CRUISE VIGNETTES 52, Ferry Boats

THE UNUSUAL BUILDINGS OF VENICE
As soon as we crossed the viaduct from Mestra to Venice, we turned right just before Plazza Roma, and just “missed” the ferryboat to Lido Island where the campsite was located in 1970. Of course that meant we were the first vehicle on the next ferry. Cost $8 round trip. It was a very entertaining trip, since from the ferryboat we could see the beautifully unusual buildings of Venice, and the islands nearby. And after seven visits to this fantastic city, the buildings are still “beautifully unusual.”

The next morning the “girls” rode the Vaporetto across the lagoon to St. Mark’s Square, while I took the RV on the ferry back to a parking garage at Plaza Roma. I then boarded a vaporetto for my first trip on the Grand Canal, passed under both the Rialto Bridge and the Accademia Bridge to St. Mark’s square. Now that’s a fascinating ride.

ACROSS THE CHANNEL BY HOVERCRAFT
We arrived at the English Channel and decided to ride the Hovercraft to England. They have room for 35 cars and VW campers, and maybe a 100 people (that’s just a guess). There are large fans under the craft blowing down to lift the Hovercraft a few feet above the beach. Then propellers drive it forward as it rides above the sand on the beach, then above the water. Not a very smooth or nice ride, but it was the quickest way there.

On August 15, 1981 my brother and his wife traveled from England to France, on a Hovercraft. Both of these crossings were made long before the Chunnel, that is the tunnel under the Channel, was built.

THE PINK CLIFFS OF DOVER
We had to get up at 4:30 AM to catch the ferry from Dover, England, to Oostende, Belgium. From the ferryboat we could see the Pink (!!) Cliffs of Dover shining in the dawn’s early light. We had a good breakfast, ham (or greasy thick-cut bacon) and eggs and all the trimmings, soon after we left the dock. Emmy and the Lindas slept (and felt seasick!) while I really enjoyed the ride.

TRIP ACROSS THE GULF OF BOTHNIA
We arrived at the ferryboat port about noon for the trip across the Gulf of Bothnia from Vasa, Finland to Sundsvall, Sweden. We ate smorgasbord in the ferry boat’s restaurant — the cost was about $7 or $8 each. The ferryboat ride took six or seven hours and it was dark when we arrived in Sweden.

However, we now found the campsite in Sundsvall closed for the season, and the hotel had no vacancy. With the permission of the desk clerk, we spent the night in the RV, in the hotel parking lot. In this case it was necessary, but that was also our preferred way to spend the night.