Autumn Hols Journey – Part 5

Journey – Santander part two

We left our magical beach for the Port in good time and what luck this was because drama number three was about to unfold.

We arrived at the customs to show our passports. Theirs were fine and were examined and handed back but when the lady examined mine she turned to my pets and said the frightening words “have you another passport for Douglas?”  Well, of course, we hadn’t and my bearded one told her so and she then said the fatal words “I am afraid this passport is not in order and your dog will not be allowed to  travel!” Wow! this hit us like a hammer blow as my reader can imagine because this meant in essence that we would have to turn around and retrace our two days and one thousand kilometres of travel, lose our ferry booking which we had made nearly a year ago, cancel all onward travel arrangements, be unable to complete important appointments that had been carefully planned, disappoint families and friends and others who were depending upon our arrival. Wow again!

We were of course very distressed to find that in my passport the stamp showed my Rabies vaccination ran out two months ago! The lady customs officer explained that it was no good thinking of getting another as the incubation and validation period is 21 days! She said with a long pause, wait a moment, pull your car over there, I am going to make a phone call. She went on to explain that on some occasions the rabies vaccination can last for more than the time as specified on the passport and if this were so and it was a big if the case for my vaccine entered on my passport a local vet can add a codicil to the passport! A glimmer of hope and a stressful half-hour followed as we waited for the verdict from the local Vet.

Good news and a visit to the Vet and the passing of seventy-five silver euros solved the problem and we boarded on time. Our sea voyage began.

More tomorrow

Love Douglas.