2. Southampton, Brownsea Island and Winchester

There were no delays to our flight and by noon we had checked in to our hotel in Southampton. We had not planned on doing too much on the first afternoon and as it was extremely hot and sultry, did even less! A quick look around West Quay was followed by dinner and a couple of refreshing pints of Montana Red at the White Star tavern and then an earlyish night.

Next morning we took the train along the coast to Poole Harbour and caught the little ferry across to Brownsea Island. The island is now National Trust property but it's claim to fame is that it was the site of the first ever scout camp way back in 1907. Claire had long wanted to make a pilgrimage to this spot and thus now fulfilled that ambition. The Island is a haven of peace and tranquility, made even more pleasant today by the warm sunshine and lack of wind. It is also a nature reserve and is one of the few places left in Britain where one can spot the extremely rare red squirrel. We did manage to see one, but it was a bit of an anticlimax given that we have a red squirrel that visits our garden at home on a daily basis anyway.

Once back on the mainland we took the train up to Winchester as we had arranged to meet our nephew, John, niece Michelle, their Mum Sabine, and our new great nephew, Cameron for a meal. It was lovely to catch up with them all. Winchester itself is always worth a little look around, it being the birthplace of Alfred the Great, has the imposing Cathederal where Jane Austen is laid to rest, as well as being the home of King Arthur's fabled Round Table.

As a busy day draws to a close we just have to ensure that we have gathered all our belongings and valuables and have our paperwork in place ready for boarding the Crown Princess tomorrow.