Ferry to Barcelona via Civitavecchia

21/11 Ferry Day and Civitavecchia

Slamming corridor doors and squealing kids pierced our slumber to waking.  Once aroused, the younguns just had to go poke about our ‘cruise ship ferry.‘   No problems though because the teeny room, with no aircon and not enough room to all stand up together, drove us out the door into (not much) more space where numerous soft. Blanketed piles of slumbering passengers lined the corridors along with piles of accumulated cigarette butts & a stuffy smell.  Prior to this however, with only 6 hours sleep in the bank, we were all refreshed by an almost drowning in an abundant delicious hot shower in the corner of the room (making it even more damp & clammy) with absorbent dry scented towels (!!!) and dressed for breakfast in ‘the restaurant.’ 

First, we explored the small passageway deck but were blown inside like caged animals to a bare restaurant where all the more comfortable seating was cluttered with sleeping travelers, probably truckies, mostly from Tunisia.  The kids were keen to enjoy the buffet - a small tray of croissants, 4 yoghurts & 1 small box of cornflakes.  We cleaned up.  The attendants giggled as we, the only customers, asked for another 3 boxes of flakes.  Feeling like we’d just had a passing snack, we scuttled back to our sleeping box and devoured the always-packed snacks of biscuits, dried chickpeas, corn and nuts.  Still scratchy eyed & feeling seedy, we went back to sleep for a few hours by which time our hypoxic centres were craving some fresh air and a bit more space, so we ventured back to the restaurant for great Italian coffee & hot chocolate….and some reading.  Jeff finished Harry Potter 2, Jen “The Mafia for Tourists”, Kel delighted in “Little House on the Prairie” and Wil was inseparable from Wilbur Smith.

Then the boat awoke to the lunch bell.  Scores of people lined up to a Bay Marie of unimaginative pasta, chips and bread rolls.  The beautiful kids played and had some “IT” time, still living it up in their “5 star Mediterranean cruise’ experience.”  Little do they know that next we board a proper cruise ship with free internet, a gym and a proper cafeteria! Seeing is believing….

Disembarking brought the usual strain of ….don’t bottom out Ed!, what’s that sign say?,  where the heck do we go??, where is the Grimaldi office to check in for tonight’s cruise?  where do we re-embark?  Where can we park for 7 hours in this crazy busy port?  bloody hell, we’re hungry…..

But it all worked out fine.  We parked up next to a spectacular old square rigger “Signora del Vento” adjacent to the very impressive Fort Michelangelo that presides over the port and in Ed’s groovy efficient kitchen, cooked up our last mince in a Moroccan curry pasta feast.

Michelangelo's Fort

Smoothed over by softer evening colours and full bellies, we set off to walk around the wonderful enormous fort and into Civitavecchia’s centro storico - our last Italian city/town. Noticing the unblemished cars, clean streets and relative order compared to Southern Italy & Sicily, we wandered the busy shopping streets, characterized by the usual abundance of shoe stores (Italians must own racks of shoes to keep all these guys in business), to find our last Italian gelati - and gee was it a ripper - licorice, berry, nocciola, mint, coffee - sensational!  On the way back to Ed, we picked up a €15 pair of brushed leather shoes for Kel to replace the scraggily jobs she has trudged about in all year. Then we saw a scooterist get skittled by a car (scooter’s fault of course) and thankfully he was able to clamber out from under the car and exchange some fruity comments and wild Italianesque gesticulations with the car driver, who was incensed at the scratches on the front/side of his nice little car.

2100hrs, drove a few minutes to the ferry, pushed in front of all the semis lined up in their droves, lifted Ed’s bottom obliquely across the ramp edge, and boarded the mightily impressive “Cruise Barcelona” - definitely as much a cruise ship as a ferry, and as many crew as passengers.  Straight to our room which was a star or 2 up from the “Catania,” showered and again savoured the pleasure of towels that actually absorb water, before hitting the sack to the sound of the engines building revs, the lines being thrown clear, the thrusters kicking in, then the tug shoving up against us.  Other than that you wouldn’t know we were on a boat and somewhere in the next few hours we crossed between Sardinia and Corsica, but we were too busy pushing up zeds to notice.

22/11 Westward across the Med

Kel and Jeff’s internal alarm clocks fired off as usual earlier than the other 2 and peeping across the top bunks at each other a silent accord was reached - open the curtains!!  Outside a huge porthole (1m²) the Med with it’s glassy surface and gentle swell spread out blending imperceptibly at the horizon into the grey morning sky.  The light flooded in to the distress, dismay and disdain of the downbelow sleepers, who grudgingly pulled their heads off the pillow, joining the excitement of exploring a real “5 star cruise ship!”

A hearty bowl of cereal in the room (smuggled up from Ed) and then out to case this ship.  Internal equivalent to a nice cruise ship, the top deck with it’s swimming pool and bar, a bit cool and windy to hang and enjoy, besides which the pool was empty.

Booked in for a leg wax for Jen and arranged a gym session.  Then met Geri and Ron, an energetic American couple who were veterans of this cruising business, and have done much RV’ing in the US (although in a more luxurious way than we are accustomed too!).

A few philosophical conversations later and as it was Thursday we took part in an emergency drill and only hoped than when it’s not a drill they can move a little quicker! 

Legs waxed, the kids took €7 and their Sleeping Queen cards and went off to the cafe to buy themselves a hot choc and hang sans  parents - how grown up.  Gym session for the olds and then met Ron and Geri for lunch in the restaurant where we met with another different practice - it’s a buffet/servery and you pay for the tray that you put your plates on - but you also get bread with that.  You do have to give the tray back though!

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading, playing cards, snoozing, chatting and then…..land ahoy!! The Spanish coast and then the marvelous city of Barcelona appeared in the dusk.  Bolted up on deck for a clearer view but couldn’t quite see our beloved Sagrada.  Not to worry, we’ll see it when it’s finished in 2040.

Easy exit with no bottom scrape and onto the highway following TomTom to a campsite at Vilanova, about 1hr south.  Pulled in to a massive establishment to rival anything we’ve seen this year in terms of facilities and luxury, but no time to enjoy it - straight to bed.