• Two to TravelTürkiye & X TA 2022Two to Travel
    Walking the Walls — Southampton, England.
    A-wander around town — Southampton, England.The Tudor House ... visited last time; skipping this time — Southampton, England.Colorful blooms as we go a-wander around town — Southampton, England.Southampton Mural by artist Joanna Dewfall ... inspired by ideas and suggestions from the locals.The city walls from the West Quay Mall — Southampton, England.A life-like mural near West Quay Mall — Southampton, England.Each red dot represents the house of a local seaman who died on the Titanic — Seacity Museum.Pottery jugs and tableware that might have been used by rich merchants — Seacity Museum, SouthamptonHMY Britannia, with the Queen Mother on board, welcomes the QE2 back from the Falklands — Seacity."Take to Pieces" Model of RMS Queen Mary — Seacity Museum, Southampton."Rotherhithe from Wapping" (by Lucy Ash) ... City Art Museum, Southampton."Strandline" (by Kurt Jackson) — City Art Museum, Southampton.Bargate & Guildhall (12th thru 15th century) — Southampton, England.Ruins of Holyrood Church (1320) ... damaged during WWII — Southampton.Westgate, built after the 1338 raid by the French, to protect the entrance to the West Quay.Looking thru West Gate to the Duke of Wellington at the top of the street — Southampton.Our lunch spot today is the inn/pub named the Duke of Wellington — Southampton.Yummy fish & chips and a brownie with vanilla ice cream for dessert — Duke of Wellington (inn/pub).

    A-Wander in Southampton

    October 19, 2022 in England ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    Admittedly, Southampton itself doesn’t offer all that much … sightseeing-wise … especially if you’ve been there before as we have.

    Of course, we could have stayed in London … but a big city wasn’t what we wanted since we had just one day prior to embarking our cruise in Southampton. Of course, we could have taken the ferry to the Isle of Wight … or done a tour that would have taken us to some of the charming towns and castles nearby. But, we just wanted an easy day to rest up after a long travel day. Southampton gave us just that today.

    A tasty and filling breakfast at the Holiday Inn — included in our room rate — started off our day. Despite a light breeze, the temperature was comfortable. The early morning overcast gave way to sunshine and patchy blue skies by mid-morning. Perfect for a wander around town.

    Our meander took us to old city walls … where we walked in the footsteps of yore and wondered what life was like when these same walls stood tall and strong to protect the residents. Along narrow, cobblestone streets we walked … where colorful blooms and interesting architecture charmed us. To two museums we went … the Seacity Museum offering a peek into history and the city’s connection to the ill-fated Titanic; the City Art Museum giving us a glimpse of some colorful and interesting art.

    Our quest for a midday meal took us to the Duke of Wellington, an inn/pub built over the foundations of a house dating back to the 12th century … and housed in a building that dates back to around 1490. Damaged by enemy action during WWII, the inn was restored in the 1960s but has the charm of much earlier times … delicious fish & chips and an exceptional brownie served with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yummy! Yummy!

    We returned to the hotel mid-afternoon, happy and satisfied with our day of exploring Southampton … and ready to put our feet up after an 11,100-step day.    Read more