The Fat Lady Is Singing

The ferry trip from Cadiz to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, was civilised by any standards given that it was forty hours long. Bridget found it a breeze.

In Cadiz the queuing, bureaucracy and high temperatures took its toll and when some cars started to queue jump I could not help myself from jumping in front of them, thankfully bringing them to a halt, and berating the second in line, the first having escaped. He rather sheepishly slunk away and even though I hadn’t achieved anything, other than establishing that the British queuing system is right, returned proudly to Bridget. Later that evening, following the consumption of a well-deserved dinner, I suddenly felt that I was being watched. I looked up and some 20 feet away a slightly merry gentleman was grinning and when he realised I had seen him called out “Mr MG. You shouted at me and I am in terrible trouble”. We soon established that he was the driver of the car I had berated earlier and it transpired that my action had cost him dearly with is better half.

He is a Norwegian with an English wife, who understands the queuing system well and was embarrassed by the event. He made me feel a most terrible bully, yelling at him in the way I had and so we got mutually drunk together.

We all eventually arrived in Gran Canaria and Bridget and I drove to Playa del Inlges in the south of the island. By ‘close of play’ Friday I had found some winter quarters in Maspalomas and that is where I am now writing this. I will be holding regular ‘natters’ on the second Friday of every month, all are of course welcome.

Bridget and I have been travelling for just under three months during which we have covered 9,000 miles (14,600km) around Europe. With the additional 1,500 miles from here to home which we will complete next year, plus local mileage on the island, that will be a total of some 11/12,000 miles. I doubt if either you or I are overly delighted that Bridget’s retirement run has been anything less than Around the World but financially it never really was on.

Yes, I said retirement run. I think I have asked all that realistically I should of a car of Bridget’s vintage. I have calculated that she has certainly covered 150,000 miles (240,000km) and it could possibly be more. Many of them have not been easy, a classic British understatement, and she never was considered, even by me, to be suitable for what was asked of her.

Of the seven years since we started this activity we have travelled for well over three of them. The experience has been awesome for me.

Now the question is “What to do with Bridget?” I don’t know if any of the museums would be interested in taking her, this would be my preferred outcome as she would be properly maintained and available for the public to see and share. I am open to any other ideas, or even offers!