4th May 2014

Portsmouth - Porchester

A fine, fairly warm Sunday morning greeted us as we made our way to the train station. After buying tickets to Portchester, we made our way to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard once again, to waste some time. The train did not leave for another 3/4 of an hour. I bought a cap to use later in the holiday, on our canal boat cruise (it has "Drunken Sailor" embroidered on the front). Soon it was time to go back to the train.

The journey was quick and smooth. Electric trains really are good these days. Also, the train was almost empty; I'm sure that helped. Portchester Castle started life as a Roman fort. It has been modified about a million times since then. The French even held it for a year or two. The audio guide (the Ipod type thing) took us around the place and told of the history of the castle. It has also been a hospital and a prisoner of war camp (for Frenchman- about 7000 of them at the peak). Today the Keep looks like this fro the outside

 

 

We climbed up to the top of the Keep (that big square bit) and had a look around.  The Romans built a defensive wall all around the village area. and later a church was built in the corner. That's it with all the graves around it (complete with dead people no doubt)

 

It was a very good thing that the church was built there, right next to where the local church ladies were going to run a tea house, 700 years later. . After our exertions, we were tired and hungry, and the tea was appreciated. It was good, and so were the sandwiches. It was made and served by the worlds fastest pensioners - they fed a big crowd from a kitchen just big enough to fit four people in (and there were four of them, including the old fella who stood at the sink and never said a word; he was outnumbered by women 3 to 1, and one of them was probably his wife).

 

It was about a kilometre back to the train station. We walked into the station a few seconds before a train arrived. (That's about the first time that has ever happened). It took us back to Portsmouth, one stop short of where we'd got on at the harbour station. Only a few metres from the station, through an entranceway, was a square. This contained a statue of Dickens, who was born in Portsmouth. Robyn wanted to get close to the great man, and he didn't seem to mind.

 

 

 

 

Just nearby was a marvellous pub named after  Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was an engineer, the pub just served beer.

 



 This is me thinking about beer (it's Abbots Ale - after all, it was Sunday !)

 

Of course I had to drink a toast Misters Brunel and Dickens. The Abbott has produced a fine ale. by the way - it's not true that drinking beer sends you bald; that is entirely coincidental.

 

 

We walked home the kilometre to Gunwharf Quays- for the last time. Tomorrow we travel to Torquay that famous holiday spot where the English go to have fun. Whoopee !!

 

 

Till then......

 

 

Lex and Robyn