The Edmondson Blog

Claire and I have been over to the Isle of Wight for the weekend. Unfortunately, the weather didn't hold up for long, but that didn't stop fun times. Stayed in the Wellington Arms in Ventnor on the south side of the island. The hotel was clean and well run, and the room had superb views over the sea (the photo is from Saturday. On Sunday the sea was fierce). On Friday night we ate in the Richmond Arms, which is highly recommended - some of the best fish soup I've ever tasted. We were going to eat in the well known Spyglass Inn though I never trust anywhere with laminated menus where the first line reads "our staff expect to be treated with respect".

On Saturday we somehow managed a 9 mile walk over Tennyson Way, completing a loop up over the hills and back along the coast path. We rewarded ourselves with the X Factor and some superb tapas and heavy red wine at The Met Restaurant in Ventnor.

On Sunday we axed our trip to see the Needles due to the dreadful weather and instead headed to the Red Lion pub for a long lunch and some local ale. The advert wasn't kidding when it read "bookings advisable". This place was packed. We munched down on fish pie for 45 minutes but disappointingly had to leave our table early. Even so, it was worth the trip.

A weekend to the Isle is definitely worth the trip, even if the weather lets you down. It's a great place to explore.