Well Bye bye England and as patriotic as I am , good riddance, I wish George Osborne and iain Duncan Smith were at Portsmouth to cheer me off , so I could have chinned them.
Spain is a large country with smaller population, so traffic is sparse. Mountains are plentiful, kms are many, 1000 miles Santander to Torrevija.
3 and half hours Peterborough to Pompey.
Leaving England's Green and not so pleasant land, with HMS Victory in dry dock, Nelson's flagship that changed Britain's history in the Battle of Trafalgar, we bid Portsmouth farewell on board Brittany Ferries in search of the sun, leaving toffee nosed twerp politicians and doom and gloom, something I am sure Nelson did not fight for, but maybe it was Kismet.
"Rule Britannia", it is rather choppy outside my porthole.
So this is Able Seaman Sharpe reporting at full speed ahead in the Bay of Biscay , (Bay of Biscuits) courtesy of Norwegian wi fi aboard a post Napoleon French ship carrying hundreds of ex pats away from it all.
"Mid ships midships", we left sunny shores, in an overloaded Luton Mercedes Sprinter, that could not sprint with all our belongings, but got so far so good.
The dogs (not seadogs) are in stainless steel, barred boxes (kennels) hating every minute. They are walked regularly by us on deck 10, the top deck (penthouse suite). We have a cosy cabin on deck 6, and I am typing via Norway and France in the breakfast room on Deck 7. The Van remains on Deck 3. 24 hours the sailing, and now the morning after we set sail at 17.15 hours Tuesday 30th April, most passengers are still wandering around with lost expressions on their faces. There are 2 cinemas, but the cabins only have bunks and en suite, no other services, but we are only aboard for 24 hours, then we invade the Spanish, who would do well to lock up their daughters and their valuables.
"Hard to starboard Mr Mate, aye aye Cap'n". So we will then disembark and look for a hotel overnight before 8 hour drive to Costa Blanca, and all this costa lotta.
BUT, in search of a better life, realising a kick the bucket wish since a boy and never having to be press ganged into it.
Kismet huh, well what would have Francis Drake, as well as Horatio made of it all, maybe its back to times when those that rebelled against the austerity of past Monarchs were exiled, and nothing has changed, we all have to speak 3 languages at least, because our politicians are fluent in the ancient language of bollocks..............
The End for now.......I will be back..................... did not have enough room for it all aboard a complaining Van.
Hasta La Vista
Un Able Seaman Sharpe signing off.................leaving England in his wake !!!!
Pink ceramic tile pavements,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,very tasteful
