Wednesday 8th May - Setting Sail

This will be quite a short post as we will run out of data and WiFi once we set sail.

We wake to a misty morning although sunshine is promised later. There is no hurry this morning. Once we have made our lunchtime sandwiches we set off via the supermarket and the petrol station. Rather than heading straight back to the M5 we take a back road to Clevedon. We look for a Spanish phrase book in WH Smith's but there is nothing doing. 

R has discovered that she has forgotten to pack any earrings so we look for some but nothing suitable is on offer. Clevedon is a bit of a dud and does not even provide humorous photo opportunities. We get back on the motorway and make good progress.

Coffee time sees us in Ashburton which has a thriving jewellery quarter and R finds just what she wants. By now the sun has broken through and we start to look for somewhere shady to have our picnic. Ashburton lets us down on this count and we get back on the Devon Expressway and head towards Plymouth.

We have forgotten that we will need rolls for tomorrow's picnic lunch but Gertie Google finds us a conveniently sited Lidl which has an enormous car park with a shady side. That will do nicely for our picnic. 

From lunch it is only a short drive to the ferry terminal where we take our place in the queue for those of sub-optimal mobility. This is a concession for R's recently replaced right knee, and means that we will park close to a lift. The Pont-Aven is one of Brittany Ferries larger ships and has good facilities which we have enjoyed before on the Portsmouth - Saint Malo crossing. As we wait it becomes necessary to apply the sunscreen.

We board about an hour before scheduled embarkation and find out cabin, which is at the opposite end of the ship to the lift. Still it means that we get some exercise.

This is our first time on the longer Plymouth to Santander trip. Home for the next 20 hours is a 2 berth inside cabin with shower.  So cosy that a meaningful photo is well nigh impossible.

First job on board is to find a seat in the bar where we can monitor the queue for restaurant reservations. These open at 16.00 but the herd panics at 15.38 and a line forms. We dare not miss out, especially as it is R's turn to pay.

We set sail at 15.50 only five minutes late.

Today's mileage 120.