The minute I arrived on the Isle of Man, I fell in love with it… This trip was only less than a week, but what a trip!
Once I had caught up on some sleep, Laurence collected me from the beautiful bnb in which I was staying. Here, below, are my Prince and his beloved Baby, a glorious 1960 Alvis TD21 Series 1.
Even the weather couldn’t dampen my spirits…
I had requested fine weather and it took a little while to arrive, but arrive it did…
Unfortunately, being a classic car, there is often a minor challenge or two. In this instance, Baby’s brake calipers stuck on, over-heated and we lost brakes – but I was very impressed that Laurence managed to bring all three of us (he, I, and the car) to a safe stop.
Problem fixed, and we were on our way again… All just part of the adventure…
It was in this building that I spent twice the national budget – and loved every minute of it!
First stop, the lovely Miss Vicki’s shop…
…then next door to meet Miss Julie…
I adore that the tweed is made on the premises from wool that comes from sheep right here on the island!
I bought several jackets and a coat here – the coat she is holding is one of only eight made. Julie owns one, I now own one, and there are six others in existence. There was only a limited amount of tweed made in that run – and you can’t really tell from the photo, but the coat is like an Edwardian dress coat – it is stunning!
A couple of days later, and the orchids (I’m not good with flower types, so please forgive me if they are something other than orchids) had opened… So pretty!
There is an abundance of enchantment on the island – and many places where it feels faeries still reside…
…and on my final night, Laurence took me back to my favourite restaurant – owned by friends of his, the delightful Ben and Leyla.
…and then the next morning, I was back to the port to board the now-fully-functional ferry back across…
…and then driving up to Scotland…
…and checking into my hotel for a few days…
…until I collect the keys to an amazing place on Loch Long that I have leased for my stay in the UK…
…and this is the view from my new back door – at least for the next few months…
But that is for this installment…
~ Bella
