Good God they actually employ potatoes to help you park cars on the Trasmed ferry from Barcelona to Palma. They put them in hi-vis and make them look like people but after listening to them and obeying their instructions, they are definitely potatoes.
A few of them became interested with me when I stopped to let someone open their door in front of me but behind them. They began actively patronising me about my line in the narrow ferry lane. “I know the size of my car,” I tried to tell them, “I just stopped to let that guy behind you unload!” but my potato is even worse than my Spanish. They were actively telling me what to do with my wheel. Eventually one of them was happy with where I was. Had I been driving on the other side of the car like everybody else then fine, but I literally couldn’t open my door in the line he put me in. He seemed happy with that outcome and finally fucked off whereupon I was able to go back to the line I originally had and get out of the car. The whole situation took AGES though. When you take into account that Trasmed are giving work to root vegetables that would otherwise be consumed in a wide variety of dishes, perhaps it’s acceptable that three of them spent so long making sure my vehicle was parked badly. The excitement of being a vegetable with a job would maybe forgive their otherwise unforgivably patrician tone too. Had they been people I would obviously dismiss them as ridiculous unforgivable proud morons.
I’m on the boat. I hope that the boat isn’t being driven by a potato. I’ve found a bench type thing that I might be able to sleep in. I’m gonna explore the boat and make sure I can’t find a better option, before I take something that makes me sleep and just wink out until about 4.30 when it all starts shouting. Gotta say I’m surprised. My expectation was a totally packed ferry but there’s loads of room here. Maybe I’ll get lucky.
The roads south today in France were frozen, with snow on both sides. The beast from the east. There’s been snow in Majorca for the first time in years.
Getting into Spain was a relief. The evening sun was warmer. Things felt more like summer. I’m hoping it’ll be a warm few days in the Balearics. I’d hate to finish this big old drive with bad weather. The potatoes affected my mood getting on this boat. Now I’m on it I’m gonna see if I can find a sleepy place…
I’ve eaten well. Having done this before, I went and got tapas in the city, and enjoyed a bit of the liveliness of Barcelona. After France it is lovely to have been somewhere anglophone. This geographical stretch is okay for me as I’ve got enough French to fill the gap and as soon as you hit Spain everybody speaks English…
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This ferry is evil. In the daytime, Lou and I found the doors to the VIP area etc open. Now people need to sleep it is very secure.
Here’s a standard bank of seats:
We are as full as we will ever get. Nobody is in this area at all. Six people will be upright in seats because of this fuck you design.
AlBarclay 