OK, I’m stalling with
this blog. I started letting my one-post-per-port system drop in
Cadiz.
Cadiz was a port where
second time around, literally nothing happened. It was extremely
boring, I only had two hours off.
Then came Gibraltar.
The problem with Gibraltar was is was far, far too interesting.
In crew bar the night
before, I'd overheard a conversation between two people I vaguely
know, talking about finding a camera shop in Gibraltar. Ears burning,
I butted in and said 'hey, I know where there's a camera shop in
Gibraltar'. The girl who was asking, I'll refer to as L, as I’ve
been trying not to name people in this public blog. The result was we
went into Gibraltar together the next day to find the camera shop
where I bought my card reader.
The shop was shut, so
we started walking up the hill to find some monkeys (or Barbary Apes
as they really are). We found some, but the castle turned out to be
too expensive for either of us. By means of apology for dragging her
up and down a small mountain, I bought L a coffee. On the way back
down, I walked her down the main street, which, as I now know, is
thick with pro camera shops. I'd made a friend for life.
First day I didn't know
what L made of me, but considering we've spent most of our time
together since we became firm friends that day.
I don't really want to
bring any other characters into this blog besides myself, but as I’m
barely leaving the boat without L at the minute, it's impossible to
leave her out.
Malaga I spent the
whole day trying to find an HSBC bank to register my pin with. After
walking miles down a road tourist info said there might be an HSBC
down, and finding nothing but Santanders I began trying my card with
it's brand new pin in every machine I could find. Finally, I came up
trumps. 'La Caxia' would not let me see my balance or change my pin,
but it would give me cash. Nice to know that if my card was pinched
they couldn't do anything with it – except steal all my money.
Barcelona, I overslept.
Probably because the night before I'd spent several hours dancing
with and chatting to L. Without making this into something it isn't,
I’ve genuinely found one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever
met. Anyhow, I only got to see a couple of hours of the city, and
with the boat moored a half hour walk away from the city it took me
an age to get there, but I ended up at the second hand market in the
bottom of Los Rambles. I got a few pressies and a patch for my Uke
case. It reads 'Cat Power' who are a band I saw at Glastonbury, but
somehow I don't think this patch was made for them. I have to find
out what it means.... it makes me uneasy knowing its on there without
knowing its other meaning.
In Malaga I'd bought
rope and thread. I'd already found a needle in the carpet of my cabin
and I set about making an adjustable carry-strap for my ukulele case.
I’ve realised in previous blog posts that the Ukulele is a flirting
master-tool. Sorry, friend-making master-tool I mean. Now my uke
travels with me to every city.
The next day was
Toulon, and I got up mega early with L to hit the port before she
stared work. We accidentally found a rock festival, and listened to
this amazing French jam band, a bit like Santana, but funkier, with
two gorgeous dreaklocked girls singing and playing guitar. We walked
around the port, L with her SLR, talking and occasionally she'll
freeze, turn the camera on and photograph something inane. When I
look on the view screen at the back, the mundane has become
beautiful. It's weird.
My sets have been
getting better and better this week. My playing's just dropping into
place, mainly thanks to Steve, who's back on board today, raving it
up with us in Crew Bar. Today L heard me properly for the first time,
be it from around the corner where she was photographing passengers
in front of a giant fake sunset. 'It frames you nicely!' I told her
as we chatted, her SLR in her hands as always, like an extension of
her body.
It was Mahon today. I
love Mahon.We wondered up through the town, and walked out in the
non-obvious direction, right from the port. We found a track leading
out into idyllic countryside, unfamiliar plants and wildlife. We
walked out as far as we could, both photographing everything. We were
rewarded by a few of true rural Spain. This is what Laurie Lee must
have seen and experienced, and a side of Spain neither of us had seen
before. On the way back we got wonderfully lost, and climbed down the
giant port wall by a different method. Tiered with gardens and
wonderful views, L climbed over the wall, thrusting her camera at
me. 'Hold please'. So as L climbed precariously out onto the port
wall, photographing the perfect abyss of the harbour, with silt
diggers on barge penetrating the blue, I sang her songs on my
ukulele.
We came back down to
find L's Indonesian colleague, a cheerful photographer, also with a
permanent SLR addiction. Only N is most commonly found deeply lost in
her phone. We played on the swings, taking turns and crazy pictures
with all three cameras. I lay on the floor singing nonsense songs.
'We're sailing in the
Majesty
On the Mediterranean
sea
If only had wifi for
free
You would be our
heaven'
All to soon we had to
get back on board ship, but things are changing. I was wondering how
I was going to get through 3 months of solid Majesty ship life, now I
don't know how I’m going to leave it behind.
'Two months was a very
long time now
Two months is a very
short time
Toulon is-a bright
sunshine and
Gibraltar is a very
long climb'
Well, at least I’m
writing again.
Love you and miss you
all,
Sam xxx
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