We said "Good Bye" to Northern Ireland today. I had thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The Irish people were so friendly and helpful - would do anything for you. Someone put it as you help someone because you want to not for any reward and they will not accept any reward - they will just ask you to do something for someone else who needs it - what a lovely way to live. Also they love their dogs. Where ever we went with Jazz someone would stop and make a fuss of her. I have never come across anywhere else where this happens.
Well we left Ardglass at 6am (yes another early morning!) heading for Peel on the Isle on Man - a straight sail across the Irish Sea. It was a little cloudy today and try as I might I could not see the Isle of Man. This puzzled me as it was as clear as anything the day before! Ninety degrees to our right I thought I saw land and it looked a bit like the Isle of Man. I asked Paul were we heading the right direction? He looked at the navigation equipment and confirmed that we were. I kept looking at this "Land" and was very puzzled. It turned out to be low lying cloud! I had become so used to always being able to see land , not to see any had become very disorientating! I saw the Isle of Man when we were about 15 miles off and a what a relief that was!
This was the view of the Irish mountains as we left Ardglass
We started our journey by motoring as there was no wind and gradually the wind filled in. By the time we got to Peel we were having gusts of F6! I was pleased to get in.
They have a large range of tides in the Isle of Man and in Peel they have a barrier that raises to keep in the water. This is the other side of the barrier at low tide
Peel is a delightful town
There is a Manx Kipper Smokery here in Peel and they do tours on a Monday at 3:30 - We went! Very interesting. They buy the herring from Scotland and then smoke it here! They do not do the do they quantity they used to. In their hayday they would be smoking thousands a day. Once the herring had been gutted it was then hung on a hook called a tenter hook on a bar ready to put on the smoke house. This was a very skilled job and the person placing the herring on the hooks would be concentrating and a little tense and hence this is where the saying "on tender hooks" originated from. These are herring that heave been smoked
They have very specialised equipment in the smokery. They have vents in the roof to allow the smoke to escape. When they want to see in which direction to open the vent they look at the roof to see which way the seagulls are sitting! Apparently seagulls always face the wind! Don't you just love it!
As you know the Isle of Man is well known for its seal of the 3 legs
I have been asking and trying to find out where it originated from - and the answer is no one knows!
Theere is a motto 'Quocunque Jesseris Stabit' -generally given as 'which everway I am thrown I will stand!
So I am afraid that is all I can come up with!
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