With no specific plan for the weekend, we decided to revisit one of our favourite seaside walks from Sandown to Shanklin—a scenic mile-and-a-half stretch along the base of the cliffs. The island was much quieter than in summer, but there were still plenty of walkers bundled up against the February chill. We took the bus from Ryde, as the train had been cancelled, and enjoyed the front seats on the upper deck, watching the island roll by. After some last-minute decision-making, we hopped off at Sandown and made our way to the seafront, where a brisk breeze greeted us. The tide was high, sending the occasional wave splashing onto the path. Most of the beach huts were shut for the season, though we spotted one in use—likely by a hardy surfer braving the cold water.

By the time we reached Shanklin, we were hungry, so we stopped for chips—plus a fishcake and a jumbo fish finger. It was tasty, though the batter on my fish finger didn't quite hold up. Leaving the café, I was surprised to see a queue forming at the ice cream stand despite the cold. We continued our walk up through the old village and high street before catching the 4 p.m. train back to Ryde, where I discovered my Network Railcard covered both of us. A quick Co-op stop later, we had the ingredients for a vegetarian chilli, which ended up making enough portions to freeze for another time.