A weekend in Portsmouth with my twin

So, here we are, four weeks in and the blog posts keep coming! After a couple of weeks of getting back into the swing of university life, my brother came down for the weekend from Bath – did I happen to mention that he’s also my twin?

We usually visit each other twice a semester and last weekend David came over to stay for a few days. Normally we can make plans easily, especially as there are so many options; day trips to Winchester, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth to name just a few. However, with the recent rail disruption, we decided to get a National Express instead over to Portsmouth, therefore saving time and money.

Me and David, my twin!

Spending a year abroad and traveling at weekends has given me a real sense of adventure that I still want to keep up this year. You may have to whisper it quietly in these parts but Portsmouth is a fantastic city to spend time in, and I’m not just saying that because I support its local football team!

In a nutshell, ‘Pompey’ (as Portsmouth is affectionately known) is served well by transport connections, but the hub of the city is definitely around the harbour. There, the historic part of the city with the Naval Dockyard meets the newer Gunwharf Quays, which is filled with plenty of shops and is also home to the towering, iconic landmark of Portsmouth – the Spinnaker Tower.

 HMS Victory - visible as soon as you leave the train station!

Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower 

Portsmouth Marina

After a quick lunch consisting of a pasty (yes they’re not just sold in the West Country!) and a drink, we headed off to the Dockyard where we were visiting the new Mary Rose exhibition which has only been open for 3 months. I’d done a tour of the naval site a couple of times before, giving me an excellent chance to reminisce. Although King Henry VIII’s old flagship was recovered from the Solent several years ago, they’ve been really busy since then restoring and washing the ship before leaving it to dry for the last three – yes, three - years! From the pictures it looks so special today even if only half of the wreckage was ever found.

The Mary Rose

I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a day trip, especially as travel can work out quite cheap (a £7 return bus journey using National Express). Furthermore, the Dockyard itself offers good deals around the £20 mark which allow you to return as much as possible in a year if you don’t get everything done the first time.

After getting back to Southampton, we went for pizza and a night at the cinema watching The Girl on the Train. I don’t want to give too many clues away but the title is definitely very accurate, plus it’s a gripping psychological thriller with some unexpected twists along the way!

On Sunday, there was just about enough time for a pub roast dinner before David headed back to Bath on the train. In a month’s time, I might just be able to do the return journey!

Thanks for reading!

Paul