Lymington

Lymington is my early favorite for cutest port in the UK. It has a long history of salt, smuggling, ship building and sailing  of which it is immensely proud. It was granted its first charter in 1200 so it is a very old town. The production of sea salt was important from the middle ages until the end of the 18th century and Lymington was the biggest producer of sea salt in England. The former salt pans where sea water evaporated leaving the salt behind are now a wildlife refuge with loads of walking trails and many varieties of seabirds. Smuggling of wine, brandy, silks, coffee and tea was popular near the end of the 17th century and the residents participated in concealing goods and moving products inland using teams of horses and carts. During the reigins of Edward I to Edward III (1239 to 1377), Lymington provided nine ships for the defense of the realm which was more than Portsmouth. Where sailing is concerned, Lymington makes the US sailing capital of Annapolis Maryland look like a small, country harbor.

Roman’s sister, Christine, and friend Ron arrived by train from London on Friday. We met them at the station which was only a five minute walk from the town quay where Flight was tied up. Lymington has “seawater baths” which is a swimming pool filled with seawater and a Ninja Warrior-type obstacle course. We watched some dads and kids having a great time, many of whom were wearing wetsuits and then strolled around the nature preserve. We celebrated with dinner onboard, featuring a lovely bottle of champagne. We may have spilled a few drops on Flight as a tribute, but we did not smash the bottle on her hull. After a stroll through the Saturday Market, Christine and Ron departed via train for London. Christine was headed off to Albania to go hiking with friends and Ron was headed back to his home in Pittsburgh. We had a lovely visit!