After crossing the Atlantic via ship (Queen Mary 2) and landing in Southampton, England we toured a few places in the south of England (and continued with our sailing/boating theme)!
In Southampton, we enjoyed visiting the Medieval Merchant’s House, the local marina (with a the Harbour Hotel Southampton shaped like a ship), had a pint at the Duke of Wellington Pub, and even had the chance to watch the Queen Anne depart from Mayflower Park! The SeaCity Museum was wonderful and we learned so much more about the Titanic as it departed from Southampton on its way to New York. The Southampton’s Titanic Story was moving and showed the direct impact on those that built and worked on the Titanic as well as their families.
From Southampton, we headed up to Salisbury where we went to experience Stonehenge. It was fantastic!! This prehistoric marvel was built around 3000 BCE. There are still many mysteries (how did the stones get here? what what it used for?) and amazing that it was constructed so that during the summer solstice the sunrise shines into the center and the winter solstice setting sun shines into the center of the circle. The museum is very informative and details the progression of the construction of a large circular earth berm, a number of internal concentric circles, and then the sarsen stones and bluestones.
Back in town, we visited the Salisbury Cathedral, found Stonehenge made of fudge, and enjoyed the view outside a cute cafe!
We then headed to Portsmouth so that we could visit the National Museum of the Royal Navy for the next few days. We started by touring the HMS Warrior (completed in 1861), Britain’s first iron-hulled, armored warship and pride of the fleet. We toured the HMS M33 (completed in 1915) that was part of World War 1 and the Allied Intervention in 1919… and also famous for Miss Muggins the cute cat onboard (excellent for morale!).
Beyond the museum, we took a walk to the Southsea Castle and enjoyed seeing the lighthouse.
The next day, we took a ferry ride across the harbor to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum (and part of the multiday pass). Once we returned (via ferry), we visited the HMS Victory (launched in 1765) and best known as Horatio Nelson‘s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar (October 21, 1805). Victory was saved from reuse/destruction a few times and was deteriorating in the Portsmouth harbor when citizens began the Save the Victory campaign in 1929. “The Big Repair” restoration is now underway to continue preservation and support the ship in dry dock.
Our final adventures from the National Museum of the Royal Navy included the harbor tour where we saw the naval miliary base (from a distance), as well as the amazing Mary Rose exhibit. The Mary Rose is a Tudor ship (completed in 1512) and was a favorite of King Henry VIII. In Battle of the Solent against the French, it sunk, and is still a mystery as to why. The recovery of the Mary Rose from the seabed in 1982 was broadcast on the BBC and the museum shows videos overlaid on the recovered ship!
We wrapped up our time in England with a delicious meal at the Southsea Brewhouse and Kitchen, an iconic photo of the Spinnaker Tower and then headed to the train which took us to London’s St. Pancras station to whisk us away to our next adventures!
Thanks for making it this far! Here’s some fun for you… a lighthouse boat that’s a restaurant and a hovercraft (and a narrow miss?!?). Enjoy!!