A Trip Too Far

    Well, I`m back from our impromptu trip across the Channel. As I said in my last Ark, we had to drop everything and race to the assistance of our daughter, Alyson, struck down by an aneurism on the brain.   She was taken into Derriford Hospital at Plymouth, who diagnosed the cause of her fearful headaches, and have operated to stabilise the condition. It`s early days yet, but she seems to be making a good recovery and is out of hospital and back home with Kim looking after her. Please God, she continues to improve. I`ll keep you posted. Kim will be over there for some time, I think.
   Normally, we cross to Plymouth from Roscoff, in Finisterre, arriving at our destination on the other side. However, Britanny Ferries doesn`t run this link in midwinter and we had to go from St Malo to Portsmouth, some five or six hours from Plymouth in normal times and due to snow and Ice threatened for both France and Britain, these were not normal times!
  In fact, the weather was not the cause of any problems on our outward trip in France, the only problem was caused by a slow puncture which made the wheel emit a strange vibration. Luckily, I diagnosed the cause and blew up the tyre at a garage. It has since been mended in Plymouth.
   We took the overnight ferry from St Malo, the Pont Aven, a fairly recent addition to the Britanny Ferries line-up. We did remark two changes from the facilities provided on the smaller vessels. The first is that the dogs, whom we took with us, had to travel in kennels, rather than in the car. An improvement? Perhaps, but I think our dogs prefer the familiar surroundings of our car. Still, there is more room and you can visit them when you want. We took them, accompanied by a crew member, to the kennel room located high on the top deck, just behind the funnel. In a secure room, were provided a range of kennels, in fact, stainless-steel cages. We gave Jilly her blanket and a biscuit and she entered willingly enough the floor level cage. Laika was a bit nonplussed to find herself unceremoniously picked up by me and stuffed, along with her blanket and biscuit into a head-high cage on top of the lower range!  She was so surprised, she forgot to struggle. On the return trip the crew member had a spare ground level cage.
  The second difference to meet the eye, was in our tiny but adequate cabin--there was only one bunk! For a moment we thought we were going to have to spend the night in VERY close proximity, there was definitely no bunk in the rear wall where they are usually hidden. However, scrutiny of the ceiling revealed a hidden catch, which , when pressed, allowed a hidden panel to swing down, nearly braining me. The bunk itself hinged forward out of this.
 I must admit the Pont Aven was very smooth and quiet and we slept away the crossings as best we could, it`s not quite like your own bed...
  The forward journey to Plymouth was uneventful. though snowy apart from an hour-long crawl near Honiton, caused by a traffic accident to a motorist who had failed to negotiated the sharp corner above the town in slippery conditions. We went straight to the hospital to see Alyson.
  Well that`s enough for today--got to feed logs to the newly re-lit stove. Bye for now!