Brittany Ferries’ wonderful newish ship

Trudy and I spent a few days away to visit friends and family in Brittany.  Previously we had mostly made this trip by train via Paris and rented a car locally.  This time, having heard good things about a new ferry boat that runs from Portsmouth to St Malo, we went by train to Portsmouth, took the ferry as foot passengers and rented a car in St Malo.  It is an overnight trip that leaves after 8pm and arrives at about 8am local time.  The ferry is a dream, as smooth as silk with excellent restaurants and comfortable cabins.  Technically, it seems to be the marine equivalent of a hybrid car.  I believe it charges its batteries from the electricity grid while in port.  The return journeys are during the day, leaving at 10.30am and arriving around 6.30pm.  Confusingly, the new ship is called the M/V St Malo.

The ferry port at St Malo is still being developed and they haven’t yet got everything right, eg the car rental agencies are not yet there so a taxi to the town centre rail station is needed.  Otherwise, all went well and, as we were driven to the port, we got a reminder of France’s current problems when we passed a group of youngsters protesting outside the local high school under the gaze of a police detail.  Funnily enough, at the port a large group of French pupils under the supervision of a fearsome teacher was waiting to board our ferry.  I didn’t see any placards but it did occur to me that I should warn Nigel Farage that France was now sending crowds of delinquents across the Channel in much larger boats.