Well it was off the boat, of course. Well I’m saying boat. It was more of a big boat, you know. You get that with cruises. Anyway, we left the boat by walking, you know, down. So there was this little, and it was, quite little, really, in fact I said, ‘That’s utterly inadequate,’ but we went anyway.
So when we got there some went off to see some things. Well I was asked if I wanted to and, having already decided not to, didn’t. So where did we go? Oh yes, I know.
Anyway there were lots of things there. Lots. I said, ‘There’s no shortage of things.’ Everyone agreed. They had to. There were things everywhere. Well you have to buy these things, you know. The locals depend upon it. I often wonder what they did, exactly, before there were boats. I do really. They may have worked the land, I suppose, in the dim and distant past. Not now. No jolly fear. Now they all make things. All of them. Except those with small children, obviously. And, to be fair, even some of them were at it. They were all very, very busy. No one could question their industry. Oh no. They were busy all right. A hive of industry.
Unfortunately, very unfortunately, and really, you’d think someone would have told them, what they were making were all these, well you can’t call them awful, but they were, you know, things. Honestly I was hard put to spend an honest dollar, or whatever it was. I think I did buy you a souvenir, come to think of it. I did say I had a daughter, well, what a mistake! Instantly I was surrounded by sellers, all selling. Every single one.
Actually no, come to think of it, that was somewhere else.
Anyway in this place I’m telling you about, there were things. We looked about to buy something. because, you know, you’ve got to, really. That’s why you’re there. In fact we were there so long I began to wish we had gone to the other place. When we got back, afterwards, the people who had been, you know, weren’t sold anything. Nothing at all. Not even a postcard. With hindsight I wish we’d gone there.
Well we wondered up and down all morning. I was desperate for a coffee but also very keen not to miss the trip back. There was joking that if I stayed I’d be sold to the white slave trade. Well, I did have that yellow dress on. And, of course my hair. They don’t have hair, as such, well only the young ones. They have scarves. So, naturally, I caused a stir. Especially when I took my purse out, looking for my comb, because you know, there’s a constant on shore breeze. It’s really quite windy. My hair was blowing about. All the people were instantly around me. It was immediate. Like flies. And it was suggested to me we should just pop into this little.
So we went into this little, well. I’m calling it a cafe but only for lack of another name. It wasn’t what we would call a cafe. The seats were far too small and outdoors. We did have what I think was coffee, though it could have been drugs for all I know. It certainly wasn’t refreshing. I was not refreshed. In fact it made me so thirsty I had to have a drink as soon as we got back. I had a whole big glass. It was dreadful. Like dregs. All gritty. I thought: if you think this is refreshing, you’ve got another think coming.
Oh, I tell you what. You know when we were putting the decorations up in the cupboard and you found those three boxes full of little cups that I said would make nice presents? Yes those. No. I didn’t buy them there. I bought them at a charity fair a few years ago. I haven’t used them. I couldn’t possibly give that coffee to guests, You’d frighten all your friends away.
I don’t think I bought anything that day on the boat trip. Well, there was nothing to buy. Though there were certainly some things. Amazingly, when we got back to the boat, thankfully, some of the others were absolutely laden. Laden, they were. Arms full. All these things. Quite amazing. I asked one lady that we were sitting next to why. And she said it was holiday memories.
Because it’s odd that really, isn’t it? Having been there, I can’t imagine how you could forget. But that’s some people for you.
I heard later they were American, though I didn’t think so listening to them. The boats are full of people, from everywhere, so there’s no way of telling. Anyway, I’m glad we went, it’s very interesting to know you’ve been to such and such a place. And, you know, seen the world.
Well, this bit of it. Wherever it was. One thing’s for certain, I’m not going back. Not with coffee like that, it was awful.
Oh yes, we had some lovely holidays.
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JaneLaverick.com – out and about, or not, as the case may be.