Returning Home ~ A Great Adventure

Returning Home ~ A Great Adventure

Several months after starting out on our epic and life changing trip, we found ourselves once again in a cross channel ferry port awaiting embarkation... this time back to England. Our Afrique sign (used for 'thumbing' lifts as hitchhikers) was discarded long ago, because it had taken us across Europe into North Africa. A piece of cardboard that we had used to get us home...a simple Union flag painted onto it... had gotten us back to Le Havre.

Much wiser and somehow, many years older, we patted each other on the back as we boarded for the crossing.

We got into Portsmouth Harbour, very late at night, but being the hardened travellers that we had become, we were not phased by the prospect of sleeping in a bus shelter or perhaps in one of the fortress towers that encompass part of the town....all was good... we had after all just arrived home.

We were both euphoric ! the feeling of accomplishment was immense, and I know that we had both cast off some demons as we had moved through Europe and Morocco over the last few months. The world was ours and we had conquered it.!

To celebrate we stood in line outside of a late night fish and chip shop.....yup, we really did! I remember walking across from the harbour and stepping on 'English grass' as I still call it today....soft, thick and damp with an evening dew. The excited and slightly drunk voices, chattering away, were all very comforting, as was the smell of grease and salt and vinegar. 

The chip shop was light and warm ... as were the conversations around us. Everything was 'comfortable' and 'welcoming'. There was no danger here..... There was no fear or trepidation, and nothing had to be puzzled out. The signage was all in English.

The fish and chips were heavenly !!!

None of this solved the problem of where we were going to sleep that night, and as we chatted about the possibilities, a gruff voice spoke to us...' You can't stay there' a man said. We both looked at a chap wearing a felt cap and a rail masters uniform...'you've got to move on, I need to close the station gates for the night'. We realised that we had taken our chips back to the railway station and had sat down on some of their benches, just inside the gates, of which he spoke. I asked we had a few minutes as we were enjoying our chips so much. He looked at us quizzically and must have noticed our tired and dirty faces, our worn out clothing and our huge rucksacks, so he asked us where we had come from. We immediately got into a conversation that he seemed to enjoy immensely. We finally stood up and discarded our chip wrappers as we headed out of the gates.

This trip had one more marvellous trick in store for us.....the station master pointed down to platform 3 and said 'You really should go that way. I believe that train is unlocked and it has two sleeper carriages and some hot water in its tanks. You'll be able to get cleaned up before you go home in the morning. I'll close the gates behind you, but they'll be opened at 5.00am in the morning'.

We were astonished !

But we shook his hand and walked to platform 3.

In the morning we made our way back to Bath. Our families were waiting. We needed to see them.

Jamie and I were friends before this trip, of course, but have remained good and close friends ever since.Time has passed by and we are older...however, we are wiser and more connected with other people, because of what we went through on this trip. Our paths cross frequently, and I'm happy to say that we are both private tour guides who both lead tours for Rick Steves in the Summer months...... as do our wives.

I started this tale (several episodes ago) by telling you about my 'itchy feet'... I should've said feet and mind, as I have learnt to question everything in life and to explore its wonders.

Travel IS good !

Future blogposts can be found at my new site.... http://seymourtravels.co.uk