There is plenty to see and do in Portsmouth, just a quick ferry ride across the water from Gosport. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and Henry VIII's Mary Rose are just three of the marine treasures to be seen. The Royal Clarence Marina also has its fair share of sights to see, having been one of only three victualling yards in Britain in its heyday; the yard here fed and watered the 18th and 19th-century Royal Navy's Portsmouth Fleet with food, rum and beer which was brewed on site. The whole site is currently undergoing redevelopment, the old slaughterhouse, ironically, is to become an up-market pub.
But on Monday, we contented ourselves with a walk to The Jolly Roger - a watering hole of great historical interest and significance of course - for lunch with Aunt Mary, who will be 80 in June, and cousin Philip. Plenty of evidence of the Royal Navy was seen on the way:
The Ark Royal aircraft carrier leaving Gosport on its last journey to Turkey to be broken up for scrap - it had been berthed just across the estuary from us.
View across the water from The Jolly Roger
The walk to the Jolly Roger took us across the Millennium Bridge and along the well landscaped shore path. This was just as well because Aunty Mary now requires a wheel chair.
Before heading to France, we entertained Gordon and Caroline, old friends of the Skipper from his youth, on Tuesday. They had driven over from their home in Swindon for lunch aboard the Jolly Follyfin. We also prepared for our trip across the channel, refuelling at the neighbouring Gosport Marina. Yes we did indeed manage to cross the channel on Wednesday, arriving in Cherbourg just before sunset. The wind was variable and quite light for most of the passage so we were forced to motor sail for 10 out of the 14 hours it took to cross, a journey of 81 miles.
A few other people had the same plan. A giant bronze statue of Napoleon greets the weary traveller just across the greensward from the marina. He may have conquered Egypt but not GB!
And now it looks like we'll all be stuck here for a couple of days because of gale force winds ... again. Still there are culinary compensations in France, as well as the local beverages, and we look forward to sampling them whilst we wait. Next stop the Channel Islands, hopefully tomorrow Saturday 25th.
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