We swiped our wrinklies bus passes as we climbed aboard and were lucky to bag the front seats on the top deck. Great views as the bus swayed along, hugging the coast around all the bends.
Laxey derives its name from the old Norse word Laxa (Laksa) meaning salmon, for the salmon river. The village sits in a steep, wooded valley that runs down to the sea - a good workout walking down from the main road to the beach then back up again.
The first thing we did after getting off the bus was to pop into the Laxey Kitchen, a tiny little cafe on the main road that serves very good coffee and amazing cakes. We shared a pastel de nata .. too many calories in a whole one.
Before walking down to the bay we crossed the road to wander through Laxey Glen, the first time we had visited it in our thirty years here on the island. It was very peaceful and we saw some impressive fungi growing alongside the trees.
Walking down to the sea, I noticed a few interesting sights that caught my attention...
Laxey is famous for the Lady Isabella higher up the valley. The largest working waterwheel in the world.
It also has the smaller Snaefell Wheel which is in the Laxey Glen Gardens washing floors.
After a two hour stroll, we walked back up the steep road from the beach to catch the bus from the tram station.
It was the same bus and driver that had taken us there earlier and we had the same top deck seats on the way back...
Now that we are back home the sun has come out.
That bell tower in the trees is attached to the house we are buying. Excited? Moi??
Oh I did enjoy that outing, especially the bus ride! Lovely to see the scenery.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you have found the right house - worth investing in somewhere you love and had an instant "feel" for.
Thanks BB. It is great to enjoy a scenic bus ride for free!
DeleteI had been immediately drawn to that house as soon as I saw it pop up on the agent's website. So glad I eventually persuaded P to love it too!
Having studied German, I can vouch for the fact that Lachs is still the name for salmon! I'm intrigued by your new house. Will you be giving sermons?
ReplyDeleteNot the sort that anyone would want to hear, Addy.
DeleteWhat a good day out. The joys of renting so you don't have to maintain the house or look after the garden. I'm not convinced I'd like the Laxey Kitchen, thought, the name sounds a bit like something else.
ReplyDeleteA bit of a loosener?
DeleteI watched a television programme with Julia Bradbury walking past the famous Laxey wheel. I would gladly be her lackey and carry her rucksack on her walks. Super photos JayCee.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. Julia has lots of male fans I believe!
DeleteWe have visited the Island twice and explored all the glens. Laxey is beautiful and the wheel is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fascinating piece of engineering. I climbed to the top once and looked over the edge. Never again!
DeleteYou will have a bell tower in your new home?! You and P will have to watch the clock and ring the bell every hour so the countryside can keep track of the time! I really can't wait for the home tour!! So exciting!
ReplyDeleteOh, the suspense!
DeleteCan't wait to see it. Moi excited too!
ReplyDeleteIt can't fall through now can it?
DeleteA great day out. Nice to see you making good use of your OAP bus passes. T trust that you both took your zimmer frames.
ReplyDeleteNo, we left them at home. Don't want to seem too decrepit just yet.
DeleteI do like the head in the wall, it reminds me of heads one used to find outside Welsh homes to scare away the devil. I wonder if it had the same purpose?
ReplyDeleteIt could be Cro. I haven't been able to find any information yet but it is indeed intriguing.
DeleteLovely memories of visiting Laxey - I climbed to the top of the tower by the wheel once.
ReplyDeleteOn my last visit to my friend, who sadly died last year, we visited a tiny café right on the seafront which I think is near Laxey. We sat outside, there is no indoor seating, with crocheted blankets over our knees and hotwater bottles supplied by the café. Good memory.
Your chapel looks wonderful. Pray it all goes to plan.
Your seafront cafe experience sounds like fun. It may have been the Laxey Kiosk which has an open area beside it with just a flat roof to keep the rain off. Quite chilly in a stiff sea breeze!
DeleteAmazing bracket fungi - really beautiful. Leopard? Seriously? Or just a big Tigger? We know what you mean about swaying at the front of the top deck. It is bad enough in town, country roads must be like being at sea. And we can't wait for more and close up on that belltower....
ReplyDeleteYes, those clumps of fungi were pretty eyecatching. Almost like flowers. We did a double-take when we saw the leopard sign on the gate. Someone has a great sense of humour.
DeleteYOUR VERY OWN BELLTOWER!!!! Do not let YP visit. I've a notion he would wreak great havoc were such a thing available to him.
ReplyDeleteAs Quasimodo said, "The bells! The bells!"
DeleteI could send him up there and take away the ladder.
DeleteWhat would I eat up there? What would I drink? You are scaring me JayCee.
DeleteWhat a good day out. Always great to be at the top front seat on a two-decker. Great views. The fungi really do look like works of art. Exciting to catch a glimpse of your bell tower.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary. It was a good day and even better when the sun eventually appeared.
DeleteI love a bus ride through interesting scenery …. &, I love the chapel ….. something I would buy. I have everything crossed ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie. The survey report didn't mention any major problems but the surveyor seemed to be concerned whether we really know what we are doing. Why buy something so unpredictable when you could buy a nice safe bungalow? 😏
DeleteWhat a strange thing for him to say JayCee …… I don’t understand why he would think it unpredictable if he couldn’t find any major problems ….. let him live in a nice, safe bungalow !!!!! XXXX
DeleteI think he was warning us that it may have limited appeal when we come to sell it on. We are hoping that this is our last move though so we shall be past caring by that point! XXX
DeleteJust read your comment on Weaver's blog about the spider in your bed.....ugh, I would have left home until it was found!
ReplyDeleteI did completely strip down the bed and search before remaking it again. I still don't know where the spider went!
Delete