that will be my new address for the next few months.
so let me update you on the adventre.
the ferry pulled into valencia at about 8.30 on thursday evening and started offloading. this boat was huge, bigger than Bernard Manning`s belly. As i watched the artic trucks reversing in, they looked more like a full stop on a piece of A4 paper than a huge truck that normally freaks you out on the motorway. Thing is, there were three car decks, and two of those were big enough to take artics. the place was huge.
on the top deck, a sauna, swimming pool and gymnasium.
the next deck down, two restaurants, a cinema, two bars, two tv rooms and a discotheque, the next deck down was full of cabins.
I was starving and also getting very tired. the last time i slept was tuesday night-wednesday morning and i woke up then at 09.30. so i was now at more than 36 hours without sleep. I was hoping to sleep on the ferry. first thing to to when i got on board was learn the floor plan. you might say it is a little anal but whenever i am in a confined space, i always want to know where my escape routes are and how to reach them. while i was wandering around i found one of the restaurants and decided on chicken and chips, polished that lot off and then continued with my tour of the ship.
as we pushed out of port, i stood at the bow of the ship (thats the front for non sea farers!) and watched valencia dissapearing besides me. as we left the harbour, it was cold and windy – midnight on the med – sounds very romantic but it was cold, only made worse by star filled skies with no cloud. i headed inside.
hit the tv lounge, i saw `miami csi`on the tv and thought that would be good until i fell asleep. Bloody spanish – dub over everything! it they had used subtitles i would have been ok but this was just not on so i went for a wander again – i wasnt really that tired after my chill on the front of the ship.
after around half an hour, i returned to the tv lounge, the tv was off and the lights were dim so i decided for a sleep.
when i woke, the lights of mallorca where clear in my windows, just enough time to get to the car before disembarkation.
as we left the ship, it was still dark and i headed out onto the main drag in palma. my heart sank………it was busy as hell, traffic everywhere, i was tired, had no idea where i was going, it was still dark and the locals drive like complete nutters, like you drove as a kid on the dodgems at the fairground – only difference was that they didnt actuall bump into you – but i think that was more luck than judgement. I was back in a city!!!!!!
i drove until i found a cafe in the heart of town with a parking space in front of it – both of my surf boards were on the roof and my mountain bike was inside, i wanted to keep them all in my line of sight.
i had no credit on my telephone so couldnt call anyone – and i couldnt buy any until the shop was open. but then, just as i started sipping my coffee, Mike Dellar called me – `where are you`he said – i just laughed and said – `Palma` there were no noticable buildings or businesses that i could relay to him. I suggested that i met him at the port and he waited there for me. even a tired fool like me could follow those yellow ‘port`signs back to where i had just came from.
he saw me pass him and called me to talk me in…………finally – i had arrived and met a friendly face! i suddenly felt more safe and secure.
my first day in palma had begun.
The November Archives 
Have a moan - the beers are on me !!