A weekend at Portsmouth Harbor

What a weekend! On Saturday morning, Micah and I left our flat around 8:30am to catch a train from Waterloo station at 9:30… we were a bit early so we enjoyed a bagel with cream cheese and a mocha before boarding. After a fun train ride with views of the English country-side, and a squished bus ride (there was some engineer work on the tracks) the rest of the way, we arrived in Portsmouth at 11:30. Looking forward to walking along the beach, which we were told were more pebbly than sandy, we hoped off and started trekking through the town.

For centuries, Britain has relied on the fleets of Portsmouth to expand and maintain its empire and to guard against invaders. Today, visitors like us enjoy touring the remains of past warship, World War II memorials, and the refurbished Old Town. Most of the town was destroyed during the war, and for years it was infamous for its hastily rebuilt architecture, but slowly the city is changing that reputation.

Micah and I dreamed of being there, walking on the pebbly beaches and enjoying the sun...

However, those picturesque dreams were quickly replaced with a few short pebble ‘beaches,’ and a lot of walking on cement and/or cobblestone paths near the water with incredible monuments to explore at every turn. But we enjoyed it anyway!!

Thanks to Rick Steve’s recommendation, we stayed in a little B&B close to the water. We were hoping for Rick’s 1st or 2nd recommendation, but ended up going for his lower-cost 3rd option because the other places had no vacancies! We stayed at The Duke of Buckingham Pub and thankfully the B&B section had a separate entrance so we didn’t have to go though the each time we came and went! The room was small, but adequate and now that we’ve adjusted to tight spaces, we were quite cozy!

One tourist hotspot is the Historic Dockyard, where you can find the HMS Victory, which played a key role in Britain’s battles with Napoleon’s navy. (See below!)

Micah enjoyed acting like a skipper… but only because I made him. I love him for doing that!

High-tech battleships are also featured here for those of you who prefer modern day history in the making.

Down the coastline 2 miles is the D-Day Museum, which would have been an incredible experience, I’m sure. However, the sun was calling our names and we just couldn’t spend the rest of the afternoon indoors. Out front of the museum however, we found this grouping of four flags… representing the Allies (WWII).

For the American shop-o-holics or those just wanting to buy from American shops, there is the recently build Gunwharf Quays. You’ve got your choice of Gap, Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, Nike or Adidas, Reef, Oakley, Oneida, Claire’s Boutique – you can buy clothes, accessories, or kitchen-ware! Micah and I found it quite entertaining. We opted for a London-based store where I found a really cute teapot and though there wasn’t a Starbucks in the shopping center (how could they?), we enjoyed sharing a hot White Chocolate Mocha at Café Nero.

You know how I love my chocolate and here, I found heaven... almost. :) Cadbury chocolate (yes, the same brand as the eggs that come out every Easter, but this is here year round and has SO many varieties of chocolate besides the infamous egg) is HUGE here... kind of like Hersheys back home. I went into this shop while Micah waited outside for me... I restricted myself and only bought a FEW things I hadn't tried before.

At the tip of the shopping center, is the Spinnaker Tower, built as a tourist attraction and symbol of the city. Just like the Space Needle in Seattle, Micah and I didn’t go up it, but we enjoyed the sights below it!

Becky & Micah - just handing out in the sun on the waterfront below the Spinnaker...

We enjoyed a few other sights around the city… like the Portsmouth Cathedral, and this other Cathedral where kids were playing Rugby on Sunday.

Kids playing Rugby...

Finally, here are a few fun evening shots… the sunset view that Micah and I were most looking forward to!

The Spinnaker at Gunwharf Quays....

Good Night!