tall grass either side of a rich green pathway….maybe to the sea.….four lane forest road where history is gone….its all new…. few steps up into the center of the ferry trying get back to the bus….on the ferry…..a place to write…..Canary….almost there…..people every where….. us looking for masks……left on the bus…..people……the ferry is moving..we go up into the center top, on the deck. Huge wind…waves. hold yer hat. water erupting…wind wind wind…inside now down the stairs—-aft deck viewing through glass…..sea receding behind us…..going to another country…..
still the sea rolls by quietly in our glass ball with people. music comes through….what does it mean? it lasts 30 seconds tops….then gone…other tongues around no understanding of words just feelings…a restaurant looking out at the passing water…..powerful, awesome power of natural energy…
This is were my great old wooden ship Ragland comes from. these North Sea waves and this air…..so familiar….. yes…peaceful……and powerful. The Ragland carries this feeling. i will soon see her again… but not for now….the energy is captivating……now 3 days to the destination…….ferry moving across the first channel
bells…the announcement…
back on the bus in the depths of the ferry……US Issues World-Wide Caution for Americans… following the US attack on IRAN…without congressional approval. Our old government had laws. This one doesn’t.
Now traveling on a four-lane highway through the beauty and modernity of today’s Europe. Lots of traffic…it’s that time of day. Rain and beauty in full bloom. Earlier, I remember seeing one of the most beautiful power tower designs of the modern era. A structural masterpiece of Human engineering and design… along-side the highway, too new to have wires yet.
a six lane highway flies past modern factories that disappear into green fields of multiple crops…Sun falls into clouds behind wind turbines spinning in unison….one not moving. Clouds covering the sun say day might end, but we are far north and sun refuses to set, now lingering bright in the blue evening sky as clouds go away…
freeway walls, made to let plants grow in them, half covered with green in the flickering reflections of sun…. as we fly along….
Now turning west, into the sun.
a parking lot. night. The Netherlands.
Now out on the road ….4 laner…..traveling to the Chunnel where a train loads the bus and goes through a tunnel to England. A long wait for this….Clouds rolling by, revealing through our windows – occasional blue. Time to write. Time to dream…..Its never too late to dream. Having traveled to England many times over the life, i feel a familiar feeling as we wait outside the border having our pictures and infra-red shot taken to ID us for God knows who or what or when. I don’t…….but i feel big change is coming and i wonder…Hope we move soon…..
So here we go. there is a long train parked outside, and we enter one end and see the cars are all connected and open on the ends to pass from one to another. We enter and drive through the train to the front. Stopping there, we see nothing but the inside of the car, looking out through our bus windows we see only the inside walls of the train car we are in, We wait. But we are moving now, we feel the motion. Its water. we are in a train inside a large ferry crossing a channel to get to another land. It’s a different kind of tunnel.
Cars going in opposite lanes. Sheep fields. Hotel with a familiar name. Sleep.
Travelling again. More traffic. Sheep. Beautiful fields.
Traffic…..as we head past green alongside the water and another ferry to another land….
Walking now on the narrow path past the lake…not a large lake….a large pond?……beautiful walk with D. Now finding time to do some breathing exercises….…. A few birds. a great pigeon gathering sticks to build her nest…….back now, stepping on the bus at the rest area. leaving soon. read some Bad news from home…. try to forget that for now. wonder if the tour will be affected by the new war. ….waiting to leave…..long wait…..lets go…..…..news cycles endlessly. I try to get away from the media. turn off ….my in-ear hearing devices. BRILLIANT escape!
eight lane highway rolling northwest…..traffic……weathered fields fly by either side….beauty in nature here…..old english farms in the valley….lines of tree growth at the edges….cattle……traffic still intense. Liverpool 55……..
On to the far west point we pass turbines in the sea by the hundreds. we see the sheep, the cattle, the incredible historic churches and houses…all beautiful stone creations……an ambulance flies past. …. lights blazing siren screaming…an ancient bridge and house far below on an island in the river, caught deep in the past…..History is everywhere. Distant Holyhead approaches…..greenery abounds and beauty is all ‘round…old stone fences…..sky is blue piercing clouds. Green continues along fields with rows of trees between them creating a quilt like valley pattern…. the four lane…..through out….continuing. traffic thin. sky grey. Crazy combination of ancient stone homes and white travel home trailers…..sheep…. barns….Holyhead 8.
Checkerboard fields and boundaries of trees separating the fields again. it’s all over this beautiful country of Wales, especially out here. traffic picking up with cycles of noise flying by. Holyhead 6….
yet more green quilt field valleys unending. a train passes under us, tracks carrying people towards the sea……..duck crossing warning sign. …..mountain in the distance….turning off exit….Retail Park….buy sell buy…..Entrance to something…..seabirds flying overhead…turning-turning roundabout….Leisure Center……separating the….minutes
WARNING New Road Layout Ahead……
Mountain now behind us….residential area. turnaround…planes overhead….
mighty railyard below bridge…..Ferry entrance. passport request.
Welcome to Holyhead.
On this giant ferry….very foggy now and a quite smooth ride. Heading towards Eire through the fog……I always love this country. Waiting for the docking….bus will roll.