Revisiting Ferries
I would rather do one thing with care than five things quickly. Between packing light and learning a few words, the second one taught me more. Off-season towns are quieter, cheaper and far more candid. The unhurried part is rarely the hard part; consistency is.
Before and after
Nobody spoke much English, and somehow that made it easier. The change showed up slowly, then all at once. I like little islands that shows the marks of how it was made.
The train was late, which turned out to be the best part of the day. Little, repeatable steps beat big plans very nearly every time. Most problems with guesthouses turn out to be problems with time.
In practice
There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. The trick, if there is one, is to leave plenty of room for errors. Some of this will be obvious; some of it took me years. Between walking between towns and travelling by train, the second one taught me more.
Half of the work is deciding what to leave out. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. I packed too much, as usual, and wore the same jacket every day. The details matter less than the practice of paying attention.
Between travelling by train and getting lost, the second one taught me more. I keep coming back to harbours, largely because it rewards time. This is less a guide and more a record of what worked for me. The ferry crossing took four hours and felt like ten minutes. The overland part is rarely the hard part; consistency is.