#MiniBreeze goes for a trip

Hi, ever since @Kittehboi's #MiniBreeze got here he has been keen on the idea of going on the car ferry.  He got the chance when he and Mini-Kolo went for a trip to Deal in Kent to stay in a hotel and visit our grandmother.

#MiniBreeze was so excited that he wanted to look out for the ferry, but all he could see was the queue at the Fishbourne terminal.

Eventually it was our turn to board the ferry, #MiniBreeze was very excited.

We were sailing from the Ryde terminal, at Fishbourne, to Portsmouth Harbour.  This is the resort at Portsmouth, called Southsea.

Entering the harbout you see the Spinnaker tower which is a landmark for miles around.

Further into the harbour you see more and more interesting things.

After a not uneventful four hour drive to Deal, in Kent, we arrived at our hotel and a very comfortable bed.  The hotel was the Royal Hotel at Deal.  Admiral Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton stayed there once, so it is very old.  It gets a good baboon rating for service, lunch and dinner.

The hotel was on the seafront and we got views of the sea from one window and nice old buildings from the other.

Uh oh!!  What have they found?

Oh dear, it looks as though somebody has left their luggage behind.

The hotel had a nice bar, no #MiniBreeze and Mini-Kolo didn't drink these drinks.

We went out for a walk and #MiniBreeze checked out Deal beach.

We came across this interesting character wrestling with fish.

Yes #MiniBreeze climbed all over him.

Then #MiniBreeze checked out Deal Castle, it is an old castle, built during Tudor times, along with others, to guard the English Channel against invaders, mainly French or Spanish.

Later we went to pick up my grandma for dinner.  Mini-Kolo introduced #MiniBreeze to the rehomed
baboon Russell, who lives with my grandma and his friends Somer, the little white gibbon, who came from the Owl and Monkey Sanctuary on our island, and Harry Fox who my people gave to grandma more than 20 years ago.

We took grandma to a restaurant in Deal, called 81.  Grandma likes it a lot and it gets a high baboon rating.  It was difficult for #MiniBreeze to decide what to eat as there was too much choice.

The risotto looked good to him, as it had cream in it.

But oh, the monk-fish is fish, um not sure what to do!!  In the end he decided that he would have manperson's monk-fish with the cream from person's risotto, clever #MiniBreeze!  He was polite and left grandma to eat her skate wing in peace, even though it was fish.

When it comes to puddings #MiniBreeze knows his stuff, but Mini-Kolo is the expert.  What to choose?

Person's tiramisu?

Manperson's cheesecake?

Or grandma's peach bake with sorbet?  Well he and #MiniBreeze opted for a piece of each.

After that it was back to the hotel for bed.  It had been a long, and not uneventful, journey (watch this space), a long walk and a biggggg dinner. The next morning #MiniBreeze was the first to check out the breakfast buffet.

He was quite impressed with the amount of yogurt on offer!!  Kippers were available too.  #MiniBreeze was very happy.  After all that breakfast we went for a walk.  #MiniBreeze was quite surprised when he saw the beach at Kingsdown (where we walked).

This is a beach, but it is full of flowers. We don't get that on the island, our beaches have stones or sand.

Back to the hotel and we met grandma for lunch in the bar.

#MiniBreeze has developed a taste for fish finger (translator's note - fishstick) sandwiches.  This one was particularly nice, in ciabatta bread.

Well the afternoon brought more walking.  #MiniBreeze found a boat that must have been meant for him.

The evening brought a dinner of scampi and chips (translator's note - fries), so nice that #MiniBreeze ate it before we could photograph it.  It was a fishy weekend.  Deal is a fishing town.

The next morning we had to leave for the drive back.  After breakfast we checked out.

We drove back and got onto the car ferry again.

#MiniBreeze looked at the smart flats that overlook the ferry terminal.  We wondered whether the ferry made them a bit noisy for the people.

The harbour was sunnier than on Friday and he got good pictures.

His last view of the mainland (for now) was the yachts at Gunwarf Quay.

#MiniBreeze had a very good weekend away and lots of his favourite foods.  He has more adventures to come.  He has already been on one today, details to follow.  Clue, we said our journey to Deal was not uneventful!!