I slept the sleep of the very tired and woke up with aching shins - the result of the climb and rushing down the cliff.
Ma told me how very worried she had been, and how she had wondered how she would have coped if anything had happened to me........I told her not to think about it as I was Ok.
I looked out through the curtains, the sea mist was obscuring the view.....it was a very grey day...not a break in the cloud.
We were off on another tour of the Island......taking in Cowes and travelling through Ryde......but not stopping there......oh Pooh!
I was really looking forward to pushing Ma up the steep main street....and doing the charity shop tour.(!)
I was really disappointed. Neil said that as there were some of the passengers on the bus who were bad on their pins, he thought that Ryde would be too much of a trail for them.
It was still very misty when we got to Cowes.
This is another place that always seems to be shut when we go - well except for the Co-op, which doubles as the post office too.
We only had an hour. The main street in Cowes is not very wheelchair friendly - not many lowered pavements....some of it is pedestrianised and other bits aren't.
You only know which bits aren't when you are faced by an irate driver.
We headed to the far side of the town - charity shop......and what do you know?
They were having a half price sale.
Ma bought herself a pair of gloves and a winter hat - she also bought a summer straw hat, but I think it is to decorate as an Easter bonnet for when she goes to the Easter lunch club.
I didn't buy anything at all.
We ambled back to the coach, looking in the windows of some of the posh shops (closed).
We were back at the pick up point in plenty of time....in fact I think we waited for ten minutes or so.
After leaving Cowes we headed towards Ryde (boo hoo)......and drove down the main street along the Esplanade.
We were going to Appley Manor for lunch.
Normally form the Garden you can see the big tower in Plymouth - not today, you could barely see to the bottom of the garden.
We got a warm welcome at the manor, and a good lunch......the we were off to Rosemary's Vineyard.
There was a bit of a talk about the vineyard and some of the finer points about viticulture, that's wine amking to you and me.
I didn't stay to listen. I have done a few tours of wineries but in the pleasanter, sunnier climate of Australia.
We were offered thimblefuls of red wine to try.....not my taste at all....then there was a chance to buy their products.
I didn't come away from there clinking!
Soon we were on the road again. Off to Godshill. A lovely picturesque village.....the myth is that sometime around the 13th century the villagers decided to build a church.
A plot of land was paid for but its name locally was 'The Devils acre'....apparently all the building stuff was placed ready for the build to go ahead, but when the stonemasons turned up to start work on the church, all the stones had been moved to the top of the hill......they moved the building stuff again to the site that had been bought, and yet again during the night it found its way to the top of the hill.
The villagers decided that this was Gods way of telling them that he didn't want his house built on the Devils acre, and the church was built on Gods Hill instead.
I meandered up to the church.....again quite a steep pull. Ma stayed down in the village with a cup of coffee.
When I got to the church I thought it was locked....I thought this was a bit strange as none of the churches on the island are ever locked.
Anyway when I read the instructions on how to get in, the door did yield.
There was no-one in the church. I lit a candle for my friend Hilary....and asked for a mass of intention in the prayer book.
I bought a couple of prayer cards too and took a couple of pictures.
When I tried to open the door to leave I found that I couldn't open the door.
I tried and tried, but the heavy door wouldn't budge.
I got my phone out of my pocket, my idea was to ring the hotel and see if they could contact the driver, hoping he would come up and let me out. No signal, no blooming phone signal......even though it was cold in the church I was beginning to sweat. I had visions of me being trapped in the church, with no-one knowing where I was, although I'm sure ma would have guessed.
Then I could hear muffled voices outside the church, tourists....some other tourists had found their way up to the church.....they opened the door allowing me out. I warned them not to close the door fully as it was difficult to open from the inside.
I wonder if the priest uses this as a ploy to get the parishoners to stay for the whole of his sermon.
I have to say that I was worried there for a few minutes.
I almost skipped down the hill. Ma was just where I had left her, though she had gained an audience and was regaling them with some tale or other.
I told her how I had nearly been a missing link.
I can't say I was sorry to get back to the warmth and comfort of the hotel that afternoon......and I had a lovely cup of hot chocolate with brandy in it - purely medicinal you understand
.
Ma told me how very worried she had been, and how she had wondered how she would have coped if anything had happened to me........I told her not to think about it as I was Ok.
I looked out through the curtains, the sea mist was obscuring the view.....it was a very grey day...not a break in the cloud.
We were off on another tour of the Island......taking in Cowes and travelling through Ryde......but not stopping there......oh Pooh!
I was really looking forward to pushing Ma up the steep main street....and doing the charity shop tour.(!)
I was really disappointed. Neil said that as there were some of the passengers on the bus who were bad on their pins, he thought that Ryde would be too much of a trail for them.
It was still very misty when we got to Cowes.
This is another place that always seems to be shut when we go - well except for the Co-op, which doubles as the post office too.
We only had an hour. The main street in Cowes is not very wheelchair friendly - not many lowered pavements....some of it is pedestrianised and other bits aren't.
You only know which bits aren't when you are faced by an irate driver.
We headed to the far side of the town - charity shop......and what do you know?
They were having a half price sale.
Ma bought herself a pair of gloves and a winter hat - she also bought a summer straw hat, but I think it is to decorate as an Easter bonnet for when she goes to the Easter lunch club.
I didn't buy anything at all.
We ambled back to the coach, looking in the windows of some of the posh shops (closed).
We were back at the pick up point in plenty of time....in fact I think we waited for ten minutes or so.
After leaving Cowes we headed towards Ryde (boo hoo)......and drove down the main street along the Esplanade.
We were going to Appley Manor for lunch.
Normally form the Garden you can see the big tower in Plymouth - not today, you could barely see to the bottom of the garden.
We got a warm welcome at the manor, and a good lunch......the we were off to Rosemary's Vineyard.
There was a bit of a talk about the vineyard and some of the finer points about viticulture, that's wine amking to you and me.
I didn't stay to listen. I have done a few tours of wineries but in the pleasanter, sunnier climate of Australia.
We were offered thimblefuls of red wine to try.....not my taste at all....then there was a chance to buy their products.
I didn't come away from there clinking!
Soon we were on the road again. Off to Godshill. A lovely picturesque village.....the myth is that sometime around the 13th century the villagers decided to build a church.
A plot of land was paid for but its name locally was 'The Devils acre'....apparently all the building stuff was placed ready for the build to go ahead, but when the stonemasons turned up to start work on the church, all the stones had been moved to the top of the hill......they moved the building stuff again to the site that had been bought, and yet again during the night it found its way to the top of the hill.
The villagers decided that this was Gods way of telling them that he didn't want his house built on the Devils acre, and the church was built on Gods Hill instead.
I meandered up to the church.....again quite a steep pull. Ma stayed down in the village with a cup of coffee.
When I got to the church I thought it was locked....I thought this was a bit strange as none of the churches on the island are ever locked.
Anyway when I read the instructions on how to get in, the door did yield.
There was no-one in the church. I lit a candle for my friend Hilary....and asked for a mass of intention in the prayer book.
I bought a couple of prayer cards too and took a couple of pictures.
When I tried to open the door to leave I found that I couldn't open the door.
I tried and tried, but the heavy door wouldn't budge.
I got my phone out of my pocket, my idea was to ring the hotel and see if they could contact the driver, hoping he would come up and let me out. No signal, no blooming phone signal......even though it was cold in the church I was beginning to sweat. I had visions of me being trapped in the church, with no-one knowing where I was, although I'm sure ma would have guessed.
Then I could hear muffled voices outside the church, tourists....some other tourists had found their way up to the church.....they opened the door allowing me out. I warned them not to close the door fully as it was difficult to open from the inside.
I wonder if the priest uses this as a ploy to get the parishoners to stay for the whole of his sermon.
I have to say that I was worried there for a few minutes.
I almost skipped down the hill. Ma was just where I had left her, though she had gained an audience and was regaling them with some tale or other.
I told her how I had nearly been a missing link.
I can't say I was sorry to get back to the warmth and comfort of the hotel that afternoon......and I had a lovely cup of hot chocolate with brandy in it - purely medicinal you understand
.
