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25 June 1999

Harwich, England

Our ferry ride from Hoek van Holland to Harwich was not as much fun as the other boat rides we'd taken on this trip. (All right, nothing compares to a Venetian gondola, but I was also referring to the Stadt Bern and the Peter Wessel.) Rather, we spent 15 Fl. for the dubious privilege of sitting in the "Panorama Room" watching the ship's wake through salt-encrusted windows. At least it was non-smoking. The ferry had movie theaters, slot machines, blackjack tables, bars, and a McDonald's. There was also a frenzy of duty-free shopping as that service was only a few days from being suspended. From all of this we abstained, and we found that the one redeeming feature of the ship was its speed; at one point the captain announced our speed at 44 knots.

Awaiting us in Harwich was our train to London.

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