Castletown – Part 2

Now to continue on our stroll.

Back in the main square you get a different perspective of Castle Rushen.

If you look closely, you can see that the clock only has one hand.  It dates back to Elizabethan times and that was how it was made.  It still works, but is currently being refurbished.

Even the lamp posts feature the castle.

I’m not sure what this building is, but it looks impressive.  I have heard the details of the column, but can’t remember them.  It never had anything perched on the top; I can remember that much.

Opposite the castle is “The George”, which does a rather nice seafood meal.  We were struggling to walk home after our huge dinner the other night.

More patchwork inspiration in their foyer as well.

Now, let’s go shopping.

There are two shopping streets, neither of which you can drive along.  Castletown only has a small range of shops, but you can get most basics here.

We are spoilt to have Radcliffes located here.  They are one of the best butchers on the island.  They make beautiful dry cured bacon and have the best range of sausages.  This time we have tried Welsh Dragon and Loaghtan Lamb.  Both delicious.  They also sell some fresh veges and free range eggs.  All nice local stuff.

The fellows were very obliging when I requested a photo, even posing with a pie.  I love the natty little hats that butchers all seem to wear over here.

There have been some changes since we first started coming here six years ago.  The newsagency and chippy have gone, as has, sadly, the lovely little antique store that we could always find a little something to take home.  However, on the plus side, Elevenses has opened up.

They do a lovely morning tea.  You have to make sure that they are OK, you know.

There are a couple of lovely gift shops.  This one is quite girly.

Whereas the Port Erin Gaslight Company is more masculine.

Next stop, the supermarket.  It seems strange being just part of a row of buildings like this, rather than the usual style that we have.  Admittedly, it is only a small suburban supermarket.  Other towns have larger versions of Shoprite, which is only on the Isle of Man, and Douglas has a Tescos.

I suppose it is time to head back home.

Some of the cottages were built when people were generally a little shorter.  Mick is six foot tall, so you can see that even I may nearly have to duck through this door.

The house to the right of the bright blue one, with the stone bottom and cream top is the house we stayed in the first time we visited.  Like Bathurst does for the car races, it was a private home rented out for the TT fortnight.

You can buy this tiny little cutie for 210,000 pounds.  That’s about $420,000.  I think I’ll buy two for that price – not!  Housing is definitely not cheap over here, like petrol, which is about twice as dear as at home.  Food, however, is about the same as at home.

And just a bit further down the road from our current cottage is this colourful row.  They look so cheerful, whereas most cottages are just white or cream.

Admittedly, I have shown the most scenic parts of Castletown, and like all places there are some not so scenic parts, but it is a lovely place to keep coming back to and we wouldn’t stay anywhere else while here.