Wandering with Wren - Ventnor

 

Wren went for a lovely wander around Ventnor on Friday.

She enjoyed wandering around the park and seeing what was still flowering.

The gunnera looks like it has been cut for the season.

The ducks were resting

The sea was wild.

We had a lovely cuppa at our favourite cafe on the waterfront.  

and one from a week earlier...

Wren also picked up a nice postcard from Ventnor and will be sending it to another participant in the postcard swap.

Postcard Swap - Wren receives her second card!

Wren is delighted to show you her second postcard she has received on the postcard swap.

The postcard is from her friend 'First Last' in North Shields

She is thrilled to receive the card and hopes that her friend can visit some new places soon.

Such a lovely card.

Thank you Lorna and First Last. 

 

Postcard Swap - Wren receives her first card!

Wren was absolutely delighted to receive her first postcard today for the postcard swap all the way from Alaska.

She slows it to Kiwi Sindy who is taking a short break from whatever it was she was doing!

She loves the happy looking wolf on the front.  She was interested to read that Alaska is home to an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 wolves, and that they have been threatened or endangered in Alaska.

Isn't it a lovely card?

She reads the back delighted to hear that Beatrix enjoyed her trip to the Pioneer Park. 

She was especially tickled to see the Scooby-Doo stamp on the back and can't wait to show it to the Scooby Doo Makies. 

Thank you so very much for this fabulous card Beatrix, it is wonderful.

 

Postcard Swap: Beatrix receives a card from Wren - Alaska

 

Credit: Words and photos by Beatrix.

Beatrix was so happy to get her postcard from the Isle of Wight! She went on a little trip of her own today to Pioneer Park in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska...

Bea received her postcard from Wren!

Beatrix thought she would send a postcard back to Wren and tell her about one of her favorite places in Fairbanks, Pioneer Park. A little park filled with relocated cabins from the Alaska Gold Rush days, memorials to our river boating past, and Alaska railroad memorabilia.

Bit of a balancing act here...

The restoration of this old boat taking place even as the winter starts...

The little place is affectionately nicknamed 'the pickle barrel' by locals, It hosts a once monthly art exhibition of artists from all over Alaska.

The iron raven

Each cabin from the gold rush comes with a little bit of history

Fun with an old dogsled.

Then inside to warm up with hot coco. Tomorrow she'll get her postcard in the mail to Wren. 

Wren is looking forward to receiving her card from Beatrix. :)

Wandering with Wren - Carisbrooke Castle.

Wren enjoyed wandering around Carisbrooke Castle today.  It is steeped in English History and people have lived here since before the Norman Conquest, which seems absolutely incredible.  During this time it has not only been a home, but it has also been a prison, a fortress protecting England against invasion and a symbol of political power.  

First stop was to go and see the donkeys that go on the treadmill to demonstrate how water has been drawn from the well for centuries.  Wren missed the demonstration, but at least got to see the donkeys and the well.

The donkeys go in the big wheel and walk in it to turn it and the water is drawn up in the bucket.

Such an impressive place.

Walking along the walls that surround the castle.

The views would be even better on a sunny day.

A view of the garden from up high before she went for a wander around it.

The statue to commemorate War Horse.

Wren couldn't resist petting the horse.

Sitting on one of the cannons.

Before walking around the museum.

Always interesting to see different dolls and learn about their history.

Books about the island.

A fabulous Dolls' House.  Wren loved looking at all the details inside it.

Different childhood toys.

An old Tudor style bed.

Discovering the old staircase.

A model of the castle and grounds.

The beautiful Chapel of St Nicholas

Such an amazing ceiling.

The chapel is a memorial to Charles I and to the island's dead of the Great War, including Princess Beatrice's son Maurice who was killed at Ypres in 1914.

Steps up to the wall surrounding the castle.

It was a long way up...and a long way down!

Mini Cannons.

A farewell picture ...

Wren seems to have found a friend!