Location: Almerimar
Alhambra. Take a guess at what this might be. You got it? Now, you’re not gonna believe me when I tell you that it’s actually a castle located in Grenada. How did we get there? A 1.5-hour bus ride beginning at 6:15 AM. The majority of us took a nap and were awoken by a mighty castle. In order to enter, we needed to have a form of identification. Sam brought our passports for us and held onto them for us once we got inside. The castle wasn’t your typical medieval-style castle; it was filled with arches, gardens, fountains, and the works. There was so much detail; even the floors looked beautiful! The walls inside the castle were filled with intricately engraved artwork. It was rare to find a blank wall. The carvings and artwork seemed like they could’ve belonged in the Taj Mahal — not a place you would expect to find in southern Spain, such a hidden treasure. After we left the castle, we walked through a garden to the exit. The gardens were huge; they were very diverse in their choice of flowers! We quickly divided ourselves into groups to find food.
Unfortunately, in Grenada, lunch does not start until 1:00 PM. Skyler, Joel, Owen, Max and I went shopping where I bought a cool car shirt. Alison wants me to add that all of the shirts that I own are car shirts, with the exception of 3 identical blue polo shirts. My mom told me to pack other things, but I wanted people to know I like cars; I think my message was received. Shortly after our shopping spree, our phones lit up with the notification telling us to regroup to catch the bus. The bus arrived late so we just chilled out at the meeting point. Once we were back at port, our group decided to do laundry. On Vela, laundry machines are the highest form of luxury. We also, for the first time, had access to shore showers. I’m told they were life-changing. We then regrouped one final time to start our sign-out night (where we had dinner together on shore as a big group and got to celebrate some recent birthdays!), where my group got pizza (it was delicious). Everyone had a good time, and the night ended at 10:30. Only to be resurrected by a club night dance party on board, hosted by club 3 (watch team 3).
-Your resident car guy, Eli