We had decided to celebrate my birthday by going to the Shore Hotel - our restaurant of choice, not least as we can get a bus down there and it only takes 10 minutes door to door (literally, door to door)
The problems started overnight when a storm-front swept across the Irish Sea (=us) and it rained and the wind howled all night.
I lie, as problems actually started when the shortage of bus drivers meant that the Sunday service between our house and Ganzey was "modified" to accommodate the lack of drivers - and I am stil trying to work out how the schedule was changed - as it certainly wasn´t improved or advertised.
We had even got to the stage of considering driving down there, but almost exactly at 10 am, the winds dropped and the rain stopped - the skies turned blue and all was well with the world (except for the bus schedule)
I was monitoring the buses using the app which is supposed to show where any bus is at any given time - but I couldn´t even see the bus which was sitting at the stop outside (the app was "having problems").
In the event we decided to be ready for the usual bus at 1350 and be prepared to run across the road 2 minutes before. This we did, the bus arrived, we went on our merry way.
As we passed the harbour, I noticed it was a (very) high tide (over-topping as they call it here - work it out for yourself) and, as we continued driving, the wind picked up and, the next time we saw the sea, it was rough.
Now the Shore Hotel,is, as its name indicates, on the Shore Road, which is on the shore. The waves were also on the shore - and the waves were "over-topping". The road was wet. The sky was wet. The bus was wet.
I jokingly suggested to the driver that he might pull into the hotel car park, but he went one better and pulled over to the wrong side of the road to let us out (or as he said, "stop the bus filling up with sea water". What a good omen from a working driver!
The sea about to "over top"
We went int restaurant and had a good meal - improved only by people-watching and sea- watching (through the salt-stained side window). When we had finished, and upon checking the bus app, I could see the bus was leaving Port Erin 5 minutes away, and, trusting the restaurant´s wifi, we paid and went to the door, then 2 minutes later ventured outside. G was (wisely) hiding behing the corner of the hotel and I was holding onto the entrance gate-post (honestly - I kid you not), the wind was howling and the sea was definitely over-topping, with the spray covering us both every few seconds.
I swear that at one point I could see the bus at the other end of the bay - but then it never materialised at the bar. A guy who had joined us said they must have closed the road and he was going to walk as he he didn´t have time to make the train. Due to some previous house-hunting, I actually knew where the local station was (I think it was a request stop if you can have that on a train), but it was at least 700 yards the wrong way up a side road - so we weren´t going to make it either.
I went in and called a taxi
Sunday afternoon.
Filthy day
Beach-front roads closed
Buses diverted.
Do the British thing and get a pot of tea.
Halfway through first cup, a taxi arrived - turns out they run a round-robin system and he was first one available.
Any driver who ignores police "road-closed" sign to pick up a stranded fare will always get my business in future. Kevin from CastleCars is my new super-hero.
.
Comentarios