Covid rates are slowly going down so I have decided that it is time to stop my count of days since the first lock down in the Uk back in 2020. The total number of deaths is now around 200,000 and Covid is still around and we are heading for a (fourth for me and fifth for Colin) Covid Booster over the next couple of months.
We got up at the normal time and finished the little bits of packing that cannot be done until the day of travel. We popped out for sandwiches at M&S and a few more snacks for our bag.
I packed the car and everything fitted into the boot and we left the bags we planned to take on the ferry on the back seat (along with Gulliver and Boris!)
We finally set off just before 1.00pm and headed for a garden centre that I had spotted on Google maps. The advantage is that is is only fifteen minutes from the Brittany Ferries port in Portsmouth, had lots of parking and a coffee shop! It was a great place for a spot and they make a mean coconut and raspberry slice. They even had a large duck pond to look at.
We left with just over three hours to check in and board the ferry. It was very efficient and there were already a number of other cars in the queue. We progressed slowly and had a full security check on the car including using a mirror to look underneath. Today’s photo is the view of the ferry as we waited to board!
We finally boarded around 6.15pm and I was convinced that we would be late leaving but it was so efficient that we actually set sail at 6.55pm - five minutes early! The car park area was very clean with plenty of space to get bags out. We took a lift and stairs to our cabin which is much better than I had imagined. It is small but has a good ensuite and a window - beds seem comfortable.
We dined in the Azul (blue) restaurant which turned out to be paid for today but included in our ticket price tomorrow. Sea is calm but as we spent most of there evening passing the Isle of Wight rather slowly that’s not surprising… one seasickness tablet taken just as a precaution!
