Ferries

I was on the Hampton Loade ferry yesterday, looking for the all-day cafeteria and amusement arcade, and I was reminded of how much I like ferries. And although I prefer the ones that exist for local use I don't mind the tourist ones either.

When we go to a new city one of the first things we do is find the waterfront and get on a boat. It comes right after finding a tower to look at the view and get our bearings. And, much like when we go to a dog-track or racecourse, we're not interested in staying indoors, we want to get out into the weather, elemental and connected, although, to be fair, this didn't last long on the way to Skye.

Personal favourites:
The last ferry from Manley into Sydney, where you get to see the bay in all its glory under a great Southern sky.
The Seattle/Ballard Locks circle, where you can see how Seattle nestles into almost complete wilderness.
The New York Circle Line (purists would probably prefer the Staten Island ferry)
Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge - preferably with a cheesey mockney cockney guide.
The ferry to The Orkneys which is only a few miles but may as well be to a different continent.
The Traghetti in Venice, which are gondolas that work as ferries across the city, which only cost about 50p - saving you a fortune if losing you romantic credibility, and you can pretend to be Venetian and stand up for the entire 3 minute journey.
The ferry from Stromboli to Lippari late at night where you can see the volcanic eruptions, and then the millions of jellyfish illuminated in the waves, and where I had an epiphany that my life wouldn't get any better than this, (and it hasn't!).
And, of course, my personal favourite, The Star Ferry, Kowloon to Hong Kong, which is the world's greatest monument to efficiency.

Hampton Loade may be just a piece of wood, tied to a wire, crossing the River Severn, but it's not entirely out of place on that list. On the other hand I've never been on any of the others with a dog that's just rolled in fox pooh...


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