhile staring at the seal and vice versa.  As the rain began, we decided it was best to get back to the cottage.  By the time we made it back (about a 30 minute walk), it was POURING and we were WET!  We hung our coats and other wet things up to dry and just relaxed in the cabin for awhile.  A few card games were played and puzzles that were already in the cabin were solved. 

As the weather cleared, Chris put the chickens in the oven to roast, and we headed off for the west end of the island to see the lighthouses.  The sky had cleared enough that we even saw Ireland!  After a tour around, the lighthouses, we headed back to finish dinner.

FEAST!

It was quite a feast, and all that fresh air had made us VERY hungry.  We ate almost every bite of chicken, potatoes, broccoli and peas.  A fire was started in the fireplace and we attempted to roast marshmallows (they aren’t quite the same as home).  Since graham crackers are unheard of (try explaining graham crackers to someone over here!), Nicola had purchased digestive biscuits coated in chocolate.  It was as close as we were going to get!

We put the little ones to bed, played cards by candlelight, and then it was off to bed ourselves. (I should mention that they turn on a generator from 6ish to 10ish, so we did have electric light for awhile in the evening).

All in all, it was quite a rustic, but very fun day.  It was so dark outside that I’m sure I could have seen every star in the galaxy if it weren’t for the clouds!

Day #12 – Rain takes us inside

The viking display goes through the glass to the front!

Goofing around in the gift shop!

Today was a nice, leisurely morning.   Most everyone was up by 10, and we were eating a big English breakfast by 11 (baked beans, bacon, eggs and sausages) – thank you Nicola!  After a quick cleanup, we were ready to leave the house. Nicola and Isaac had to go back to Douglas for his second performance, so the rest of us headed to Peel. As it was still raining nonstop, we spent the early part of the afternoon in the House of Manannan.  It’s another museum that gives the history of the island and it’s settlers.  It was very hands-on and interactive.  One point of interest was the Viking replica ship that was built and sailed from Norway to Isle of Man in 1979 to commemorate the Millennium of Tynwald.  It’s a beautiful ship on display now. We spent a few hours in the museum (and, of course the museum gift shop!) before heading across the street to The Creek Inn for drinks and a snack.

After a quick stop back home, we were headed to the house of a friend for an evening party.  Originally Isaac’s school was supposed to have a picnic, and Chris’ band, The Inconceivables, was supposed to play.  Once the picnic was cancelled due to the weather, Chris had asked if anyone would like to host a party so they could still play.  One of their friends said yes, and so there we were!

The Inconceivables!

We enjoyed an afternoon of meeting people, visiting, and hearing the incomparable Inconceivables!  The family had a Wii, so all the kids that came also had a grand time. It was a fun evening, and we enjoyed meeting everyone and dancing to Chris’ band. At the potluck I had an amazing dessert called Eton Mess, which is basically berries and merengue smashed together.  I must find a recipe!

We came home, bathed the youngest children, and put them to bed.  We then watched a movie called “Keeping Mum” which was filmed predominantly on the Isle of Man, and even features a cameo by the Jagus family’s own Isobel!  It stars Maggie Smith, Rowen Atkinson and Patrick Swayzee and is very funny.  I recommend it highly!

After the movie, we retired for the evening.  We are supposed to go to the Calf of Man tomorrow for an overnight (an uninhabited island with no electricity, nothing except a cabin structure, wood and a deck of cards!).  It’s in question now because it continues to rain.  We’ll make a decision tomorrow morning when the weather is more accurate (we hope!)

 

Day #11 – Isle of Man!

Heading onto the ferry in rain!

Today started out a bit rushed as everyone wanted to sleep this morning, but we couldn’t!  We got up, packed and had a quick breakfast in the hotel before heading out to catch our ferry.  Before we left, however, Emily and I stopped into the Beatles Store for some quick purchases.  We had tried to shop yesterday, but they were closing when we went in, so we decided to fit it in this morning.  “The Beatles Experience Museum” is located right next to our hotel, but we were so busy visiting with Linda and Stuart that we never made it there.  Oh well, the gift shop would have to do!

Em and I met up with the boys, got our gear, checked out of the hotel, grabbed two taxis again, and headed over to the ferry dock.  The ferry left at 11:15, but Linda had suggested we try to get there an hour early, which is what we did.  It wasn’t long before we were on the ferry and headed for the Isle of Man.  The ferry was really nice and comfortable, and we had a nice couple hour trip across the English seas to the island.  Nicola had warned us that the seas were rough and we might want sea sickness pills, but we were all fine.  The boat definitely rocked, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone.

Our greeting party!

Peter & Anya with our ferry in the background

We landed around 2:15, and what should greet us but a group of Jagi waving an American flag!  After grabbing our bags and giving hugs, we were on our way.  Our first stop was the Camera Obscura. It was a beautiful walk up to it, but, sadly, it was closed.  As Chris said, we’re on the island now, and they move at a different pace than the rest of the world.

Once back in the cars, we headed into the heart of Douglas and left the car in a car park.  Our first stop in Douglas was the Manx Museum.  We got a bit of the Manx history of the island including the celtic culture and the Viking invasions.  After a brief stop in the museum snack bar for drinks, we were on our way again.  We headed over to an Italian restaurant for an early dinner, and then to a local school to see Isaac in a dance & acting end-of-year show.

The whole gang

The show was long, but very entertaining, and Isaac even got a medal  at the end for being so good!  We headed back to the Jagi home, and unpacked.  I was able to give the gifts that I brought for everyone and then the smaller children went to bed.  The rest of us ended up staying up until 2!  Hopefully tomorrow won’t start for me too early!

Day #10 – Liverpool!

The day started out sunny and beautiful – an oddity for Liverpool I’m told.  We headed out around 9 looking for a proper English breakfast.  After a stop at the visitor’s center to buy Magical Mystery Tour tickets for noon, we walked into the main center where there are plenty of shops and nightclubs (including the Cavern Club where the Beatles first played!)  We found a place called Witherspoons and proceeded to have an egg, baked beans, a rasher (English bacon), grilled tomato, flat mushroom, sausage and toast.  A proper English breakfast!

While at breakfast, we called Linda and Stewart as they wanted to come visit us for the day.  Linda and Stewart are the parents of Nicola, who we are going to see on the Isle of Man.  We consider them our ‘adopted’ parents as well! J  Turns out, they were planning on taking a train that would get them into Liverpool around 2pm, which is right when our Mystery Tour ended…it would be perfect! (They live in a suburb of Manchester which isn’t too far).  

So, after breakfast, we headed back towards the hotel to catch our tour.  The tour guide was a lot of fun, and the tour was very informative – not only on Beatle history, but on Liverpool as well!  We saw Ringo, George, Paul and John’s childhood homes, as well as places that inspired some of their songs. Some fun things I learned on this trip:

1.     P.S. I Love You was a love letter John wrote to a girl.  She was angry with him and threw the letter back in his face.  He re-read it and decided it would make a great song!

2.     All You Need is Love isn’t actually a fun happy song.  It’s cynical and means that no matter what you do, it’s never enough.

3.     The beginning of the end of the Beatles was when Brian Epstein died in 1967.  They started having managing and financial troubles and couldn’t agree on how to proceed.

4.     John’s mother, Julia, died right outside her home after his aunt Mimi called to her as she was crossing the street to get the bus and turned back and was hit by a car.

5.     Strawberry Field is a place owned by the Salvation Army and has been, among other things, a home for girls.  When John was little, he lived nearby and heard the Salvation Army band, asked his mother what that was, and when she explained, he decided then and there he wanted to be a musician.  The place is Strawberry Field, not Strawberry Fields.  John is actually singing “Strawberry Field is forever.”

6.     Liverpool has the largest anglican church in all of England, and it is the second largest in the world (New York has the largest.)  It was designed by a catholic, and the other large church in Liverpool, the catholic church, was designed by an anglican!

7.     Paul’s last home before he left Liverpool was in a development that was built from 1951-1954.  I couldn’t help but notice the similarity in feel to the Park Forest homes built at the same time.  Funny coincidence!

After our tour, we headed back into the square where we met up with Linda and Richard.  We had a lovely afternoon having lunch at a pub and and then taking a walk around the Cavern Club.  There was live music going on, and we, of course, had to make a few purchases before we left!

After being Beatle’d out, we headed back into the square to check out the shops.  There was a piano sitting in the middle of the main path, inviting anyone walking by to sit down and have a go.  Both Andy and I sat and played a tune or two before moving on.  What fun!

Peter and Linda were in there somewhere!

We headed back over to our hotel area, and Grandma Linda was sweet enough to take Peter up in the ferris wheel (he had been dying to go all day!)  It began to rain, so the rest of us slipped in next door to the Pizza Express and had hot tea and doughballs with nutella (sounds gross, but it was really quite good!)   Linda and Peter joined us after their ride. 

Goofy Americans!

Peter ‘Photo Bombing’ a lovely photo of Steve and Andy

After a long visit, it was time for them to go back to catch an evening train.  We said our goodbyes, and headed back to the hotel to freshen up.  It was getting cold, and we all wanted warmer clothes.  We headed back out for a lovely Italian dinner at Jamie’s Italian (Jamie Oliver’s restaurant – we couldn’t get into the Jamie’s Italian in London!)  It was a fun night with just our family one last time before we join up with the Jagus family tomorrow. I have a feeling that from here on out it’s going to be busy, busy busy with the Jagi!

There we go!

Day #9 – Last Day in London

This morning started early as we had a lot we wanted to do today.  That’s not to say that we actually DID a lot today, but we thought we were going to!  We showered and packed up and said goodbye to the goofy London flat. 

Our first stop was up Brompton Road to dad’s office.  Fortunately, it was only 9:30 in the morning and the sidewalk hadn’t filled with tourists and shoppers yet.  While it’s usually a nice walk, our bags were heavy.  We made it into JWT offices, dropped off our luggage and we were ready to go!  Our first stop?  Harrods food halls, of course.

I could openly weep here!

Pastries for all!

Andy REALLY wanted Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and they had a shop in the food halls.  As we entered the area, we found that the patisserie had opened since we were last there!  We were so excited!  We ended up buying all sorts of chocolate croissants, cream cheese pastries, cinnamon rolls, and a raspberry/chocolate filled cream doughnut with glitter frosting on top!  Who needs Krispy Kreme? After our massive purchases, we actually did still try to find the Krispy Kreme for Andy’s sake, but  found it was closed off for renovations!  So glad we got pastries.  Seriously, I am going to be about 50 pounds heavier when I return.  We sat on a park bench along Brompton Road and enjoyed the pastries, then it was off to the Science museum!

A quick walk found us entering yet another free museum!  The Science Museum was very busy, filled with school groups as well as families like us.  We spent about three hours exploring the various levels of the museum.  Some notable exhibits included an exhibit on plastics, and another on flight.  But the absolute coolest exhibit was the one on the internet.  If you see Andy, ask to see the video.  It was amazing.  It was showing random texts in real time, with a robotic voice reading some of the words/texts along with background music.  It is an award winning exhibit, and was well worth the trip!  Our last stop was in the basement, where they had water play for 3-6 year olds.  I told Peter to pretend he was 6 so he could enter and enjoy it.  After being inside for a moment he told Emily “I thought I was ready to be 7, but now I’m thinking I’m not quite done with 6!”

After the Science museum, we decided to have lunch.  Emily decided we needed to try a Yo!Sushi!  We had seen them all over London, and, of course, had difficulty actually finding one when we wanted it.  After a search, and a few texts with Steve, we found one on the 5^th floor of one of the department stores.  It is a fun concept.  You sit at a bar, and sushi goes by on plates.  You take what you want.  The color of the plate determines the cost.  So, edimame was on a lime green plate: only £1.70.  Tuna was on a yellow plate: £6.00!  You needed to watch what colors you were taking.  Having three children grabbing things off a conveyor belt isn’t a very good idea.  It ended up being a very expensive lunch!

By the time we were finished with lunch, our bellies were full, it was late and we were tired.  The Monument and Camden Town would have to wait for another visit.  We headed across to Kensington Gardens to just relax for an hour or so.  Peter played in the playground and the kids sat on the lawn just enjoying the beautiful day.  Peter, of course, made a ton of friends before he left. Before we knew it, it was time to head out.

On our way!

Our Room!

We met at dad’s office, grabbed our gear, PACKED into a van/taxi and headed for Euston train station.  We got there about an hour early, so had time to grab some food for the train.  We hopped onto the train and headed for Liverpool!

We got in around 9, got two taxis to our hotel (always need two taxis with our gear!) and were settled in by 10.  There is a beautiful ferris wheel outside our window, and we are right along the water at Albert Docks.  Not sure what all we’ll do tomorrow, but I’m sure it’ll be fun!