At The Sound, you can look across the narrow strait to the Calf of Man, a tiny island just off the south coast of IOM.
No one lives on this island anymore except two people looking after the birds. They are trying to entice the puffins back to nest.
There were lots of seals looking at the strange land based mammals.
The water was as clear as Zakynthos but many degrees cooler!
Thursday morning, all four of us went back to enjoy the magnificent and the scones in the restaurant.
Thursday evening, we had a special treat. On Sunday, at church, we had met Dr. Andrew Foxon. He is the retired head of the Manx Heritage Trust and what he doesn't know about the history of IOM isn't worth knowing. Sheelagh asked him about a viking burial boat she had read about and the upshot was, Andrew picked us up at 6:30 Thursday evening and drove us to Chapel Hill.
The site had originally been a Iron Age fort.
Then a Celtic round house community and Christian chapel, with the remains of the stone alter.
And finally, a viking boat burial. The rock outline the shape of the ship.
We were just about blown off the hill but it was so interesting.
It's rather amazing to walk where ancient people walked shortly after the death of Christ.
it is fitting that an Ancient such as yourself should tread that sod :) This is a great story - Nice work Sheelagh!
ReplyDelete