Finding the Ferry

I left Saint Malo with a bit of a heavy heart, as happens when leaving family. It may have been 30 years since I last saw them, but it was like I had been there all along and there was a sense of belonging that one usually gets with family...or life long friends.

I was on the way to meet one of my oldest friends, Jolene, to catch the ferry to Rosslare, Ireland. We met when we were 12 and I don't think there's anyone that knows me better.

When I got off the train it was 3:20pm. The ferry didn't board until 6:15pm. Loads of time! Jolene and I consulted a nearby map and saw that the port was very nearby - and we could we could see the Celtic Link Ferry just there. Easy. 

We decided to see if we could find a grocery store to pick up some food for the 17 hour journey. Alas it was Sunday and this was France. Nothing but florists were open. Florists...really??

We revised the plan and decided to do a recon mission of the ferry terminal. We were going to check it out and then find a bite to eat. Naturally we walked toward the ferry which was next to a stately building that looked like a classic big train station. This must be the terminal, non? It was a museum with a massive submarine out front. And a huge fence topped with barbed wire between us and the ferry. We asked directions and off we went following the white barbed fence looking for a long low grey building.

Jolene and I haven't seen each other in 7 years so as we walked caught up, laughed and it was like it had only been a week since I had seen her. An hour later we looked at each other and said, "Does this bleeding fence ever end???" Our Ferry was getting smaller and smaller behind us and the white fence continued on and on. The sun was shining, the day was hot and our packs were not getting any lighter.

A kilometer and a half later there was a break in the fence and a pedestrian walkway to a long low grey building. We made it!!!