The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

Lab_adore

Lab_adore

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Sydney, Australia
Lisa said:
P.S You don’t like tea??????


Ok I still love you but......:hmm:
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Tea makes me dry-retch :puke:. Honestly. I hate the smell and the taste. I wish I liked it and I've tried every type there is - herbal etc. I even visited a tea plantation in Sri Lanka and tried it there and started retching (very embarrassing). We weren't given tea growing up, only coffee, so I never developed a taste for it and I think there is something about the tannins that makes me feel ill.

Loving the adventure @Emily_Babbelhund ! Keep the reports and pics coming :happyfeet:
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
I'll reply properly but just wanted to say I've not fallen off a cliff, just was off enjoying my last two nights with Rose and Curly so wasn't online much. It's very stormy today so I'm looking at the ferry tonight with more than a bit of trepidation, but we'll make it to Wales even if I arrive a funny shade of green.

Very sad to say goodbye to Rose, Curly and Cian today, but happy to be landing at Beanwood tomorrow night and getting to say 'hello' to good SW UK friends. :D
 
M

M.F.

Feeling nauseas just thinking of you there on the swells. I never used to get seasick until I did an ocean crossing in a smallish yacht—one month at sea. Maybe it’s the memory of the (partially awful) experience, but I don’t like the sensation of bobbing around anymore. Hope all is well and sunny today for you and Carbon!
 
Emily_Babbelhund

Emily_Babbelhund

Mama Red HOT Pepper
Location
Regensburg, Germany
Xena Dog Princess said:
Ugh, dogspeed, Emily. How long is the crossing? Ireland/Wales look pretty close in my head but I have no idea really.
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It was only four hours - normally 3.5 - so not at all the 14 overnight extravaganza that was the ferry from France to Ireland.

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It was a tough goodbye to Rose and Curly yesterday. That's the hard part of not really living any one place like I do - it's a lot of what I call 'the hello-goodbyes' and the goodbye part seems to get tougher and tougher. Carbon was pulling a lot of very sad Labrador faces as he saw me packing up. He was NOT a happy pup. We both just wanted to stay on Rose's magical sofa a bit longer!

A big thank you to Rose and Curly for all the good memories...and toys! Carbon is cuddling with his new 'Auntie Rose bunny' as I'm writing this. :heart:

Both Carbon and I survived the ferry crossing just fine. In fact the captain came over the loud speaker and announced that once the port was cleared, he would use the 'stabilisers' to make the journey more comfortable. No idea what stabilisers are, but they sure did the trick. It was still rolly, but no where near as much so as the dire predictions and outside weather indicated and much much better than the France to Ireland ferry which lurched all night long.

The whole thing was much easier overall than the France to Ireland ferry. I arrived about 45 minutes prior to sailing where there was no waiting at all to check in. Check in was simply a very cheerful woman handing me my reciept for the crossing and telling me which lane to wait in. I was given a 'pet in car' sign to hang on my rear view mirror, but otherwise no check of Carbon's passport or chip. They didn't even check my own passport!

We got in a queue and had enough time to let Carbon out for a wee, which was I'm sure a relief to him after the 3.5 hour drive from Kinsale. The Irish garda (police) walked by and cheerfully asked me my nationality and how long I was staying in Ireland. Again no passport check. I thought it was a bit odd that they asked how long I was staying when clearly I was about to leave Ireland, but afterwards I figured it must have been one of those quirks of Irish English and what they really meant was how long HAD I been in Ireland. But no matter, they were happy with the answer that I had been in the country for two weeks.

At fifteen minutes prior to sailing all the cars were ushered onto the ferry. It was a bit of a roundabout way of getting there, but I just kept following the car in front like everyone else. I'd decided in advance to try to bring Carbon aboard using my US disability ID - I figured all they could say was no, in which case I had the car all ready for him. He was a big help for me me on the stairs and, once inside, no one blinked an eye when we checked in at guest services. Both of us were ushered on and in the lounge area we found a comfy chair for me and cushy carpeting for Carbon.

I had anticipated sticking my coat over my head and trying to sleep, but a little girl discovered Carbon shortly after the ship left port and pretty much stuck onto him for the majority of three hours. That dog is a real kid magnet! After all sorts of questions, doing what seemed to be an impromptu gymnastics routine on the adjacent lounge chairs and generally acting like a bouncing ball, the little girl brought over her coat and laid down on the floor so that Carbon could use her as a pillow. I have no idea what her parents were doing during all this time, but she finally got up and bounced away about thirty minutes before we docked. No sleep for me, but at least Carbon was happy!

The drive off the ferry was a bit fiddly with lots of very narrow ramps to negotiate. I don't know how the drivers of big SUVs do it, because even in the tiny Tardis I was sucking in my breath around the corners. But we made it, drove through the metropolis of Fishguard, found our little hostel and tucked in for the night. I let myself into the hostel with a lockbox and I do believe I'm the only person here. That part is a bit strange, but it's a cute place and clearly very dog friendly - even a big comfy dog bed in the lounge - so for one night it was just fine.

Now it's up out of bed to face a very rainy day and a long drive. I'm still hoping for a bit of a break in the weather so that we can get out to stretch our legs and see some of the Welsh coast. Fingers crossed!
 
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