We left Port Said for a leisurely cruise of the Mediterranean, at a speed of 8 knots it suited me fine. I was really in no hurry to get back to England although I was looking forward to seeing my family again. It was as though I knew that at twenty years of age I had already lived the best part of my life and been right around the world, anything that followed could only be humdrum.
It was now late August and the skipper decided to have a stop each night at 4pm and order "all hands overboard", this was a recreation period and although of course it wasn't compulsory, almost everyone went over the side for a swim, the weather was still hot and I enjoyed the daily dip. We bypassed Malta although everyone reckoned we were going to stop there and plodded on slowly to Gibraltar.
I liked Gibraltar very much, I suppose it was the feeling that we were nearly home but it was remarkably like England, there were bars with English sounding names and adverts with Johnnie Walker whisky and OXO and other homely names in the streets. We had a night out in one of the bars and inside it was a different picture. There were Spanish dancers with castanets and big hooped skirts swirling around the as they danced on the small stage, it was all guitar music but very lively. I enjoyed my night ashore very much.
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