Ventnor Bay, IOW

Bob and Mary guided us across the south of the Isle of Wight, visiting  viewpoints where we could look along the wide expanse of the rolling land and its coastline. The weather was wonderfully sunny after the mists had cleared, but even they produced beautiful vistas as low cloud swirled across the higher slopes of Tennyson Down and on to St Catherine's point.

We stopped many times to stretch our legs and admire the blue sea before we drove right down to the shore at Ventnor Bay, an old Victorian seaside resort which looked suitably splendid. This view is from the lane running linking back to the town from the western headland.  Helena treated us to the local speciality Italian ice cream, Minghella's, and then coffee sitting on the esplanade watching the sea and a few swimmers braving the water.

We finally drove on to Bonchurch, a short distance east of Ventnor where it is rumoured my relatives once lived, though I can't remember who it was. My great grandfather was a coastguard stationed on the cliffs nearby where my grandfather was born, before the family moved to Dover.


In the 'Extra Photos' I've added a view of fields looking inland earlier that morning soon after we'd left Freshwater Bay, where Bob and Mary live, and a picture of Bob and Helena as we prepared to head for their home after one final view of the undercliffs and the coastline.