Monday 15 August 2016

The Other Elysian Fields

stokes bay splashpark alverstoke gosportSaid goodbye as she left for work, she said she was looking forward to it. But we could see another good day was coming so we loaded up the bikes again and headed west.
Yesterday we took the ferry to Hayling, today we took a completely different ferry to Gosport, another peninsula of limited gene migration allegedly. The harbour was buzzing with a zillion vessels of all shapes and sizes and we rode gaily past the Do Not Cycle Here signs, but we always do. We know this area surprisingly well now and in no time, we popped out past Fort Gilkicker and saw the greensward of Stokes Bay.
swimming in solent grinning boyThe splashpark was full of little running screaming people so I joined in and taught the others how to do it, which is to have the squirters go right up your bum and to sit on them so it looks like you're having a really big wee.
swimming past a yacht solent seaIt was quite cold so I went into the sea instead, which was even colder. But before long I was miles out and perfectly happy with it, thanks. I am a qualified swimmer and no longer afraid of the sharks and jellyfish and man-eating manatees and swordfish and sea urchins and electric congers that infest our local waters.
solent springs adventure golf minigolfThat enabled me to have Scampi Surprise at the local restaurant on the beach, not unlike yesterday. He had catch of the day which was haddock, exactly like yesterday. It is possible that the fisherpersons of the Solent area are unimaginative, or have created a marine monopoly.
Just the other side of the car park is the MiniGolf. I can honestly say that I have never played Minigolf before apart from yesterday and about 300 previous times in multiple locations, this time I got round in 54, and Bud got 55. It is the first time I have beaten him. In the past, I used to wipe the ball around like a hockey puck, bat it from above with a chopping motion, happily score 27 on a hole because I'd inch closer to the flag and whack it, like any other mad 5 year-old with the hooting and the jumping and the burbling. But at last, the student has outwitted the master.
This won me an ice cream and the chance to get back on the bike with my stiff bottie. Totals for the day - 10 miles in the saddle, lots of sun and sea-salt on my body.

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