Today we braved the bus strike and the initially gloomy-looking weather to have a day out in Peel. Why the hurry? Because it was the last day we could see Luke Jerram's touring artwork Mars, which was on display in St German's Cathedral. (This is the same person who brought us the Moon in Derby Cathedral in 2023.)

We were so glad we persisted. The skeleton bus services showed up; the day got brighter by the minute; and Mars was really worth seeing.

I confess I knew very little... It seems the red planet is about half the size of our own, but its big mountain, Olympus Mons, rises a whacking 25 km about the surface, and its famous "canali" complex, actually the Valles Marineris, is five times deeper than the Grand Canyon.



We were also really impressed by the Cathedral grounds, which have all kinds of interesting features:








A trip to Peel, on whatever pretext, demands a walk out along the breakwater, round the back of the ancient castle, and along the harbour. These are the scenes of my childhood and youth, and I never, ever tire of them:







And you can always rely on Peel to supply some good rooftops:




First treat of the birthday week: Fantastic scones at Traa dy Liooar, a new cafe on the Peel scene. The name is Manx for "time enough", which epitomizes the locals' relaxed attitude to life... Will come back here, for sure...



A very cool day out. Very satisfying.