We had been made to feel very welcome at Veronica's place in Boxgrove, near Chichester and our accommodation was very comfortable so we were sad to leave.
Our first stop for the day was Fishbourne Roman Palace. There's not a whole lot to see apart from some very impressive mosaic floors.
This is what they think the palace rooms were like.
It is amazing to think that this floor was created in the 1st century AD
Detail of above
This floor was flat originally but post holes were dug above it, causing it to sink.
This gives you some idea of the area of the mosaics. (They are all under cover so as to preserve them.)
A model showing what the palace may have looked like.
On the way to Portsmouth, Satoshi saw a sign to a 12th century church so we followed the signs and came to St.Mary's, Chidham. Every little town has a church and it would be impossible to stop and look at them all but each one is different and so interesting!
We were made to feel very welcome!
The Nave
The Lectern
For some unknown reason, there were models of famous people in history around the church.
There was Samuel Johnson with his dictionary. (He's in a good spot near the heater!)
And even Paul McCartney!
The Sanctuary
I hope David doesn't get his beard stuck in his harp - could be painful!
Miriam, the sister of Moses
Not too far away was Portsmouth Cathedral. Although there are some old parts, most of this cathedral is quite modern, the nave not being completed until 1991.
The Nave
The Organ
The Quire and Sanctuary. Note the very modern choir stalls.
The lectern
Detail from the lectern (no wonder it's a nice one!)
The same organ but this much older organ case is on the east side.
The three kings visit Jesus.
The Flight into Egypt
Joseph's brothers sell him to some Ishmaelites as a slave.
The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon.
The Annunciation. A lovely depiction of Mary, I thought.
The Nativity. Note the baby-size angels!
Thomas Becket with a splitting headache.
From the Cathedral, we moved down to the historic wharf area. There was a large number of things to choose from and we had limited time.
We chose to go on a tour of HMS Victory, Nelson's ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. First stop was an exhibition.
A model of HMS Victory
Nelson in his cabin aboard HMS Victory. (Sorry about the reflections!)
King Charles II's State Barge
Some figure heads from sailing vessels
We met our tour guide at 4:00pm and discovered that we were the only two customers. We had a really interesting tour because the guide was extremely knowledgeable and could answer all our questions.
One of the gun decks
The Poop Deck
It's a little difficult to see but the little box with two round holes in it at the centre of the photo is the toilet!
Nelson had his own toilets, one on either side of the ship. It depended on which way the wind was blowing which toilet he would use!
This is the actual table that Nelson used to plan his course and to devise strategies for the battles.
This is the main cabin. It can be hired out for a dinner. It would need to be a special occasion though... the cost is £40,000!! It is also used for ceremonial occasions such as visits by members of the Royal Family.
In the background, you can see how close the hammocks for the sailors were to each other. Imagine 850 of them all hung that closely together for the length of the deck. No good for those who suffer claustrophobia!
It was in this exact place that Nelson died. He had been hit by a musket fire which had broken his back. Imagine the pain as he was carried below decks down steep rope ladders! At least he knew the battle had been won before he died.
Evensong was at 6:00pm and was sung by the Cathedral Choir. The responses were by Reading, the canticles were Byrd's Second Service and the anthem was Great Lord of Lords by Orlando Gibbons. The choir did an excellent job.
Later, at 8:00pm, there was a concert put on by some of the Choral Scholars and friends. About a hundred candles were used for the lighting Music by Candlelight. The programme was Bairstow "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Ramirez "La Peregrinacion", Byrd "Agnus Dei" from "Mass for Four Voices", Tomkins "When David Heard", Holst "Nunc Dimittis", Stanford "The Blue Bird", "Scarborough Fair" arranged by Nathan Harrison, Rachmaninov "Bogoroditse", Stopford "Do Not Be Afraid" and Two Spirituals" arranged by Dale Adelmann. This was a superb concert. The music was of differing styles and each item was faultless. It goes to show that Cathedral Choirs are still places where the musical training is second to none.