Venting of Ventnor

A drizzly start meant that the waterproofs were out for a trip to the pirate shaped play park. This was really good especially considering the shower at where we are staying. We were planning to then head into Cowes before going off to catch the steam train but with the weather not improving we decided to go to Ventnor Botanical Gardens as it would give the little ones a chance to run around and we also were under the impression there was quite a bit of shelter there. Well as you would expect with most gardens it was all outside, but thankfully the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out as we arrived.

When we arrived at the garden Toddler was busting for a rest break so once parked I ran into the main building and asked the lady on the door where the nearest toilet was. She pointed me to the other end of the car park to the public loos. Once releaved we set about the gardens which were massive and on the whole not at all interesting to someone not that bothered about flowers and plants. There was an Americas garden and a New Zealand one, as well as an Australian one none of which made me want to go and visit any of these places, if anything they put me off a bit.

So I can proudly say that I took no flower or plant photos, but the little ones needed space to run down their batteries so this place was fit for purpose. I was flagging for an early lunch whilst the others lagged behind. I found a tree stump to stand on and pretent to be a tree statue which sped them up a bit. After lunch we used an exciting forward moving lift to the entrance I had earlier enquired about toilets to with Toddler. On the way I notice other toilets just metres away from where we asked. I wanted to give the door lady an earful for sending us customers packing clearly on the basis that we did not fit the standard demographic of visitor, i.e. we had a healthy heart rate and do not rely on prescripton medicine.

Sadly she was not there, having left her book faced down to mark her page, maybe she had seen us coming. So we got back in the car and headed for the town centre with me seething that I had not changed her page without her knowledge. The trip to Ventnor was a bit of a shocker really. The other day it seemed to offer much whilst today it delivered nothing. Toddler luckily chose to opt out early and napped in the buggy.

The longer we stay on the island the more I lose the romantic notion that it was a great place to live and in fact start to remember that at times it pained me and my friends to be trapped on the rock.

The day was saved by a re-visit to Robin Hill Country Park which is simply brilliant and massive. After Wife and I took turns to go on the time machine ride on our own (which was all very sureal) we were in time for a Falconry display that we had missed on Sunday. It was amazing though a little worrying when the hawk and falcon swooped inches to the side of us. We have seen a few buzzards out and about here but these rained rescue birds of prey were really interesting.

We then wandered into the woodland for a walk where I finally saw a red squirrel and managed to show it to Toddler. Sadly I did not have time to get the camera ready to shoot in the dark wood and so the only picture I took was dreadful. I hoped to see more but Baby and Toddler simply got to excited and set about bundling each other and making so much noise that I doubt any animal stayed in the woods very long.

Cheered by the red squirrel spot we headed for home to face another long bedtime routine. I have to say though that this intense week of all spending so much time together has taught me a few things about my children, in turn making me hopefully a more understanding parent, but then only theu could answer that.