By Graham K. Rogers

Having spent some time with one sister and my two nieces going down to the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway, the weekend was booked long before for a family gathering (roll eyes) with a nephew who lives close to my other sister, down in Gosport. My nephew is in the Navy and his first ship, HMS Diamond is parked just across the water at Portsmouth.

Gosport - Looking across to Portsmouth

The journey down, following Apple Maps directions, was not enjoyable with unusually heavy traffic on the M25 and later on the A3. I will never complain about Bangkok congestion again.

Having dumped the suitcases, we went down to Haslar Marina. Looking across to the Spinaker we could also see the new offices for Ben Ainslie's Americas Cup challenge: a modern glass construction, just to the right of the Spinaker.

Gosport - Marina View

We were eating at "Trinity's" on a former Trinity House Lightship, now called the Mary Mouse 2. Not only was the food good, but the staff were delightful.

Gosport - Marina View

The view from the upper deck out towards the Solent was superb and we were able to watch ferries to the Isle of Wight and Brittany come and go as the light began to fade.

Gosport - View from the Marina

After dinner, we walked along a promenade towards the town. The Marina and the waterfront were nicely illuminated.

Gosport - View of the Marina

Gosport - View of the Spinaker and Waterfront

The next morning, there was time for a walk on the beach before the compulsory family event. At Stokes Bay one of the inshore lifeboats was being prepared.

Gosport - Inshore Lifeboat

My parents walked ahead for a while as we approached the old fortifications looking across the Solent.

Looking out across the Solent we could see Ryde and Cowes, where next week the waters will be packed with thousands of boats for Cowes Week: one of the major events in the sailing calendar. Ben Ainslie's Americas Cup yacht could be seen maneuvering in the Solent and as it came closer in to the Gosport side I took a number of photographs.

Gosport - Americas Cup Challenger

After the family event, Sunday was the return to Bedfordshire and no internet (I use a Personal Hotspot). Before we left, I looked round the small garden of my sister's house, noting that the sub-climate in Gosport is different: it reminded me of San Francisco.

The return journey was far easier with light traffic most of the way, although my parents did disagree with the Apple Maps navigation once or twice, trying to send me down roads that Siri did not indicate. I do admit however, that one or two of the cross-country choices may not have been the best: the shortest time between two points may not be a straight line.

See also:

UK Vacation Images (4) - Rural London, Landscape Views and Old Technology

UK Vacation Images (3) - Beds/Bucks Countryside and Country People, Plus Electric Charging

UK Vacation Images (2) - House Beautiful and The Flying Pig

UK Vacation Images (1) - A Walk in the Woods

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life. He can be followed on Twitter (@extensions_th)