Our harbour-side vigil of the early hours – as described in yesterday’s post – was rewarded with the arrival of the Kanaris. I don’t know why I meticulously recorded the name of the ship. I did an online search in real time 2025 and located a ship of this name currently in the Aegean Sea. It is described as a Ro-Ro Passenger ship, but it is unlikely to be the same one we sailed on all those years ago. The name is a popular one for military ships in the Greek navy. I think the name comes from Konstantinos Kanaris, a naval officer and hero of the War of Greek Independence (1821 – 32).
Ro-ro is short for “roll on, roll off”, describing how vehicles drive on and off the ferry. I add this because I only came across the term many years ago when a patient used it to describe her sex life with her partner. That kind of detail tends to stay with you. As I remember, in 1973 cars were loaded onto some of the Greek ferries in a cradle swung across by a derrick (wouldn’t you know?). It all looked quite precarious, somewhat redolent of the nursery rhyme Rock-a-Bye Baby!
The ship certainly lived up to its description because my travelogue records that the journey was “bumpy” – a lot of rolling going on, and not of a good kind…
…people puking over the side as though all their insides were threatening to come out.
I seem to remember that quite a lot that went over the side was blown back in, swirling around the decks.
We docked at Agios Nikolaos at 14.00 hrs and then caught the bus to Malia. That was another bumpy ride, but without the display of bodily fluids. I am not sure where we spent the night, my travelogue entry was a bit vague. I mentioned a touristic hotel on the beach and a…
…confined sleeping compound (untidy but colourful and long walk into town…however, good bar with great music on the juke box.
We enjoyed the bar until 23.30 hrs and then slept wherever it was we ended up. And a much needed sleep it was – in the past 39 hours or so I had grabbed an hour of sleep in a chair on the ship and an hour on the beach when we first arrived in Malia.
This is a story that continues tomorrow. [Correction added 26/07/25 – update will be on Day 107, when then will be an unsurprising surprise]. Remember, I do have my Magic Bus dated ticket to get me back home, but not just yet! In case you missed earlier posts, I am currently travelling with Jim (in textiles) from Atlanta.
Psychologist on the Move 