Ticket to Ryde

It's Sunday and you know what that means!  This week my friend Naomi was kind enough to give us a tour of...

Is it odd of me to always think of Jimi Hendrix when I hear of this place?  Maybe.  Meh.  I was born in the wrong decade.

Anyways, take it away Naomi!

1.  Tell us about yourself!

My name is Naomi & I live on the Isle of Wight, which for you who don't know, is a place that looks kinda like a pair of lips at the very bottom of England. People always think it's fun living on an island, and yeah, to those who don't live here, it is.  But for us residents, it can be crippling trying to get to mainland UK. The ferries are horrible expensive...Anyways, I live like a minute from the sea, which is kinda beautiful.  I do love living by the sea & I like to see the mainland. It gives me hope. I live with my mom, Greta & our 3 cats: Phoebe, Phoenix & Tabitha. We're hoping to move soon though :)

2.  Can you tell us a little bit about the Isle of Wight? 

The Isle of Wight as I said can be somewhat crippling for us residents, however the tourists do seem to flock here. There's a lot of History here, including Osbourne House in East Cowes which was Queen Victoria's Summer house, as well as Carisbrooke Castle where Charles II was imprisoned.  If you don't like history there are some ok music festivals here.  In fact the Island is most famous for the Festival back in the 70s. The same festival was relaunched about 10 years ago & now sells out.  However, its all too main stream for me. This year, they seem to have gone back to when I was 16 for their main acts. The other festival is Bestival, which is way cooler. It's held in September at Robin Hill,which for the rest of the year is a tourist attraction. Now I've only been to Bestival once, but its way more chilled out then the usual stupid hat wearing, bottles of piss throwing idiots which reside at usual festivals. This festival has many tents, big tops & stalls, which make for a fun filled weekend.

Other than that there are the usual tourist attractions, The Needles, Donkey sanctuary, Botanical Gardens and some neat little places that you stumble upon. My personal favourite of late is the Owl & Monkey sanctuary just outside of Newport (the main town). It's got some really lovely animals and is so peaceful, its not massive,but well laid out.

For drinking, we have the usual British chain of Wetherspoons, and some local old men pubs. My favourite place is a little bar called The Wight Rock, which is kind of a basement bar, it's run by a lovely couple called Debs & Shaun. They have some good alternative bands on, and frequently have nights hosted by Platform One, the local music college. So odds are, you might see someone before they're famous :)

3.  So, what is life on the Island like?

Life on the Island can be pretty dull. There's a lot of unemployment here and a lot of businesses shut, but others open. There aren't a lot of big chains here, but there are some cool little shops if you wanna go off the beaten track.
 

The people...well, unfortunately because its a small island, pretty much everyone knows everyone, or if they don't then its kinda the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon with someone you know, knowing them. I have some really decent friends here, and I love them. I wouldn't say there are really any past times that we enjoy here.  Like most places there are a lot of people who get really drunk at the weekends.

The summers can be beautiful and kinda hectic with all the tourists, as we are essentially a seasonal destination. The beaches in the morning are beautiful and I do like going for a bike ride along the seafront when the mood takes me. We also have some gorgeous sunsets, which are well worth a watch.  As for interesting things to do in Ryde, it's somewhat lacking. I used to work at Ryde Theatre, until it was closed by the council. There are some historic buildings, bars, shops and a cinema and bingo hall. 

4.  Any major holidays you celebrate differently from us in North America?

There aren't really any traditions or holidays that we celebrate here, but we do have carnivals, which can be kinda cool. They've tried to make them more like Nottinghill in recent years. We don't really do a lot of holidays. Nothing like you guys in Canada or America. I wish we did... 

5.  What got you interested in pen palling and communicating with people all over the globe?

Well, I remember having a penpal when I was way younger, and I loved it. I love getting home after a rubbish day and getting a letter and sometimes treats too! I love hearing about other peoples lives and I think sometimes my penfriends know more about me than my friends who live here. I find it easier to write things down, than say them out loud sometimes & so many of my letters from my penpals are like stories. I love it. Pen palling keeps me sane. 

6.  Any photos you want to share?

Below are some pictures Naomi sent.  Thank you!! 

Eastern Gardens

Fog

Phoenix

Tabitha

For these next two photos, Naomi writes: "Here is a couple of photos from the 50s diner I like to go to, which I completely forgot to mention. Shame on me! It's called Phil's Diner in Newport. It's awesome and does an amazing American Spice milkshake :D"

Very cool!  I'd love to travel to the Isle of Wight one day...mainly because I've never actually been to an island!  Thanks again Naomi for telling us a little about your life!

Next week we'll check out another amazing country...

Much love,

~E