Pretty Portsmouth

Sarah (a Gold Coast local who works with us at Silvermere as one of the chefs) and I had a blast at Portsmouth on one of our rare days off work. We visited the Historic Dockyard, saw the HMS Victory, ate real English fish and chips, spent a fortune in pennies at a seaside arcade, and generally acted like big kids all day! Here's a run-down (and brief blog) in photos:

When we first arrived from the train, we stopped by the tourist info centre close by as we walked past the ship, and picked up a bunch of leaflets explaining the sights in Portsmouth. Next stop was the Historic Dockyard, which was full of interesting things to see - unfortunately for us, arriving later in the afternoon, many of the exhibits were just about to close. So we chose to visit the HMS Victory at the far end of the Dockyard, and we weren't disappointed! A very kind guard allowed us in without a ticket (we were supposed to purchase them for £9.50 at the Dockyard's entrance, but it was just about closing time, and the entrance was a fair walk away - so he let us in for free and asked that we make a donation at the end! What a legend), so we made our way along the guided track.

Here's the lowdown on the HMS Victory: it was Lord Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar flagship - in a huge battle (and win) against the French. Lord Nelson is Britain's greatest naval hero, and his ship is impressive! Walking through the different levels (and having to climb the super-steep stairs / ladders and duck under doorways) made us think of the convicts and first settlers in Australia - what a creepy, dank way to travel! Icky...

After the HMS Victory, we found a traditional English 'chippy' (fish and chip shop) to have a late lunch. We got mushy peas to complement the fish, and found it to be quite tasty (though it was probably from a can)! Took some silly photos to remember the moment.

We then trekked across to Gunwharf Quays - a shopping precinct that is fairly recent, and very chic (and was also full of French schoolchildren there on an excursion). The super-modern Spinnaker Tower is 170m high, and looks so space-aged it really doesn't fit in with most of the town (apparently you can book tickets online at www.spinnakertower.co.uk and save 10%, though I have no idea what admission costs were like). Lucky there are a bunch of new shops / cafes surrounding it, to help it blend in a little. We had a herbal tea (how hippy of us) and checked out a couple of shops before following the Heritage Trail (a line of patterned pavers - clever) through the streets to the old fortified walls and pier.

We checked out the pebbly beach as we went, and saw an interesting old church / graveyard along the way. It being Friday the 13th, there were some interesting halloween-type costumes on what we assumed were buskers - who were walking along the fortified walls hamming it up for tourists. A short walk along the wall, and we arrived at the pier - which had an amusement park on it! I've never seen one in Australia (only in movies) so this was a real treat! Sarah and I went inside and played a game where you drop pennies on a shelf that moves, and try to get your penny to push others off the shelf (into the prize bucket). We literally spent hours there - glued to these silly machines! But we had fun and didn't spend too much - plus we both got prizes at the end! So much fun.

After an icecream, we followed the Heritage Trail back to the train so we could get home before midnight. Arriving at Weybridge Station, we helped a woman lift her friend (in a wheelchair) up the stairs - the lift wasn't working - and they offered us a ride home. The car was modified so the wheelchair-bound friend could drive, and we chatted happily as they kindly dropped us back (saving us £7 on a taxi). A great end to a great day!

Portsmouth struck me as a lovely, sleepy fishing town. Most of the houses and shops are ancient and have peeling paint, but that adds to its character. It has heaps of interesting naval history, and it is definitely worth a day trip to the Dockyard at the very least. It was also heaps of fun having a day out of Silvermere doing social things with workmates - it's not often that we get to do this type of thing. Thanks Sarah!

xoxo Lici