Shops and Cathedrals

Here's a few quick pics from the day we headed down to the coast to visit the outlet shops at Portsmouth - Easter Monday it was in fact. Portsmouth is known (amongst other things) as the home of Nelson's ship, The HMS Victory, which led the Battle of Trafalgar and is still a commissioned naval ship that visitors can climb aboard. No time for that though, with outlet shops right next door. As it turned out, we found the shops to be a little to overcrowded and overpriced, so we didn't stay too long.

We decided to take the long way home via Chichester, which is an old town settled by the Romans originally. The shops in Chichester were much less crowded and better value as it turned out. What's more it was much nicer roaming the cobbled streets, at least after the hailstorm passed. The girls made a few choice purchases and even Keezee got in on the act buying a tea strainer - a much needed item in these parts.

Chichester has its own cathedral which is quite impressive. In one section the floor is glass and you can look down onto the 2000 y.o Roman mosaic pavement below, over which the 900 y.o cathedral was built - the planning laws were not as strict in those days. For the record, it is also the resting place of St Richard.




Portsmouth street art reflects the maritime heritage of the town - and don't the kids love it.



Outside Chichester Cathedral - Keezee calls this photo "The Two Saint Richards"



We're not sure if St Richard the former (Bishop of Chichester 1245-1256) also bought his tea strainers at Steamer Trading



Inside the cathedral - we're never sure if it's poor etiquette to take photos inside church, so we sneak one in just as we're on our way.