Celebration of Victoriana

It's been rather a Victorian- themed weekend. The Isle of Wight became  a very popular place to visit, and to live, after Queen Victoria and Prince  Albert built their country  home, Osborne House, in East Cowes, in the north of the island. We went there today, when drizzle set in, to make a tour of the house. The Durbar Room, decorated in a very ornate plasterwork by Bhai Ram Singh, never ceases to amaze me, despite my having it seen it several times over the years.   
Earlier, in the morning, we visited the IOW Steam Railway, which uses a line constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria. Many of the carriages and  locomotives date from her reign too.Today, as well as riding on a steam -hauled train, we took a short ride on the old, petrol (now diesel) fired  rail car, which was used to take passengers  arriving by boat at  Ryde Pier, into Ryde town.  
Finally, on our way back to Southampton, on the ferry from  Cowes, we passed the stylish Cunard cruise ship Queen Victoria, on her way to Rome via  Cadiz, which makes my blip today.