Postcard from the Isle of Man

 

We're back from a much needed and delightful break on the Isle of Man - a fascinating place to visit and ideal for slowing down the pace of life for a few days. This is part of the view from the top of Snaefell - the highest point on the island - where we were blessed with a clear day so we could see England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in one 360° sweep around. This is looking towards England and Scotland which is the thin darker line you can see on the horizon.

It's clear the Manx people are proud of their island, a world biosphere no less, but they're also no stranger to innovation as it's where pilates was first developed (a product from war internment), where the RNLI was born, and is home to the world's largest working waterwheel at Laxey, plus the world's oldest continuously running parliament, the Tynwald. Manx Gaelic is alive and well too; many street signs are bilingual* and there's a primary school at St John's where it's taught immersively as part of  their core curriculum. Our coach driver who drove us around the TT course went to that school and treated us to some Manx phrases along the way.

There were plenty of alternative public transport options to try - with regular services by electric tram, horse drawn tram and steam train to delight plus our visit coincided with the annual transport festival, which kept us amused for days. Foodie delights included Queenies (freshly caught scallops from the fish shack in Peel), ice cream (island wide Davidsons and Isle of Gelato in Laxey), plus bonnag - a delicious fruit loaf similar to tea bread without the tea.**

A visit to the Manx cat cafe*** in Douglas ensured we got to see the famed animal from the island 😻

A highly recommended place for a holiday 😊

* = I love the Gaelic name for the island's capital Douglas - regularly seen as Doolish on the local buses!

** = which gets my seal of approval as I'm allergic to tea

*** = it closes in October, so hurry