Day 10 (July 10):  Isle of Man

Is there anything more joyous than dogs splashing in the surf?  Walking to the Manx Electric Railroad station this morning, I was treated to a half hour of watching dogs of every description tiptoe, plunge, dive, cavort, and frolic with abandon in the gentle waves of Douglas beach.  What a great way to start the day!

The Manx Electric Railroad has been operating since the 1880s along the Isle of Man’s eastern shore.  Since 1895, an extension of the railroad has climbed Snaefell, the island’s only mountain (elevation 2037 feet).  Accompanied by another group of British train enthusiasts, I rode to the tiny town of Laxey and then switched to the Snaefell line.  Leaving Douglas, the skies were flawlessly blue.  By Laxey, puffy clouds had appeared.  Ascending Snaefell, fog appeared in wisps, then tendrils, then patches, then a translucent veil, and finally, at the peak, a dense blanket.

In clear conditions, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales are visible from the summit.  Today, I was able to discern only the snack bar, where I repaired for a coffee and scone.  Both were excellent, so I count the trip at least a partial success.

Upon returning to Douglas, I took the most expensive tour of the past week, which covered the men’s department at Marks & Spencer and yielded clean clothes to wear on the flight home tomorrow.  Next stop was the Manx Museum, which had engaging exhibits covering art, natural history, archeology, and social and political history.  It’s a charming place, though finding the entrance was inordinately challenging (which might be why I was one of perhaps three visitors).