Isle of Wight to London–Monday

Its the Final Countdown.

Looking forward to going home now…, , and missing Miss Lizzy, oh and Edith and others as well….

Final few days in London ,,but before we get there I have to share the rigmarole of getting out of the castle.

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and below, here are the Jackdaws.. These are birdies that live in the castle.. and  whose ancestors have lived in castle's for thousands of years…

And back on the ferry..

Dropped the car back to Hertz at Marble Arch and off to our air B&B for the last 4 nights.

This time we are staying at Islington in a room in a flat which looks like it was some sort of converted industrial building. Great location, nearest tube stop is Angel.

And naturally we have swapped the donkeys for a stuffed badger…..

I think our hosts may have eccentric tastes. The bedspread is leather, the wall behind the bed is covered with crocodile skin.

And the wall opposite the bed is covered in movie posters. Ummm, Dear Readers what can I say..

And there are horny animals above the bed.

No mirror on the ceiling which is a surprise.

Isle of Wight–Sunday

Blue sky! Yippee.

Today we will explore our castle. I have taken lots of photos, so apologies in advance,,,

As we are here alone  we are provided with torches and if you like you can go out and wander around at night. Although a bit spooky for my taste… and too cold.

Below:- we can bring our car in at night, but it has to go out to the carpark before the Castle opens for the public at 10:00am.

Carisbrooke has been a central place of power and defence on the Isle of Wight for over 1,000 years. During that time it has been a Saxon fortress and a castle of the Norman conquest, much remodelled during the Middle Ages and under Elizabeth I. Most famously, Charles I was held prisoner here during the Civil War, shortly before his execution. (English Heritage)

We got to go out on our own before opening time and explore.

We are introduced to the castle by a cartoon starring a donkey called Jupiter.

Sounds a bit like the donkey from Shrek,….

but actually voiced by the comedian Phil Jupitus who was born in nearby Newport.

We look at the keep from our kitchen.

And below is a photo of our flat taken from the keep. Its called the Bowling Green apartment as it is beside the bowling green built for Charles the 1st while he was in exile here.

Okay, now to the Donkeys.

There have been donkeys here for 100’s of years. They use them for turning the wheel that brings up the water from the wheel.

Here is Jack still in his bed and below he is doing his show. Every donkey has had a name stating with J. That's because Charles I signed  his secret letters with a J… or so they say…

We are informed that the donkeys have a employment contract that states that they are only required to work for six minutes a day, and then only if they want to… Really, what a life!

Above- a postcard with one of Jacks predecessors.

I’ve noticed a trend of places having a ‘mascot’..

The Royal Pavilion had ‘George the Pavilion cat’ Book and soft toy available in the gift shop.

The Mary Rose Museum had ‘Hatch’ the dog. He of the skeletal remains as featured in a previous post. Soft toy and book available in the gift shop.

Carisbrooke Castle has its donkeys, soft toys, book, tea towel and fridge magnets available in the gift shop. (Edie, I’ve got you a tiny donkey)

Isle of Wight–Saturday

Oh, oh, oh… I wanted to see a Robin.

And this one posed so prettily for me. (This is the raw picture, no cheating by cropping or enhancing Dear Readers).

That's 2018’s Christmas card picture sorted..

Today the weather is rather miserable, so we looked for some dry spots and hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow to explore our castle.

So its a visit to Osbourne House.

Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Prince Albert designed the house himself in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo.

Queen Victoria died at Osborne House in January 1901. Following her death, the house became surplus to royal requirements and was given to the state, with a few rooms being retained as a private museum to Queen Victoria.

The grounds include a 'Swiss Cottage.' The cottage was dismantled and brought piece by piece from Switzerland to Osborne where it was reassembled. There, the royal children were encouraged to garden. Each child was given a rectangular plot in which to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers. They sold their produce to their father. Prince Albert used this as a way to teach the basics of economics. (Wikipedia)

One of the bonuses of visiting in winter is there is no crowds. The downside is that not everything is open to the full extent. The Swiss Cottage was closed which was a shame.

As Empress of India, Victoria had the Durbar room built, which is Indian themed.

and I found a doggie.

We also paid a quick visit to the rock formation called ‘The Needles’. Not the best day for photos.

Back at our flat at the Castle. For a change, I’ve been cooking meals rather than eating out.

We are on the top floor.

We look straight out on the castle motte and keep from the kitchen window.

And, the neighbours are very well behaved. Hardly hear them at all, except for when they push their toys about. (various, shoes, gumboots, buckets and balls).

This is Jigsaw and Jack. There is also Jill and a new donkey still to be named. They are going to have a naming competition by the local school kids.