Plymouth

 Well hello there, Plymouth! Because it was a pirate festival, we fired our cannons coming into the harbour -- which also hosts one of the largest naval stations in the U.K. The joke was that the captain had radioed the Navy earlier to say we're going to fire a cannon salute ... don't fire back, okay? 

Here are some random views from our dock and the nearby streets, and some fun facts about Plymouth and the Mayflower. BTW, “Plymouth” is an extremely popular name for a town; there are 52 “Plymouths” recorded. And Jaye’s second childhood home was on Plymouth Street..

Apparently Plymouth has quite the reputation as a summer party town even when it wasn't a pirate festival. The night life was insane! Streets were so jammed you really couldn't get around, and the music was loud.

"Plymouth" of course has a significance for U.S. history. 

The approximate location where the pilgrims boarded the Mayflower, known to tourists as the "Mayflower Steps" that lead from the street to the sea.

Amusingly we’ve now visited both ends of the pilgrims’ voyage aboard Spanish ships. (If we’ve been friends for a while you saw us spend a few days in Providence in 2019 aboard the Nao Santa Maria.)

Commemorative stone in the pavement at the Mayflower memorial area.

Cobblestones! Plymouth is reported to have more cobbled streets than anywhere else in the UK.

Yes, that's a toilet behind my right shoulder. I’m not usually one for bathroom selfies. But. The Mayflower steps in the earlier picture aren’t exactly where the pilgrims left from. Those are a reconstruction. The **real** departure point is buried below the ladies room in this pub across the street from the steps the tourists visit!

Pretty sunset signals the start of partytime.

A visit from the city's mayor, and her ceremonial bodyguard carrying a (surprisingly heavy!) ceremonial mace.

We were visited by at least one "Jack Sparrow" in every port. I developed an entire album on my phone of pictures with them.