The myth of the Man

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Flag of United Kingdom  , Isle of Man,
Tuesday, November 2, 2010

We were glad of the 3 hr ferry trip to the Isle of Man this morning on the SeaCat, there wasn't much sleep last night after going to the Guinness Storehouse (some people start singing when they have had a few, but we won't mention any names will we Dave).  It gave us time to sit and watch the world go by.  The view as the ferry came int the harbour at Douglas was breathtaking, this looked as though it would be a fanastic day.  Talking to some locals about the isle and places to see we where informed that we had not long missed the Top Gear crew over here filming for their show.  Even though the Isle of Man is under British rule, they still had control of the isle and only inforced the speed limits within the city.  What news it was for the 3 of us, we stop and got directions to the circuit that is used for the IOM (Isle of Man) TT (Tourist Trophy), a yearly motorbike race that has been going for over 100 years. The circuit they use is just a tad under 61 kms long and and goes through the valleys, over the mountains and has some nice sweeping curves
sunset
sunset
.  The poor little car struggled and we had to stop Dave from pushing it along too fast for fear of getting stranded and not able to finish the race.
The IOM is full of myths and legends that can be clearly seen as we drive around this mystical isle.  There is Fairy Bridge where you say hello to the fairies as you cross over for good luck, St Trinity's Church, a beautifully built stone church with no roof.  A Buggane blew it off the a fit of temper.  And Peel Castle, said to be haunted by Moddey Dhoo, a ghostly black dog.  It is rumoured that the castle is the sight of Avalon, the final resting place of King Arthur. 
We stopped for a little while in Castletown, the old capital of IOM and was told of some of the people born here or who lived on the isle.  The most famous of these would be the Gibb brothers who were born on the isle and later formed the band Bee Gees and of a local T.V.character who had been in the news for the wrong reasons, Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear (the Stig also retired here).
I can understand why people come to live here, the isle is beautiful and full of suprises. Tywald, the IOW parliment has controlled the isle since 979 ad, has different tax laws making it a tax haven for many people. I enjoy the quiet life, with thrills now and then, and this would be perfect for me.
Getting to and from the isle from ireland can be a bit tricky, if you are driving, but getting to England is no major drama.
The sad part about the isle is that the Manx language is only now being taught in schools, the last native speaking person died in the late 1970's.
Oops, no time left on this isle, we need to catch the ferry to Heysham for our nights feed in Lancaster.

Finally bought another camera.
Douglas hotels Slideshow

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