Day 19,20 and 21: A Train, a Ferry and an Island
I havenât posted in a few days because one night we were staying in a hostel and the next I had no internet but here is a recap of the past three days.
Day 19 began with catching a bus, a train then the tube just so we could then board another train to Liverpool. In Liverpool we did some more shopping in and around the Liverpool One mall which was better than shopping in London as there were less people more variety and no traffic between the stores. I ended up back and Primark and was able to get the shirt I liked in London in my size and also get some Pokemon and Star Wars themed socks.
We also took a walk down to the waterfront to work out where we needed to catch the ferry the next day. On the way we discovered a statue of the Beatles and took the opportunity to take a photo. Once back at the hostel we were staying at we sat in the bar and watched Liverpool qualify for the champions league playing around the corner at Anfield. That night it wasnât only hard to get to sleep because we were in a hostel but also because the football fans in the bar below would not stop singing football anthems.
The next morning we boarded the ferry to the Isle of Man. While waiting in the waiting room I decided to get some water from the vending machine only to find it would not accept the new one pound coin I had so I didnât have enough. Each time I pulled out the new coin from the change slot I found another coin until I had the exact change I needed to get the bottle of water. I felt like this was God reminding me âDonât worry, I have your backâ.
The banks of the Mersey River are lined with wind turbines and it felt like they were waving us goodbye as we went down the river into the Irish Sea. When we arrived in Douglas the capital we noticed a castle in the middle of the harbour which was cool. We were greeted by Chris and Andrew (Grannyâs cousins) with a âRobinsonâ sign who said they recognised me straight away because I look like my dad.
From there they took us to some of the sights Granny wanted us to see including Cregneish which is a tiny village with thatched roofs which was where the film Waking Ned was filmed. At this stage grannyâs other cousin Ken and his wife Jackie had joined us and were filling us in on family history. After this we went down to now my favorite part of the island Calf Sound with stunning views.
For dinner we went around to Barbaraâs place and met some of her younger family members. I then spent about an hour trying to help her get Skype working so she could Skype family overseas. It was now bedtime to rest up for going around the rest of the island today.
It took me a little while to get used to the car especially the fact that the indicator is on the opposite side. However, with little rocks we were able to make our way back through Douglas to Laxley to see the giant water wheel then head on to Ramsey. Once in Ramsey we visited what we believe is the church grannyâs dad preached in and also the home they lived in as well as the bank granny worked in.
We then headed north to the Point of Ayre to see the lighthouse then made our way towards Peel. The roads around here while fun to drive can be quite dangerous due to their narrow nature, the blind corners and the close stone walls. On the way to Peel we came across one of the motor cyclists here for the Grand Prix unconscious on the side of the road with other motor cyclists trying to help.
We parked in Peel and walked down the narrow winding streets to the castle and took a look around the ruins before getting an ice cream at what we had been told was the place to get the best ice cream on the island. We then headed back for dinner with grannies cousins at a local hotel/pub. Afterwards we went back to the sound to watch the sunset wrapping up an eventful day on a marvelous island.
