Shorts, Flip Flops and Home

I said when we got on Galicia in Portsmouth that it was strange to think that when we got back it would be spring and that it would probably still seem like our adventure would be over in a trice. Both are true.

As many of you know wearing shorts and flip flops is my preferred mode of dress, 365 days a year would be my ideal. An added bonus our adventure to the Algarve has more or less extended my shorts and flip flop season by about 5 weeks. I only wore trousers at the beginning of the trip before we got to the Algarve and for a day in Salamanca, even Santander proved to be easily shorts and flip flop weather. Santander by the way is also a lovely place to spend an overnighter before getting on the ferry. We stayed in a Hotel overlooking the beach and had a very pleasant afternoon and evening and then had no more than an 8 minute journey to the ferry. The view from our window.

I’m writing this blog whilst sitting in the lounge on Galicia, somewhere south of Devon in the English Channel. The journey has been as forecast, there was a bit of wind across Biscay which has now dropped and other than a bit of ocean swell it’s very calm. So different from our journey out which was pretty rough. Because Galicia is pretty new I was interested in learning a bit more about her, she is a pretty amazing ship. Built by Ro-Pax in China, Galicia is one of 10 new E-Flexer ferries ordred by Stena Ro-Ro. Three of the ships ordered by Stena are being charted to Brittany Ferries, Galicia, Slamanca and Santona. Galicia is the biggest ferry Brittany Ferries have ever had and is 214M long, weighs 42,000 tons, with 1680 passengers, 345 crew, 550 cars and 64 trucks (that’s 3 KM of car/truck lanes on the ferry). Galicia is so big you can't get her into a single photo close up.

We found out from one of the staff last night that the crew live on the boat a week at a time in their own accommodation. I had wondered how you could operate a ferry with a French crewed when the route is from Portsmouth to Santander, a crew change in Cherbourg once a week is the answer.

I was also fascinated by how Galicia is powered, especially as on the way to Santander against a force 7/8 wind and big seas, the 42,000 ton Galicia still ploughed on at 20 knots ish. Not difficult to find out with Google, the engines are in fact made by Caterpillar. A pair of Mak M43C dual fuelled (Diesel or Liquid Natural Gas). These engines are monsters, they 10.5 metres long and 5.5 metres high (about the same size as an average 2 storey semi-detached house) weighing over 90 tons each and producing 25,200 KW for the pair, which in old money is 33,800 HP or 275 ish cars. That’s a lot of horses.

So Galicia has been brilliant as have Brittany Ferries, the food, staff and the whole experience has been great, I’d thoroughly recommend it as a way to get somewhere warm in the winter, if that’s something you get a chance to do.

Well that’s it, our first winter adventure is done. 5 weeks, 1,881 miles, 4 weeks in The Algarve and the bonus of seeing Porto and Salamanca to break up the journey. The Algarve was perfect for a warm winter break, a stunning coastline with gorgeous beaches and no crowds. Would we do it again? It won’t surprise you to learn we’re already planning it!

Of course I need to finish with a sunset, and we were lucky enough to get one today.

Saude!

PS.

Saw this in the Hotel reception in Salamanca just as we left and had to find out more.

Not sinister as you might have guessed. These conical hoods are called Capirote and are worn by penitents so as not to draw attention to themselves as they repent during Holy Week. Unfortunately in this day and age I suspect this is somewhat counterproductive.