Location: Funchal, Madeira
After all the changes recently, we all woke up somewhat apprehensive and unsure of what would be in store for us today. Seeing as we couldn’t leave quite yet, we were treated to free time in Funchal this morning! Those seeking a bit of a thrill took the gondola up the mountain to then toboggan back down in a basket. I can’t speak from experience, but I have been told that it was very fun but definitely unsafe for the elderly. Others took the opportunity to explore and get acquainted with the city. Anna, Alison, and I felt like a cup of tea shortly after reaching shore, so naturally, we went to a tea house. Well, it turns out this so-called tea house does not know how to make tea very well, so the end result was what Anna described as water with a few drops of coffee (advertised as chocolate mint tea) and warm milk with water and a drop of blue food coloring (entitled butterfly tea latte). We were none too pleased. Once we had managed to finish our tea, we walked around, going into shops and looking at vintage pieces being sold by street vendors. The most notable of our endeavors was the mattress store we went into, which was wide open to the public but did not have a single person inside. We found a couple of mattresses that suited our fancy and made ourselves at home, laying down for a rest. It wasn’t until twenty minutes later that two men came in asking if we were looking for something particular that we got up and pretended as if we were extremely interested in buying the sheets they had on display.
Turns out they don’t sell those sheets at this store, but, none to fear. One of the men (the other had mysteriously vanished at this point) accompanied us out of the store and gave in-depth directions to a store that would surely have those sheets in all the colors we could ever ask for. We thanked him profusely. We then set out for lunch and landed at a sandwich shop where Sophie, John, Lauren, Cooper, Mia, and Maya also happened to be. The sandwiches were unanimously delightful, and the little lady street performer elf sitting on a stack of giant books just next to the outdoor seating set the ambiance. We then all headed back to Vela to begin passage prep so we could finally set out for the Canaries. For a brief moment, everything felt almost normal again until we were all gathered in the salon and told it was time to say goodbye to Ash 🙁
Many tears were shed, and it became apparent to everybody that the bonds we are forming and the impacts we are having on each other are far more substantial than we may have previously realized. A sad moment, no doubt, but as Ash reminded us, we are so incredibly lucky to have such a close relationship that makes saying goodbye this difficult.
Once we had semi-composed ourselves again, we set sail and enjoyed Skylar and Sophie’s delicious fried rice while underway. It was a long and emotional day, but as we began our last shifts with these watch teams, I think we all felt a sense of gratitude for each other and everything we have conquered thus far.