An Eventful Night on the Ferry
Added on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
An Eventful Night on the Ferry
An eventful night didn’t quite get off to the perfect start when I got the times wrong for the 10pm ferry from Brindisi to Ighoumenista.
The internet said ten but actually it was 9pm – the bloke at the gate said it was Italian time – and if their driving is anything to go by I can believe it!
The route from Baris to the port is like a race track – every biker wants to be Valentino Rossi and every car driver needs therapy. I mean what is the point of riding up someone’s bumper – are they retentive about something?
Fair play to the Iti’s, they were phenomenally warm and hospitable. Once they slow down they are so likeable, just that when they get behind a steering wheel, smoke comes out of their head and arse and there’s just no stopping them.
Anyway I got into the port with 15 minutes before the ferry left, got my ticket, lobbed my bike on board and found a space to kip underneath a lifeboat (if their car driving is bad, you should see how they sail!)
I slept fantastically quite well but was by the engine. When we docked the engine doesn’t get turned off, the boat goes loads up again and goes back.
So I carried on sleeping when suddenly I heard lorries being loaded. The damn thing was about to sail back to Greece and I was still on board, so I pulled my pants on and dashed down to the car deck just as some forth mate was about to press the button to raise the deck door. I pleaded with him to let me off and in 1 minute flat I was on the quayside. That was a bit close. I’d have been well p***ed off if I’d woken up in Brindisi!
So I rode out of Igoumenitsa, up the new motorway to Ioannina, found a hotspot, took a couple of photos and sent it as we write. Next stop Istanbul.
