A day on the Isle of Wight

23 September 2006

Saturday morning before 8am! I'm on the ferry to Yarmouth The Solent is still pretty quiet. In the distance I can see The Needles and remember I've been here once before Because it's still early I'm the only person at this viewpoint. The Needles are the most famous landmarks of the Isle of Wight Hold on tight: There's a strong wind In the rest of the world it's just Walking along the Main Bench After three attempts I finally managed to capture myself on camera The steep white cliffs are better viewable from sea
The Alum Bay pleasure park... Most people probably don't even bother walking to The Needles viewpoint My single speed kick-back-brake bicycle! Simplicity rules Freshwater Bay A tasty bass Freshwater Bay I brought the wheel back from Holland on my latest visit
If I'm reading my map correctly those cliffs in the distance are called The Nodes Surfing at Brook Bay The stuff that keeps you going! Consumed in the post office / tea garden in Niton A lot of sailing was going on at Cowes A tiny harbour at low tide A seahorse as wind indicator. Newtown Newtown river / Estuary Inch of chalk from the island



My route on the Isle of Wight

Rudely awoken by the alarm clock at 5 am, I left my house at 5:45. It was still completely dark and I was hoping the weather forecast was going to be correct! It's less than 140 km to Lymington and I arrived at 7:20. I left the car in the parking and got on the ferry to Yarmouth. From Yarmouth I headed West to see the Needles. It was still very quiet everywhere... From the pleasure park at Alun Bay it's a short walk to The Needles viewpoint. There's also an old World War II Battery and remains of a rocket test-site from the fifties. Back on the bike I followed the circular I.O.W. cycle route to St Catherine's Point in the South. Taking it very easy I stopped regularly for some photos and a look around. The whole route was going to be a bit too much so I decided to cross the island Northwards, and found a for English standards very nice cycle path between Newport and Cowes. I left Cowes around 4 pm for the last leg back to Yarmouth. On the ferry it was much busier. Some big gutted cycle tourers didn't really know what to think of me and my single speed ride. "I got a Super Galaxy as well actually, but thought to take this one instead" didn't get much response from the other Dawes rider while we rode of the ferry together:-)