Southwest Trip - Day Three

On Friday, 26 October, Martin navigated and drove us out from our remote hostel and took us north and east to Montacute House, a stellar example of an Elizabethan-era house. The students were thrilled because it was also the setting for Marianne Dashwood's sickness sequence in the Emma-Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility.

From there, Martin moved us along in the most timely manner possible, considering it was half-term school holiday and all of Britain was on the road. We arrived at the Southampton ferry dock at exactly 3:00 P.M. and they let us board for our scheduled and nearly-missed departure. We gave a mighty cheer and heaved a sigh of relief as he pulled the coach onto the to ferry for our crossing to the Isle of Wight.

We spent the night at Sandown, a dowdy old seaside town for which England is so well known. With the Brits traveling internationally for their holidays, the old seaside towns have fallen on hard times. These kinds of towns are filled mostly with old age pensioners now, so naturally, we felt at home. (Stop it; it was just a joke.) There was time for a stroll along the beach before sundown and some supper afterward at a Greek restaurant. I had a lamb shank that was delicious! We stayed in a small, home-sized hotel (St. Michael's on Leed Street), which was a dream after the hostels. It was so nice to have a private bath and a comfortable bed with real sheets and towels.

Montacute: the perfect Elizabethan house

These windows with original glass, lovingly patched over
the years with leading, really knock me out. If you enlarge the
photo and look carefully, you can even see that they have very old
inscriptions etched into them.

Jeff, Amy, and Kris at Montacute House

The driveway entrance to Montacute from the rear

Most of the Ringers (at least those who are in England) 

with Kris on the ferry to the Isle of Wight. The ferry in 

the background is identical to what we were on.

Amy's fun photo of the group

 A screen grab of the St. Michael's Hotel