The Norman Voyager docked in Portsmouth at 21:30 UK Time (an hour earlier than Central European Time) and I set out to find somewhere to stay. By the time we docked it was nearly dark and I didn't find anywhere before it was completely dark and was quite cold. I got lost, of course, and wound up somewhere outside of Portsmouth but the hotels I found there were far too much so I decided to go back. Driving was quite miserable and ...
Let's skip the tale of suffering. Suffice it to say that it sucked (laughs).
At about two in the morning I discovered the Parisien Hotel and it had a sign outside that said the nightly rate would be £20 so I wandered in there and rang the bell. I was about to give it up when a sweet little old lady came out of her room and said she had one room left but it was on the top floor, did I still want it.
Oh yes, I would have slept on the floor if she had allowed it!
After I brought my stuff into the hotel she said I could store some of it with her as it was obviously going to be one massive bitch to take it all up those stairs. The room was on the fourth floor and there was no elevator.
She showed me where to put the guitar, etc, and it was her room! Such a sweet lady! Her dog was making noises but she said it wasn't growling but rather burping!
When I went to pay her I asked if she could take euros for the £20 and at first she said no but she saw I was screwed and changed her mind. She said £20 would be about the same as €20 but I told her that it definitely was not and gave her the change in my pocket to make up the difference. It wasn't quite enough to make it right but later I remembered I had a £5 note in my wallet that had been there since I went to Greece. I gave her that in the morning and that was more than I owed her but I owed her more than for the room anyway. I was dead exhausted, very cold, and had nowhere to go. The Parisien Hotel was more than I could have hoped at that point!
Let's skip the tale of suffering. Suffice it to say that it sucked (laughs).
At about two in the morning I discovered the Parisien Hotel and it had a sign outside that said the nightly rate would be £20 so I wandered in there and rang the bell. I was about to give it up when a sweet little old lady came out of her room and said she had one room left but it was on the top floor, did I still want it.
Oh yes, I would have slept on the floor if she had allowed it!
After I brought my stuff into the hotel she said I could store some of it with her as it was obviously going to be one massive bitch to take it all up those stairs. The room was on the fourth floor and there was no elevator.
She showed me where to put the guitar, etc, and it was her room! Such a sweet lady! Her dog was making noises but she said it wasn't growling but rather burping!
When I went to pay her I asked if she could take euros for the £20 and at first she said no but she saw I was screwed and changed her mind. She said £20 would be about the same as €20 but I told her that it definitely was not and gave her the change in my pocket to make up the difference. It wasn't quite enough to make it right but later I remembered I had a £5 note in my wallet that had been there since I went to Greece. I gave her that in the morning and that was more than I owed her but I owed her more than for the room anyway. I was dead exhausted, very cold, and had nowhere to go. The Parisien Hotel was more than I could have hoped at that point!
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