Mediterranean

Day 8 - Sat 20 Oct 07

So, went to bed last night making plans about what to do today. Up at 07:00 to check out, and find that my €50 rate will get me breakfast as well (even though I'd bartered the rate down last night by saying I didn't want breakfast), but decided to skip it anyway.

I checked the ticket for my boat to Tunisia before I left the hotel, and then had to check the date on my watch - my boat is leaving TODAY - I'd written the wrong date in my diary so I have to head straight to Palermo. I'm just lucky that I checked!

Enna was still covered in clouds this morning, I guess I was quite lucky to see it 'naked'. I drove through Palermo in a huge rain storm it flooded badly and I ended up in about of a foot of water. On the other side of the road I saw a Fiat floating down the road - Gulp. I made it through not daring to stop for petrol just in case the water rose even higher.

Got to the airport to drop off the hire car, and paid the refueling fee - I didn't really care as going back to find a petrol station was not an option. Due to the water I decide to take the train into Palermo central and €5 gets me a ticket, and there's even a train due at 10:40. Trouble is that it never appears. At 11:00 I chicken out and catch a coach from the front of the airport.

Palermo

Found the port quite easily, there's a huge cruise ship in and the passengers are coming off in dribs and drabs. The port building is quite grand, I find left luggage and for €3 I leave my bag. I then head off for a walk around the city. Unfortunately a number of the places I'd like to visit are shut on a Saturday afternoon. Got something to eat from a street stall.

I tried to get some cash out of an ATM - the first two that looked quite modern said 'no', but the one that looked like Noah had used it gave me €50 with no problems. Then it was back to the port, I found the ferry companies office around the corner from the left luggage place. I now have a boarding card, and the ferry is in the port now. I might be able to board at about 16:00.

The boat doesn't have the elegance of the cruise ship, but hey!

Well I'm aboard and my cabin is a four berth one, but only the lower two berths are set up, the others are folded up. I have a toilet and a shower as well. By the looks of it I'm on my own. The boat departed Palermo at just after 20:00. Grabbed something to eat and then off to bed.