Portsmouth – Our home in a heritage island city

The city of Portsmouth means so much to us – It has endowed us with a first hand experience of living abroad. It has been enlightening, strengthening and a bittersweet life changing affair.

We were in an entirely different setting – people, culture, landscape and customs but deep inside everybody seemed familiar. Don’t we all strive for love, health, happiness and dreams! Still, we felt it important to assimilate in the british ways for a truly enriching experience. Britons are so famous for their adherence to the protocol that boy, we had so much homework to do! And for us, it went a long way too :)

I was always bumping into the strangers on the sidewalk but to my surprise they were being “sorry” even before I was! Pretty amusing, but I learnt eventually that this is how britons are brought up – courteous at the drop of a hat. I learnt the importance of being punctual, the joy of wishing everyone and that simple words such as ‘sorry’, ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ are so powerful in spreading happiness around the world.

Coming back to Portsmouth, it’s a port city residing on the Portsea island with a rich maritime history. It is geographically, ethnically and culturally diverse and has a splendid cityscape. Seasons changed, but this city retained its splendour cast in different hues round the year.

We share some of our favourite shots from our everyday lives. Hope you like them!

1. Christmas day on the Commercial Street

Won’t ya kiss me On that midnight street Sweep me off my feet Singing, ain’t this life so sweet

2. When the city glittered with Heaven’s confetti

3. Fall colours of Portsmouth

4. St Mary’s Church in Autumn

5. Where the symbols of fallen glory stand together

6. A night in summer

It was sad to see all the eye-candy disappear in winter. But there’s a good reason behind – the classics tend to have less grip and moreover the salt on the roads makes me prone to rusting. Then came the summer, and the glam was back on the roads!

7. The Spinnaker Tower – stealing hearts in the day and night alike

8. It’s not that you stop dancing because you grow old, but you grow old because you stop dancing

9. When the sky casts its golden spell on water, behold!

10. Forever sipping beverages in charming english cafes

11. She stands poised, intimidating the onlookers. What a lady!

12. Our home away from home

This is the street we live on This is the street we know. We’ve made some friends around us The friends that we love so.

13. The Southsea Castle

14. The Southsea Seafront

15. The Vulcan building (A Former Ordnance Storehouse)

16. Figurehead of the HMS Marlborough at Gunwharf Quays

Did you ever get to pack all your belongings and move to a whole new country, even for a short while? How was your experience? And if you have any tips, do share with us :)