The Isle of Wight

I didn't get too lost on the trip over to the Isle of Wight!

I left Southampton Ferry Terminal on Red Jet Ferry Services, and 25 minutes later I arrived in West Cowe ferry port on Wight. The buses over on Wight are well adapted to taking very sharp corners and winding roads, however - the passengers then have this deep fear of who exactly are we going to hit on this road! I had to take a bus to New Port, which is about 15 -20 minutes away from West Cowe. To get down to Wight's biggest attraction (The Needles at Alum Bay) you have to catch another bus that can go several different ways to get there.

I however, went through Freshwater Bay and the small village of Freshwater. On the way, I had to get off the bus - Julia Margaret Cameron - (Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer. She became known for her portraits of celebrities of the time, and for photographs with Arthurian and other legendary themes.) She did various printing processes that I learned about in photography history class! Her home, Dimbola Lodge, has been transformed into a museum dedicated to her and her work. It is sectioned into three galleries, her work in one, and two different contemporary artists and photographers in the other two sections.

The rooms dedicated to her were so well set up! There was even a camera obscura set up with the black cloth covering the viewing plate so you could see what it actually looked like under darkness!After spending LOADS of time there (I think I'll consider what the fellow I spoke to when I got my ticket - starting a friends group in Australia) I left to catch the bus further down the Isle. By about lunch time, I arrived down in Alum Bay. I caught the chair lift (it wasn't likely to see me walking down those stairs!) and had my first view of the rock formation off the point of the island. It was absolutely amazing!

To get a better look at the formations, I caught a boat - Wild Rose - out to see the lighthouse that was built on land, then pulled apart, then put together out at sea. It was very beautiful to be out in the ocean looking at the lighthouse and the formations made from time, water and wind. While we were out there - I was sat on! A little English (very very pommy English) lady SAT ON ME!!! She was asking the man next to me if it was ok if she stood next to us, then they started the boat again. This caused her to lose balance and land on my leg. She didn't even notice - nor did she notice me saying 'mam you're sitting on me' at least three times! It wasn't until I had to move (she had a very bony bum) and bumped her in the head with my camera (with a filter on front - a cokin one at that!) that she got off of me, very apologetic (in an absurdly pommy accent!)

Back on land, I caught the lift back up to the top of the coloured sand cliffes (its sandstone, so has the mixture of colours you expect to see) and took a few more photos, then visited the stores of Alum Bay. It was fun to listen to all the school kids in the store, screaming at each other and carrying on about nonsense, and not having anything to do with it!

While I was still there, the fog horn started sounding as the sea mist crept in and grew so thick you could no longer see the walking path up to the old army barracks at the top of the cliffs.

It was home time then, and an hour bus trip through the villages of the isle saw me back to the ferry terminal. Then another red jet trip back to Southampton, where I took yet another bus ride to Becky's place, before going to yet another pub with her and her friends - to try yet another cider. Bulmers cider (especially the pear flavoured one) is so far the nicest one. There is so many different brands of cider here, its quite fasinating. Now its time for a pop quiz at yet another pub, before packing my bags for a train trip back to London tomorrow, before going to Reading for work. Let the good times roll on....