Southampton and Portsmouth

 

An extra hour of sleep last night courtesy of the time change. We pulled into Southampton very early. It looked like it had rained heavily overnight and was a bit misty in the morning. We gathered up our belongings and headed up for breakfast, then waited to be called for customs clearance. We were in no hurry so waited till just before 9am. Custom clearance took place on board and was very quick. There is a bit of a walk down to pick up luggage at the pier, and then another walk out to the taxi stand. No wait at all for taxis. 

Our original plan was to take the train to Portsmouth, but because the rail workers are on strike we decided to just take a taxi. 75 pounds or about 128 CAD. So much more convenient, and not too bad a price for 4 people. A little over 30 minutes in a light misty rain. Portsmouth is brighter and we drop our bags at the hotel and head off to the Naval Dockyards. Our main reason for coming to Portsmouth is to visit the Mary Rose museum. The Mary Rose is a naval ship of Henry the 8th that sank in 1545. It stayed in the mud and silt in the bottom of the harbour until being raised in 1982. It was very well preserved because of the mud, but still it took years to restore.    At 33 pounds it was pricey to visit, but fascinating and worth it. It's an incredible display, and so eerie to see the ship in the dim light with sounds and projections of the crew. There was also a new 4D film about the discovery of the wreck. With the ticket you can also access some of the other exhibits at the dockyards. And you have a great view of naval vessels new and old. We went to a café in the shipyards for a light lunch. Tea and scones for Karen and I, beer and chips for Ian and Aaron. By that time it was 2pm and we could check-in to our hotel, The Ship Leopard. A nice boutique hotel located between the station and the shipyards. After a short rest Ian and I went for a bit of a walk. The harbour area has lots of new development, and is very busy. There is a round the world sailboat race starting from here on Sunday, so lots of festivities around that.

We are all tired, so opt for an early dinner at a pub just down the street. Broccoli and Stilton soup for me, bangers and mash for Ian. Karen and Aaron shared a veg/curry pie. And ale for all.







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