Monday, July 15, 2013

Mama, I'm Comin' Home

The ticket for Portsmouth from Le Havre was purchased just a few minutes ago from DFDS Seaways and I will be sailing at 17:00 to arrive in Portsmouth at 21:30.  Sailing will take five and half hours but I'll be crossing another time zone into UK time.

I find surprising emotionalism over the idea of this as I was raised on England and the Crown even though I grew up in Australia.  I won't be going to London but my father was born there and even though my mother was born in China, her family is all over Edinburgh and that's where they returned after my grandfather's stint in China.  I've got misty multiple times over being so close to being in England even though I have never spent much time there.

It will still be another seven hundred kilometers but I'm pretty confident of making it to Edinburgh now.  I don't want to start thinking that it's already over as really it will never be over.  The first thing on arriving in England is to get some fish and chips even if they aren't allowed to sell them wrapped up in newspaper anymore.  I grew up on fish and chips wrapped in newspaper and eating them didn't make me crazy ... or maybe it did (laughs).

The first objective is to head for Stonehenge and letting people talk you out of things because they think it's corny is a bad reason to avoid something.  I once drove past the Grand Canyon because I didn't want to be a tourist and, sure as hell, I never got down that way again.

Since I will be arriving at or near dark, the most prudent move is to find somewhere to stay as it's going to be strange enough getting used to driving on the left in the daytime much less trying it in the dark.  I've done it before in the British Virgin Islands and it's not as strange as it seems but this isn't something to push, particularly if you're tired.

So that's the general plan:  Portsmouth by 21:30.  Find some fish and chips.  Find someplace to sleep.  Head for Stonehenge in the morning.

And the adventure pushes onward!

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