There is a ferry to Ilha de Tavira, said Marianne. A ferry? The word elicited an immediate response in me—a curiosity, an invitation and a childlike thrill. Whether a short commute across the Boston harbor, a night sailing from Marseille to Corsica, or a wind-swept passage to reach the Hebrides from the Scottish Highlands, ferries transport bodies and hearts. The traveler leaves the firm ground to give themselves into the care of the captain of a vessel and surrender their fate to the water. We find these stories in mythology, fairytales, literature and modern-day travel blogs – they endure. Marianne had given me directions to the ferry in Tavira and…