"Plymouth (Friday, 08/10).
Grey sky, but somehow the sun is shining as well - pilgrim still drifting.---
Have just woken up after a long sieste in the empty ferry terminal - there is a howling gale out there which blows open the doors. When I came back the place was teeming with people who where going on a three day cruise to Ireland - with weather like this that can't be fun. Yesterday's ferry too was full of people who were 'cruising' and some were complaining to each other that it was not right to be travelling for two days, one day there and two days to get back. And I realize how lucky I am, when I see all these pensioners walking with at least one if not two sticks.
(no more sun, only gale)
So this morning I slept through till 7 am, first coffee in bed, two bananas which were still living in my pack, shower, another coffee while waiting for our arrival which was delayed like our departure from Santander.
There was a letter for me at the Brittany Ferries desk - Eric explaining that they could not come to meet me in Plymouth because of health problems. So I walked to the town center to deposit my pack at the bus station - the ferry people had said they were not allowed to keep people's luggage because they were located next to military installations, but at the bus station I would find the facilities I needed.
At the bus station I found that, for security reasons, the council had eliminated the 'left luggage' facilities and nobody knew whether there was anywhere else to leave any luggage. I also found that there was only one bus per day to Poole where Eric and Joyce live and that I could not possibly come back the same day.
So I drifted while trying to make up my mind what to do next. Happened to find myself in front of an optician (later I discovered that there were many like that) and got an appointment to have my eyes checked. In this country ophtalmologists are set up within the opticians' shops and my girls have been pushing me to have my eyes tested when next I stayed with them. It's done. Got my appointment for 45 minutes later during which time I had a sumptious Macdonalds meal - Macdonalds being opposite the opticians'
The eye test took about 40 minutes, got my prescription, paid and was on the road again. Drifted some more, vaguely looking for a bookshop - and ended up in Oxfam's where normally they have lots of books. Found one and walked back to the ferry terminal - where I am now, see above...
Nothing exciting has happened since - embarkation without a hitch; launched myself into the cafeteria immediately - nobody about yet - foot passengers were embarked very quickly - there were only a few apart from a load of French school children - and car passengers had not yet arrived in the restaurant. When I had finished I found the bar/pub full of people who might or might not show up in the restaurant later.
Again I am having the cabin to myself - this really IS finishing off my pilgrimage in style..."
Grey sky, but somehow the sun is shining as well - pilgrim still drifting.---
Have just woken up after a long sieste in the empty ferry terminal - there is a howling gale out there which blows open the doors. When I came back the place was teeming with people who where going on a three day cruise to Ireland - with weather like this that can't be fun. Yesterday's ferry too was full of people who were 'cruising' and some were complaining to each other that it was not right to be travelling for two days, one day there and two days to get back. And I realize how lucky I am, when I see all these pensioners walking with at least one if not two sticks.
(no more sun, only gale)
So this morning I slept through till 7 am, first coffee in bed, two bananas which were still living in my pack, shower, another coffee while waiting for our arrival which was delayed like our departure from Santander.
There was a letter for me at the Brittany Ferries desk - Eric explaining that they could not come to meet me in Plymouth because of health problems. So I walked to the town center to deposit my pack at the bus station - the ferry people had said they were not allowed to keep people's luggage because they were located next to military installations, but at the bus station I would find the facilities I needed.
At the bus station I found that, for security reasons, the council had eliminated the 'left luggage' facilities and nobody knew whether there was anywhere else to leave any luggage. I also found that there was only one bus per day to Poole where Eric and Joyce live and that I could not possibly come back the same day.
So I drifted while trying to make up my mind what to do next. Happened to find myself in front of an optician (later I discovered that there were many like that) and got an appointment to have my eyes checked. In this country ophtalmologists are set up within the opticians' shops and my girls have been pushing me to have my eyes tested when next I stayed with them. It's done. Got my appointment for 45 minutes later during which time I had a sumptious Macdonalds meal - Macdonalds being opposite the opticians'
The eye test took about 40 minutes, got my prescription, paid and was on the road again. Drifted some more, vaguely looking for a bookshop - and ended up in Oxfam's where normally they have lots of books. Found one and walked back to the ferry terminal - where I am now, see above...
Nothing exciting has happened since - embarkation without a hitch; launched myself into the cafeteria immediately - nobody about yet - foot passengers were embarked very quickly - there were only a few apart from a load of French school children - and car passengers had not yet arrived in the restaurant. When I had finished I found the bar/pub full of people who might or might not show up in the restaurant later.
Again I am having the cabin to myself - this really IS finishing off my pilgrimage in style..."
Plymouth, vendredi 8 octobre
Ciel gris, mais bizarrement, le soleil brille aussi - le pèlerin a toujours l’impression de flotter….
Je viens de me réveiller après une longue sieste dans la gare maritime vide – dehors il y a une tempête furieuse dont les bourrasques poussent les portes. Quand je suis revenue, l’endroit était plein de passagers en partance pour une croisière de trois jours en Irlande – par un temps pareil, ce ne sera pas drôle. Le ferry d’hier aussi était rempli de touristes qui faisaient une « croisière » et certains se plaignant les uns aux autres que ce n’était pas normal de voyager pendant deux jours, un jour pour y aller et deux jours pour revenir. Et je me rends compte à quel point j’ai de la chance, quand je vois tous ces retraités qui marchent avec au moins une, sinon deux cannes.
( plus de soleil, seulement la tempête )
Donc ce matin j’ai dormi jusqu’à sept heures, un premier café au lit, plus deux bananes qui avaient survécu dans mon sac, une douche, un autre café en attendant notre arrivée qui était retardée, comme notre départ de Santander.
Un courrier m’attendait au bureau de Brittany Ferries – Eric qui m’expliquait que des problèmes de santé les empêchaient de venir à ma rencontre à Plymouth. Je suis donc allée en ville à pied déposer mon sac à la gare routière – le personnel du Ferry m’ayant expliqué qu’ils n’avaient pas le droit de garder les bagages, la gare maritime étant située à côté d’installations militaires, mais qu’à la gare routière, je trouverai tout ce qu’il fallait.
A la gare routière j’ai découvert que, pour des raisons de sécurité, le conseil municipal avait supprimé la possibilité des laisser les bagages à la consigne et personne ne savait où laisser les bagages. J’ai découvert aussi qu’il n’y avait qu’un bus par jour pour aller à Poole où habitent Eric et Joyce et que c’était donc impossible de faire l’aller-retour dans la journée.
J’ai erré dans les rues, en essayant de décider quoi faire ensuite. Je me suis trouvée par hasard devant la vitrine d’un opticien ( plus tard j’ai découvert qu’il y en avait plein de semblables) et j’ai pris un rendez-vous pour faire contrôler ma vue. Dans ce pays les ophtalmologues sont installés avec les opticiens et les filles me poussent depuis des années à faire contrôler ma vue au cours d’un séjour chez elles. C’est fait. J’ai pris un RV pour 45 minutes plus tard et pendant ce temps j’ai mangé un repas exquis chez Macdonald – Macdonald se trouvant en face de chez l’opticien.
Le contrôle a duré environ 40 minutes, j’ai récupéré mon ordonnance et me suis remise en route. Je me baladais encore au hasard des rues, dans la vague intention de trouver une librairie – j’ai fini par me retrouver chez Oxfam où d’habitude il y a un tas de bouquins. Après en avoir choisi un, je me suis redirigée vers la gare maritime – où je me trouve en ce moment – voir ci-dessus….
Rien de passionnant depuis, embarquement sans problème ; je me suis dirigée immédiatement vers la cafétéria – pour l instant il n’y a personne – les passagers à pieds sont montés à bord très rapidement – à part un groupe de collégiens français, il y en avait très peu – et les passagers motorisés n’avaient pas encore eu le temps d’arriver jusqu’au restaurant. Le repas terminé, j’ai trouvé le bar rempli de passagers qui iraient peut-être – et peut-être pas – se montrer au restaurant plus tard.
Encore une fois j’ai une cabine pour moi toute seule – je me dis que pour terminer mon pèlerinage je mène grand train …. »
Un grand merci à Rosalind qui a traduit ce dernier message.
Bernard
