I don’t think I’ve ever walked as much in my life.

Since the brush with independence and isolation boosted my confidence a little bit, I decided that walking and exploring Portsmouth would be a breeze. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the excitement of it all. But I didn’t feel the pang and pain until much later in the evening, when my eyelids would flicker and go against me. Open Damn it…Close. Okay squint and Open… Close… I said Open!!…Close…

By about eleven pm, I was out.

My day started quite early. Tita Liza had to be in the Cathedral for work so I decided to hitch with her in the morning so I could hit the ground running.

St. John’s Cathedral

I walked into the old/historic town where I caught a glimpse of free houses and bed and breakfasts. I didn’t want to pretend to know so I asked why they called it a free house. Apparently, you call it a free house when the establishment isn’t tied down to one beer source/maker so they’re allowed to sell various kinds and brands. I saw this spoof barber shop of Sweeney Todd on Queen Street, as I walking towards the wharf.

When I got to the dock area, the historical dockyard was still closed, so I decided to walk further and found myself in the Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quays.

After going around the gunwharf, I went towards the historical dockyard again to wait for the opening. Some shots while going around and waiting…

When the dockyard finally opened, I found myself in a tightly-guarded historical site with military men, swarming and surrounding the place. Some of the ships that were docked there were the Victory and the M33. I’m not going to pretend to know what these were but from what I read, these ships were important defensive units during the world war. Ha-ha.

Afterwards, I walked towards the city proper where I found myself in the Guildhall (it’s like their version of a plaza) where a lot of students were hanging out. I don’t know if I’m just being a paranoid Asian but they kept looking at me in a “She must be a tourist” kind of way.

I also came across their theater royale, the university campus, the railway station, before I walked towards Victoria Park to eat and rest for a while.

At the park, I encountered people at their most unguarded moments–a woman breastfeeding (Yes, I saw her boobies in all their glory. Ha-ha), a bearded man meditating or at least, it looked like it, an old lady knitting and eating, a group of Indians horsing around the park, a bevy of officemates having coffee, a couple trying to hide the fact that they were necking and making out in public. Ha-ha.

I realized I had been walking without stopping for about 4 and a half hours. I headed back to the Church to meet Tita Liza. She was about to take me to meet her friend, Richard—the nicest, most entertaining, warmest, cutest (in a “I want to be your granddaughter” kind of way) British man I know.