Last days of vacation

We had a marvelous sea food dinner in Ventnor, right on the water, and fell into bed the first night on the Isle of wight. We awoke to foxes running in the yard of our thatched roof B&B, had a wonderful breakfast and then headed out to visit Osborne House. This was the huge manor house constructed by Queen Victoira's husband Albert. It's gardens and rooms were, of course, royal in scope. There was even an entire Swiss Cottage built in which the 9 children of Victoria and Albert received their extensive and massive education. They were taught all the basics in addition to the three Rs: building, hunting, cooking, gutting, gardening and everything else the commoners and royals needed to know in the early 1800s. Albert unfortunately died at age 41 not too long after it was completed. Victoria spent the last 40+ years of her life in mourning, many of them here as a recluse. To get to the island was a mere 4 hour train ride from London, sail across the Solent and landing on their private beach. We also learned that the upper class at that time had "bathing machines," a coach pulled by horses with a heating stove and toilet in which the women could descendinto the water (fully clothed) and get out again once their were done swimming. Some of "Mrs. Brown" was filmed here , with Judi Dench starring as the widowed Victoria, including the bathing machines.

From Osborne House,, we drove to and hiked through the botanical gardens down to Steephill Cove, a private beach owned by just a few families, inaccesible except by hiking or boat. Supposedly great crab sanwiches are made here, with crab fresh out of the water. We, of course, got there late and only after all the crab was eaten...unlucky!

Next to the Isle of Wight glassworks to look for Christmas ornaments, but everything was too elegant or heave to bring back and risk being broken in the flight. We spent our last time on the island hiking to St. Catherine's Oratory, the tallest spot on the island, to view where my Uncle Dix set up one of the major radio signal relay stations during WWII. He was in charge of that stuff for the Allies, all over Europe and North Africa. There was still a big white triangulation monument for measuring distances and signals.

Off the Isle to stay one last night with Suzy and Nick, Suzy's house is approximately 500 years old. It had very low beams and headers over the doors, which I kept bashing into with my already sore skull . A swim in their pool (not 500 years old, with their grandchildren Lauren and Callum thentime out for dinner with Alex, her husband Al, 5 year old Lauren and 10 month old Callum. Lovely BBQ and PIMS #1, of which I have become quite fond.Very much fun to catch up with cousins, first cousins once removed and first cousins twice removed :)
Up early the next morning to try to pack...where did all this stuff come from!! One last driveon the left without denting the car, easy with the Garmin which has become our favorite toy. Off on a short trip to Iceland, Plane left late so we missed the important goals for USA in Iceland. Longer hop to Seattle, Nate topick us up, hugs for Nate, Liesl, Cooper and the dogs and into bed. Nice to be home again, not as nice to be back at work! Mark starts his new Electronic Medical Records next week, so I don't expect to see him for awhile! Hi to all ... over and out...you may not here fromus again for weeks!