Quarr Abbey

Last Sunday, while having breakfast at The Crossing Cafe, we decided to bring Mum and Dad here this weekend and booked a table. It was the only arrangement for the weekend that didn’t come with written confirmation, but I needn’t have worried—our table was ready, and the restaurant was fully booked during our visit. Both Dad and I opted for the full English breakfast, PY chose a crushed pea-based dish, and Mum went with Eggs Royale. As with last week, everything was delicious.

Afterwards, we strolled to the seaside before boarding the bus to Quarr Abbey. The bus driver kindly held up traffic to allow us to cross onto the abbey grounds, where we walked to the Grade I listed building. Inside, there was no service taking place, and at one point, we had the church to ourselves. I’m always amazed by the stunning brickwork. I lit a candle for my grandparents while we soaked in the peaceful atmosphere.

We took a quick tour of the shops and exhibition before heading to the café for a couple of drinks. Despite the ample staffing, the queue moved slowly, but we enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine, watching others receive their lunches. We eventually made our way back to the bus stop, where we watched one bus depart before our arrival. No one appreciated my attempt at humour when I remarked that was the bus we needed. The next one, arriving about ten minutes later, was perfectly fine. It gave us time to relax and take in views of The Solent from Ryde while PY returned to the hotel to collect Mum and Dad’s bag.

We then took the short train journey up the pier to catch the ferry and our 3:32 pm London connection. Despite good progress, a speed restriction and track inspection caused us to arrive about fifteen minutes late. However, I managed to get everyone onto the tube and out at Piccadilly Circus in time for our dinner reservation at Prezzo.