The images presented were taken in the 1990's. Taken as prints, there is degradation when going from print to digital images. Also, where we were traveling sometimes delayed processing for weeks or months and humidity played havoc with the undeveloped film. Still, I wanted to share our experiences through the pictures we took.
June and August 1997. We spent a couple of months moving up the east coast of Ireland and then over to Scotland. We had a wonderful time and met friendly, very helpful people. One place really made an impression on us--Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland. Gorgeous area. We befriended Peter Whelan over a beer at a local pub and he drove us around the area to see the sights, i.e. Glendalough and environs. Gallway Hookers Festival in Porta Ferry, Northern Ireland. We entered Bijou in a race and we came in third overall out of a lot of sailing vessels. We were very proud. Also on show were old vessels that added a lot to the event.
We left Plymouth on May 1997 for Ireland, Scotland and ultimately Norway. Our first stop was the Isles of Scilly on the southwest tip of England. There, we met legends and idols Lin and Larry Pardey on Taleison. Bijou was designed after Taleison. We got to share an anchorage and some social time with them. Very memorable. There are a few islands that make up the Isles of Scilly. Our favorite spot was between Tresco and Bryher islands. Great hiking and dramatic views. This is a favorite destination for Ed and Liz when they cruise, so it was fun to be able to experience this place. The weather is not always favorable to stop, so we felt fortunate to be able to do so. Early 1997. As winter progressed, we continued to meet with new friends Ed and Liz. Again, hiking and even a sail up the Tamor River to share an anchorage. We felt so lucky to have friends who would include us in their plans. Since Ed and Liz were so close, they often called around, bundled us up in their car and drove us to an outstanding place. There never seemed to be an end to beautiful places to visit. Then came the time, we decided to do a short trip up the Tamor River. More great fun!! March 1997. Good friends Marion and Keith visited us with their daughter Anya. They had a great vacation rental a short walk from the boat, which made it easy to get together. They came to the boat, we went to their rental and we did some sightseeing. We stayed a little longer with Derek and Eve. One day, they took us for a walk on the Coastal Path in north Devon. This is one of King Charles' projects. When we walked this section in the Spring of 1997, it was years away from being complete, but now in 2023, it is supposed to be done. It's a long-distance National Trail that follows the coastline of England. When complete, it will be around 2,700 miles (4,300 km) long. We were thrilled to be able to walk the section that we did. The views were spectacular. One of the wonderful things about staying the winter in Plymouth was the people we met. Dereck and Eve belonged to the Yacht Club in Plymouth that sort of adopted us while we were there. Plus, their boat was in Sutton Harbor. So Cool. They were not liveaboards, but they did frequently visit their boat. Although we met and did things at the Yacht Club, they invited us to their home in Somerset for a few days. What a treat! They, like Peter and Sylvia, and Ed and Liz, love to hike and so when we visited, we did just that! Spring 1997 in Plymouth, England was great. Flowers in bloom, hikes with new friends, and a terrific visit from old friends. Our experiences in Plymouth were truly memorable. Tintangle Castle, located on Cornwall's north shore, is labeled as the castle of King Arthur. Although his reign can't be nailed down historically, the fantasy is alive and well and perpetuated by these stunning castle ruins and surrounding scenery. It's so much more fun to believe than not.
We loved our digs in Plymouth. We were in the heart of the city in the historic section known as the Barbican. We had an easy walk to anything we needed or wanted to do. The train station was close enough and we took advantage of that to travel locally as well as traveling to London a couple of times. But the Barbican which surrounded Sutton Harbor Marina was the best. We couldn't believe our luck and we were so happy we decided to winter here. |
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