Off on holidays

On the Ben-my-Chree

We had a easy morning today.  We did our packing, ran around the house looking for last minute things - mainly Matt's goggles which had gone missing.  We turned the house upside down looking for them, no-one could understand where they had gone as we had all seen them on the chest of drawers recently.  I flippantly said, to Matt that it would 'be funny' if he had packed them but forgotten.  I checked - guess what, they were in the suitcase.  All 3 of us spent ages looking for them too!  We had better go swimming now or there will be trouble.

We packed up the car - it is a rule of packing, that you fill whatever container you have.  This time it was the car, and yes the car was full to brimming, including 3 big highland cows: they were very excited to have a holiday away.

Sunset on the Irish Sea

We stopped off at Kirkby so I could deliver some marketing material to the card shop there - I had an interesting conversation with the owner there when I popped in for Tom's helium balloon - the cake shop in Kirkby has recently closed down and people are always asking him who to go to.  He knew of me, in fact I did an order for him a couple of years ago, but I think now he has met me properly I might get some more business from them.  Lets hope anyway!

Our strangely shaped house

Then down the link road to Heysham where we had lunch at the Half Moon Cafe overlooking the seaside and then to the port. It was raining so we stayed in the car until we boarded the ferry.  The ferry was full, full of Brits going on holiday for the half term.  We were lucky to get seats together and even more lucky that we got seats next to a family of 3 including a 10 year old boy, George.  Inevitably they started chatting and kept each other amused for pretty much the whole voyage.  Result.  We also bumped into Auntie Kathy on board - we knew she would be there, and the boat isn't that big.  We arranged to meet up sometime during the week, mainly to say hi to Uncle Geoff.

It was an event free crossing, a little swaying, but clear enough and clam enough to go out on the deck from time to time to see the bright lights of Douglas get nearer and nearer.  We arrived on time and drove straight to Ballaugh to our little cottage.  It is little in that it is very narrow - not much wider (if at all) than a railway carriage.  However, it goes back and back and back, so you get the feeling of space.  Anyway I'm sure we will be more than happy here.  Especially because we are directly opposite a pub.  We, of course had to go to investigate, it was full of TT photos (we are right on the course here), it did craft beer and has a decent enough menu.  Result.