16th July 1999, Friday 0820hrs. YOUTH HOSTEL! Brindisi.
Last night when we arrived was very odd. A crowd of Anglophones in the ferry port all believing there was a ferry that night, except us. The next night’s ferry was a 20-hour jobby, but there was a 3½ hour hydrofoil that goes to Corfu. Apparently, if the wizened old guy in the ferry office is to be believed, the local ferry from Corfu to Patras on the Greek mainland will be very cheap and a lot quicker than the combined 20 hour ferry. Apparently.
There was a free minibus to bring us here last night which sounded worryingly dodgy over the phone yesterday from Caserta.
We’re going to hunt for breakfast now. We’re catching the Corfu ferry at 12.
1145hrs – Bench, outside ferry terminal, still Brindisi.
Make that at 2. No-one seems to know (or really care) when the ferries are. We’re sat right smack in front of the port, so unless it sneaks out the back way when we’re not looking, we’ll be okay. The ferry leaving late means that we’ll arrive in Corfu at 1815hrs. Gemma and I think that we’ll probably then catch an overnight ferry to Patras, which should be free for Gemma on her Interrail, and about 2000 drachmae for me. The overnight ferry kind of defeats the object of avoiding the 20-hour ferry direct from here, but hey, at least we’re doing this the interesting way.
There’s not a cloud in the sky, the water is blue and the breeze is fresh. I can’t wait to be on the ferry.
