From hull and back

 Hello bloggers,

I can't send today's blog because I've run out of WiFi. 

You are spared until tomorrow when you will have a double dose...😬

Back on WiFi...

"But if we leave home now, we'll have five hours to spend in Hull", reasoned Kate.

I've often thought it would be nice to be like normal people who saunter along to a seaport or airport with twenty minutes to go. They heave themselves nonchalantly from their cars, adjust their trousers, casually look round then head for the facilities. 

We get so excited about going on holiday. Even in our 60s. It's disgraceful really. 

And so we find ourselves at the Hull ferry port with hours to go. We're not alone of course. We have never been first in the queue. Are there people who are even more immature than us, or did they just get the departure time wrong?

The thing is, as Kate put it, we don't care. It has been a fairly frantic time lately and now we have no option but to stop. There's nothing we can do apart from admire all that Hull ferry port has to offer. This is the end of route planning and packing the right gear. Never has packing been so complicated. First there's the overnight on the ferry stuff, then the tandemming down the Danube stuff, then the having a holiday like normal people stuff. I drew up a three page list of gear, assigning each thing to the relevant part of the holiday. I then encouraged Kate to attend night classes to learn how to use it. Why do I get so obsessive when it comes to lists? Or my garage, come to that? A few days ago. Kate made a rare visit to the garage. When she came out, she told me off. What had I done? I wondered. It turns out my garage revealed the side of me that is organised and meticulous. "Why can't you be like that in the house?" She remonstrated. When I told Dave, he said I'd made a school boy error.

We are surrounded by German bikers in all their leathers and various other items of colourful clothing, many of which are in common, depending on the 'gang' they belong too. 

I remarked how they looked as funny as cyclists. "But with more cred." Kate concluded. At least our tandem is strapped to the roof and we can enjoy Hull from inside our car. 

I have always thought that a ferry crossing from Hull to Rotterdam sounds somewhat depressing. I don't mean to be rude about Hull (well, perhaps I do) and Rotterdam sounds pretty dam rotten too. 

But the sun is out and we are enjoying the very different vibe of this port. Southampton is always full of huge spanking new cars and caravans and expensive looking people in charge of them. Here, we are surrounded by old campervans, motorbikes and Germans in bandannas. 

There is bonhommie and the sun is out. We're ready to go from Hull and back.

We have boarded the ferry at 4pm. Pretty good when we don't sail until 8:30pm!

So, P&O is definitely not Brittany Ferries. The boat (sorry Ship) is vast. It became clear as we made our way from the bowels of the ship to our cabin, that we are now in the Philipines. There are hundreds of staff present and I'm not kidding when I say that every single one is from that part of the world. Mind you, I'm glad they're there. For a start, we, and several others, failed to find a route off the car deck. Then we studied the signs, looking for cabin 10277, but the cabin signs were spectacularly unhelpful. Rescue was delivered, politely and smilingly, by the staff.

The cabins are poky, basic and poky. (And basic) We went for an explore. The whole communal area, which covers three floors has pop music blaring out at you. In fact, where we are sat, disco is hitting one side of us, whilst The Carpenters is asailing the other. The balance between the two is pretty good....

We found a Costa coffee by negotiating the large gambling area, the Irish bar, the general bar, the area which 'promised' live entertainment later and the 'all you can eat buffet' complete with huge levers issuing from huge vats of tomato ketchup, brown sauce and mayonnaise to complete the gastronomic joy awaiting you. 

We thought it would be nice to get out on deck before sailing. It was impossible to find a way out. Fear not, a friendly member of staff was ever present in the wings. When we asked her how to get out on deck, her face was, just for a split second, a mask of horror. She recovered herself with commendable professionalism and gave us directions to the very stern. 

We were the only ones on deck apart from some staff on the deck below...

Oh Brittany Ferries, how we miss you! The beautiful, yet affordable food served in plush surroundings where you are asked how you like your entrecote. "A point, pour moi s'il vous plait"

Mind you, as Kate has just said: Thank goodness for Costa!

                        Getting it together...
                         Bikers everywhere 
                   The only ones on deck!

Perhaps it's just me but, can you think of an image which promotes even less 'connectedness.....?



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