Southampton, UK circumnavigation & Dubai 2018

For the last couple of hours into Liverpool we passed hundreds of water based wind turbines over many km - by far the biggest numbers we have ever seen. We also had ocean racing yachts, in combat, adjacent to us - very strange for so early on a Saturday morning. It turns out that we were in the middle of the concluding stage of the 2017/18 Clipper Around the World Sailing Race. With strong winds, the 11 remaining yachts were beating hard into the wind right alongside us for about an hour. Liverpool began life as a small fishing village on the Mersey River and its convenient location made it an attractive base for english troops before King John granted it a Royal Charter in 1207. It was the mid 1600's, however, before it became a major international trading port. It has great maritime history, including the Titanic and the Lusitania - and, of course, was home to the Beatles, its most famous export. I came to Liverpool 38 years back, at a time it was suffering badly from the decli...

The Captain was right, strong winds and rain overnight but cleared by early morning.  Dublin has a very big indutrial port, but it is subject to significant tides, hence ship movements need to be carefully timed. Originally settled by the Celts about 350BC, conquered by the Vikings in 795AD and then by the Normans when Henry II took Ireland in 1169. It remained a medieval city until the reign of the four King Georges from 1714. The city is split by the River Liffey on which massive redevelopment is proceeding toward the east (more than 30 cranes in view). Top deck of Shuttle bus into town, we did our own walking tour, including Merrion Square, St Stephen's Green, National Concert Hall, St Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, over the river and back,  Temple Bar (really colourfil anr bustling), the Molly Malone statue, Trinity College (massive crowds and a 400M line to see the Book of Kells), the National Gallery of Ireland and then back to Merrion Square. Dub...

A 2 minute rain shower as we disembarked alongside the railway station at Cobh. 24 minute journey into Cork (on the River Lee), but relocation of the Tourist Information Office, two incorrect maps and an unforseen street numbering restart threw me into contusion and we missed the organised walk. Cork is, however, a very compact place and we were able to manufacture it ourselves. The Irish Saint, Finbarr, founded a monastery in Cork in the 6th century and it became an urban centre around 915 when the vikings formed a trading post. Cork harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world (after Sydney). The English Market has been trading since 1788 and has survived the famine, revoltions, wars, fire and economic decline. St Finbarre's Cathedral sits on a site where Christian worship has been offered since the 7th century. The Elizabeth Fort built in the aftermath of the Battle of Kinsale, has panoramic views across the city - although the panorama is generally grey. Quite ...

Up and about early and caught an early tender to St Peter Port. This gave us the opportunity to catch the first No.91 bus of the day. The 91 circumnavigates Guernsey in 1 hour 40, and hugs the coastline for most of its route. On a beautiful morning of clear blue sky it was quite special. Small villages, beaches rocky outcrops and marinas - and when we got back the queue for the bus was three bus loads long and growing. Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands and, after many conquerors across the centuries, eventually became the property of England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It maintains a significant degree of separation however, with its own currency and no VAT- and it is one of the worlds primary tax havens. Its most challenging times occurred during WW2 when the Channel Islands were occupied by German forces for close to 5 years. Slave labour built much of the German infrastructure, including a 500 patient underground hospital with operating and X-ray rooms, cinema a...

Southampton is a coastal city in Hampshire, with a population over 250,000 (more than 40,000 of whom are students). It has a very strong higher education sector, with 2 universities. It is also the only English city without a Cathedral. Jane Austen lived here for a number of years and it was Benny Hill's home town. The city suffered substantial damage from German bombing during WW2 with significant property damage and 641 killed. It is average on the socio economic scale and evidences quite few a "homeless/beggars" - but very little graffiti.  There is a lot of student accommodation and many post war buildings are not architecturally attractive. Southampton is an excellent touring base in the south with very good transport links in every direction - although with Tom & Jeanette taking us around we never needed to use them. Packed up and ready to go after a stroll through the park to the highly rated Docks Coffee House (the best we have had), then checked out and wa...

News over here is pretty much the same as at home - homelessness, power prices, Donald Trump & gender diversity etc. On the latter matter, and just to prove the world really has gone mad, you will be pleased to know that the english equestrian society has just ruled that in the interests of equality and gender diversity, a mule is now eligible to compete in equestrian dressage events!!! 30C today with a cloudless blue sky. England, like much of Europe is experiencing a sustained period of heat and lack of rain. Fifty year records are being challenged. Anyway, off early for a day in Southampton. There is apparently evidence of human presence in the area fo 50,000 years, but the modern era began with the Normans. Southampton was a walled city and there are still substantial parts of the old wall remaining. It is of course one of the worlds great seafaring ports both in history ie the Pilgrim Fathers departed in 1605, the first passenger voyage of the Titanic departed here, huge num...

Four large cruise ships in port today to enjoy the wonderful weather. Tom & Jeanette picked us up at 9.30am to head to the New Forest, one of 15 National Parks in the UK - and only made so in 2005. The area itself however was set aside by William the Conqueror as his private hunting ground "Nova Foresta" more than 900 years ago. The New Forest covers around 500 square km and contains a number of villages and small towns. While it is a National Park, it has attached to it an historic, unique operational/grazing system.  Land owning "Commoners" have attached rights which permit a range of things, including the "Right of Common of Pasture" - which permit some commoners to turn out ponies, cattle, donkeys and mules onto the common grazing, or "The Right of Common of Mast - the right to turn out pigs in the pannage season.  Six specified commoner rights exist, all overseen by Verderers of the New Forest", if necessary via a Vereder's Court (o...

Tom & Jeanette picked us up at 9.30am on a very sunny and mid-20C's day. They are a little older than us, we met in Bali over 30 years back and have only ever caught up once since then. Pat and Jeanette have regularly been in touch over the years and Jeanette was insistent in catching up this trip. We all get on very well and they are going out of their way to host us, coming down for two nights and generously driving us around. Despite some navigational difficulties we reached our destination and were inside the Portsmouth Heritage Docks by 11am. The area is huge with numerous attractions and would easily fill three days to comprehensively cover. We focussed on three classic vessels as well as a coffee and later lunch break.  The HMS Warrior was the world's first iron hulled battleship and was the pride of Queen Victoria's fleet when launched in 1860. She was the largest and most powerful warship in the world when launched and is fully restored and accessible. The H...

The ear plugs did the trick for me, so a good sleep. Should mention three aspects from yesterday: 1. There is a severe water problem in the south of England, with a long and consistently hot summer so far - and no rain. It looks pretty much like conditions in Victoria in the middle of a hot summer; 2. My admiration of the skill of bus drivers on local roads over here has again been reinforced; and 3.  We saw an old Pug struggling in yesterday's heat and it travelled upstairs on one of our buses.  Pat was not her usual self, failing to fawn over the Pug, and dismissively telling me "I am not keen on old females!!! Liesurely wander this morning, to and along, the High Street, lots of people in town with 3 big cruise ships having turnaround days.  Another very pleasant day in the low 20's with good sunshine. Our friends coming down to spend two days with us rang to say they were at a standstill on the Motorway. Their anticipated two hour driving time became 4 hours. I...

Not a lot of sleep as we are still time zone adjusting. Portcullis House is on a busy road.  We are across the road from, and face, Queen's Park and our entrance walkway faces the docks with thousands of new cars awaiting transport around England. For me the traffic noise was a sleep preventer. If we closed our double glazed windows, that would help - but it would preclude fresh air.  So ear plugs from Boots it will be!! Net result,  Pat out of bed by 6am. Early wander up to Town Quay and the fast ferry across the Solent to Cowes West on the Isle of Wight. Then the bus to Newport and a town centre wander, incuding a coffee and Cathedral drop in (origins dating to 1180 and Henry VII). Princess Elizabeth,  the second daughter of Charles I is at rest here after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited the area and found her original burial site "not a fit resting place for a Royal Princess". On then to Sandown, a stereotype English seaside town with bathing boxes,...

2.30pm pick up for our 6pm flight, so plenty of relaxing Lounge time at Tullamarine.  A quite pleasant 7+ hours to Singapore for a brief layover and a good leg stretch before another 7+ hour leg to Dubai. Both flights about 85% full, with good service and chance for a few hours of shuteye. Very pleasant food, good scotch and French red. Long transit walk in Dubai but all handled pretty efficiently. A bit disappointed at this stage at not needing to pull out my hip replacement card at either Tullamarine and Changi. Dubai fixed that when the bells went off!! Very interesting at the differences in security screening between the airports, Tullamarine,  watch off, belt off, coins out, Changi, all those were ok, Dubai, belt off, but coins and watch ok. Dubai took the cake however in requiring boarding pass and passport presentation 5 times in the space of 50 metres. Once again a few spare seats to Gatwick and we had a baby and a 12 month old in our immediate proximity. Both ama...