Isle of Man, part 3: buses

So far I hadn't used my Go Explore card on a bus! The buses are the one thing on the island that are modern! First though I wanted to visit the Manx Museum. I'd been told I'd have to get there in a lift, behind Iceland! For breakfast I had a boiled egg and toast and was told by Paul to go left at Quids Inn (great name for a pub) and look for the lift. In fact I found the lift before I found Iceland, went up to the 8th floor and across a footbridge. The museum didn't open until 10am so I took a seat outside until it did.



I wasn't disappointed, the art collection was rather wonderful and contained work by talented interned Germans, and - a surprise - paintings and objects by Archibald Knox, the Arts and Crafts designer. I also saw my first and only Manx cat (stuffed).



Then it was down the lift and to the harbour to catch a 6 bus to Peel, on the other side of the island. We saw much rested to the TT course and I must say Peel was very pretty, with a castle, harbour and beaches. I'd brought a sandwich but a fish stall was selling flash-fried queenies, so how could I resist - a fiver a tub, but well worth it!



I had a coffee at the old railway station, discovered that the transport museum was only open on Sundays, and bought a pair of kippers for a couple of quid from the smokery.



Back at Douglas I decided to get a bus to Castletown (the station was a way away from the town centre) and after a wander round the harbour and the Old Grammar school had a pint outside the Glue Pot (The Castle Arms). The bus took me right back to the prom, so I had a look at the Gaiety Theatre, spotted the Norman Wisdom statue, and went for supper at Allesandro's (I'd passed it on the way to the Manx Museum) having been turned away from The Italian Job. I was going to have pizza but queenies carbonara were on the board as the chef's special so I asked for a meatless one, washed down with a bottle of Bushy's beer!



Friday it was up early for my ferry. Lisa had made me a packed breakfast so I crept out and walked along the prom where they were setting up a food market. Onto the Ben My Chree (lifts this time!) for the 8.45 passage to Heysham, where we were greeted by the nuclear power stations, and rain! Then it was a train to Lancaster and on to Edinburgh.



More photos on Flickr.