Extreme Day Trip #3: Isle of Wight 🏴
Ryde – Ventnor – Shanklin
Last year I enjoyed doing a couple of ‘Extreme Day Trips’ in the Spring/early Summer. It has been a while so I thought it time to do another – and to get it in before the end of the school term. I selected a UK destination: the Isle of Wight – which I last visited for a long weekend break back in 2021.
Leaving home at 5am, I got in the car and headed for the coast. With no traffic I made excellent time and by 7am I was on the Red Funnel ferry from Southampton to East Cowes. The Sun shining, and the water flat calm, it was a very pleasant crossing. It reminded me a lot of the Greek ferries running from Keramoti to Thassos.
Arriving in to East Cowes at 8am, I set the sat nav for the nearby seaside town of Ryde, where I planned to stop for some breakfast. I had a walk along Ryde Pier, which stretches more than half a kilometre out to sea and offering great views over to Portsmouth, just 4 miles away. Walking back in to the town, I found a great little café for breakfast; the French Franks café at the top of Union Street.
My next stop during my Isle of Wight Day Trip was the town of Ventnor, on the Southern side of the island. Known as a health resort during Victorian times, Ventnor was loved by the rich and famous including Charles Dickens, Ghandi and Sir Winston Churchill.
I don’t remember if I went in to Ventnor when I stayed on Wight in 2021, but I had a good couple of hours on the beach this week. It is a shingle beach, and on this Sunny mid-morning wasn’t too busy. I took my chair down and sat with my book for a good 2 hours, also taking regular breaks to paddle in the sea and of course drink plenty of water.
My next stop wasn’t planned, but was one I found when looking at the sat nav on leaving Ventnor. I found the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary on the screen, and thought I’d pay it a visit. It’s free to visit and doesn’t require booking, so good to just turn up.
I really enjoyed walking around the farm, meeting all the donkeys, the miniature Shetlands, the mules and the horse as well. It was so much fun to stroke the different animals and say hello to them. I think I started to form a particular friendship with the horse, named Joss – by putting in to practice some of what I used to do during my Equine Assisted Therapy sessions last year. Joss was so friendly and enjoyed following me around as I walked alongside the fence of his enclosure.
Highly reccomended to visit the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary! 🫏
My next stop was Shanklin, a lovely town I remember visiting for a day back in 2021. I stopped there to have some lunch and a much needed drink before spending another couple of hours on the beach. With the tide going out I found the walk to my chair getting further and further away!
I actually preferred Shanklin to Ventnor because it is a sandy beach (prefer that to shingle to walk on) and it was good to paddle in the Sea, and spend plenty of time reading my book. I think of the whole of the Eastern side of the Isle of Wight, Shanklin may be my favourite spot. It sort of reminds me of Greece, with a few bars/restaurants along the road behind the beach and of course the boats (sailing club) towards the end of the beach when the road moves away from the seafront and goes uphill.
Eventually my time on Wight was up, and it was time to get in the car and head back towards Cowes, to get the ferry back home. I got to the ferry terminal at 5pm – plenty of time – ahead of the departure 30 minutes later. There was a bit of a wait for boarding but the ferry left on time at 17:30 – getting back in to Southampton an hour later (18:30). An hour and a half after that, and I was safely home.
This has made me really want to go to Greece for a couple of weeks now……
FH.
