April 30 and May 3 - Portland, England (AKA the Jurassic Coast)

We’ve made two stops in just three days at this small place, the Isle of Portland on the southwest English coast.  It’s  the southernmost point in the county of Dorset.  Portland is what is called a “tied island” in that it is connected to the mainland by a barrier beach called Chesil Beach.  The island is about four miles long by not quite two miles wide and is part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site known for its geology and land formations.  Stone from this part of England was used to build St. Paul’s Cathedral and, strangely enough to me, the United Nations Headquarters on the other side of the Atlantic.

Not exciting to see, I know, but this is Chesil Beach which must be man- madeconnecting the island with the mainland

The first time we came here on the 30th of April I only took a round trip on the shuttle bus into the little town of Weymouth.  It was extremely windy and it was actually hard to walk. Since I knew we’d be back in just three days I opted to not go ashore.  I did see something very interesting as we sailed away on the 30th and I’ll just tweak your curiosity now and tell you more about it later.  It was something very unusual for this part of the world.

Anyway, on May 1st we docked in Portsmouth which I’d been to before and where I’d visited the Royal Navy Dockyard and seen the Tudor ship Mary Rose and the HMS Victory of Admiral Nelson’s fame.  I didn’t think they’d changed so I had a sea day in port.  After my lovely visit to Dover and Canterbury I found myself back in Portland.  The wind was calmer although we had more clouds than a few days ago, but thankfully it didn’t rain.

This weekend is a holiday weekend in the UK.  The first Monday in May is apparently always a bank holiday so on this Sunday May 3rd the little town of Weymouth on the isle of Portland was bustling.  The British do love their dogs and I saw all varieties walking around the promenade around the small boat harbor.  I even gave a few a nice head and chin rub.  I do miss having a dog, but if I want to keep on cruising, it  wouldn’t be fair to have a canine companion.  

The small boat harbor in Weymouth

There were lots of families around and many of them were baiting lines and fishing off the harbor walls.  I went over to a couple and found they were fishing for crabs.  The kids would catch them and put them in a bucket of water.  I asked if they eat them, but they told me they don’t.  After a few minutes they toss them back in.  They’re just caught for fun.  As you can see from the photo I took they look quite different from our Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs.  Everyone looked like they were having a good time and everyone seemed to be catching them.  Perhaps the crabs are smart enough to have figured out they get an easy meal with no penalty to pay for it

Same basic shape but doesn't look nearly as good as our crabs.

I walked around the harbor for a while and then decided I’d try lunch at one of the pubs and cafés around.  I found a table outside at the Quayside Pub and Café and sat waiting to be served.  It turned out this was one of those places where you go in and order, pay and they bring it out to you.  I found a nice young Englishman to table sit for me so my place didn’t get taken and went inside. My intention was to try some genuine English fish and chips, but on the menu I saw a crab salad and after seeing all the crabs being caught, I thought “why not?”  I’ve decided it’s a mistake for anyone familiar with our crabs to order them from elsewhere.  The salad was okay, but that’s all I can say for it. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs are the best and I’ll challenge anyone who says otherwise. It was pleasant sitting there and I chatted with the people who guarded my table. After I’d finished, rubbed a few more dog heads (can you imagine what would happen in the US if people came in with a non-service dog to a restaurant?) and noticed that the clouds were looking darker I decided it was time to walk back around the harbor to the shuttle bus stop.  About that time a couple of sailboats came along and the drawbridge was raised so traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian was stopped as the boats glided through.

The Quayside Pub and Café

My crab salad

Back on the ship we had afternoon trivia and we had to reconstitute our team.  Only Lisa, a really fun Australian I know from several cruises (she likes to dance at the Club too BTW), were left from the last leg.  We found some Brits and Americans to join us and proceeded to finish in third for the day.  It’s cumulative so we’re okay. (If we don’t win that’s okay with me too but not everybody feels that way.)

So now to what I teased you with earlier.  The first time we stopped here the other day I learned from thebus driver that they have a group here called the Weymouth Ukeleleians(sp?).  They are a group of senior(seasoned) citizens who get together and play the ukulele.  I don’t know about you, but I associate ukes with Hawai’i, certainly not Dorset in England.  Well, be that as it may the group comes down to the dock just before sailing and serenades us.  They all look well-seasoned.  Some of them wear flowered shirts and they played for us.  While I listened they were playing Beatles tunes – Ticket to Ride and Eight Days a Week.  How fun is that?  As we finally sailed out a three-cannon salute was fired by the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade.  I didn’t get a picture  of that but it was so nice.  I have read that this community is a pretty depressed area of the UK and they very clearly welcome tourists and cruise ships unlike some places.  It is an absolutely lovely place to come.

These are the Weymouth Ukeleleians.  If I can figure out again how to post a video I will, but right now I can't get it to work.

I had a nice evening at a small hosted table with some people I already knew.  The show tonight was  Scottish duo, brothers who sang Celtic songs.  They were very good, but I have to say that when they talked I probably only understood four out of ten words.  I need closed captions with Scots or Yorkshire accents.  But the music was toe-tapping and fun.  After I went to the Club and met my new friends Sonja and Ton from the Netherlands who are such fun!  We danced and at mid-night they had the band play, and everybody sang, Happy Birthday.  How great is that!  Tomorrow is a sea day so I can sleep in.  Hooray!