Arena

I got up late because, again, I didn’t sleep well. PY has been up a while and was pottering. I ate porridge and raspberries for breakfast. And then half a pack of nachos was demolished, so any ideas of a healthy start went out of the window. We then walked into Ryde, taking the route along the seafront and going to what I think is officially the arena at Planet Ice. The building opened as an Ice Rink in the early 90s but closed in 2016. Nobody has been able to sustain the business. There are (were) plans for the Isle of Wight Distillery, makers of Mermaid Gin, to relocate here and open a visitor’s centre. Still, as I write this, I see the application was withdrawn yesterday. I wonder if it will be resubmitted? It’s utterly ridiculous that such a site goes unused.

We went into town looking for a small pot of paint for the bathroom ceiling, but we could only find one large port, which was too big for our needs. On the way back, we stopped for brunch at The Crossing Cafe. My huevos rancheros was delicious. We’d never been before, but we’ll be back.

After taking things back to the flat, we took the train to Shanklin and, after finally finding a pot of paint in a hardware store, walked to the Fisherman’s Cottage right on the waterfront. We had a Mermaid Gin in support of the Ryde visitor centre idea. It was so lovely to be back in Shanklin and pleasant to walk along the seafront before gradually making our way back to the train for the journey back to Ryde. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day out.