October 8, 2011 – La Linea, Spain

We enjoyed our final days in Spain.  La Linea Marina was a nice stop and it was great hanging out with Mehari again.  We were even able to celebrate Emma’s 11^th birthday with a yummy raspberry pie, game night with both families, and Caroline enjoyed a sleepover.  

One place that I had really wanted to see in Spain was The Alhambra in Granada so we rented a car in La Linea and took off for a little excursion.  We quickly realized that our usual travel routine of “winging it” was not the right approach for Granada.  Even in October, the Alhambra, a huge tourist attraction, was packed and by noon when we arrived the tickets were already sold out for the day.   This was a big bummer, because our plan was to see Alhambra in the afternoon and go to a flamenco dance show in the evening.  But what happened next was an even bigger bummer. 

While I was waiting in the information line to learn about our options to see Alhambra, Marc went to the ATM which was really a ticket dispenser that had an ATM function.  Well instead of dispensing cash, it ate our ATM card.  After trying everything that we could at the Alhambra; calling the emergency number and seeking help from security and information, we decided to try to go to the primary branch of the bank in the city which was about 20 minutes away.  We finally made it downtown to the bank at 2:15 pm and guess what????  You guessed it, they were on siesta until 8:00 pm.  Can you believe it??  But as I lurked outside the banks windows, someone took pity on me, let me inside, and attempted to help.  After quite some time and a number of phone calls, we were informed that nothing could be done and the card was gone.  We had anticipated this but we at least had to try, it’s not like we’re on vacation and can go get a new card when we get home next week. Well, it is a great way to stay on budget. 

So now, it was back to trying to see the Alhambra.  We learned that all pre-order tickets were sold out for the next few days, so our options were to go to the night viewing or attempt to purchase same day tickets the next morning.  We decided to go to the night viewing at 10:30 PM since we didn’t seem to be very lucky right now and probably wouldn’t be able to get tickets in the AM.  

We found a great hostel close to the Alhambra and relaxed for a little while.  The kids were thrilled to have Disney channel in English.  Forget about another palace, they would have stayed in front of the TV all night.  But we rallied and ventured back into Granada for some traditional Spanish Tapas before heading to the Alhambra. 

The fortified palaces of Alhambra were originally built, between 1000 AD – 1300 AD, by the last Islamic Emir of Spain.  They were later occupied by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in 1492, after the expulsion of the Muslims.  Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the massive red fortress, gardens, and palaces stand guard over Granada and are quite a site.  Although, the night tour did not allow us to see the scope of the grounds, the palaces glistening in the light were amazing.  The intricately carved walls resembled fine lace curtains and were visible throughout all of the rooms.  The views of the valley below were just stunning. 

On the way back to Imagine, we stopped in Nerja to visit the massive cave structure.  After all of the European castles, ruins, and churches that we have seen, it was a treat to see something a little different.  The caves, believed to have been occupied since 25,000 years BC, are so huge that now there is an auditorium built inside to hold summer concerts.  It also boasts the largest stalagmite column in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records.  We were all appropriately impressed and enjoyed exploring. 

After a couple of whirlwind days, not without a little drama, we were happy to get back to Imagine.  We used our last days in Spain to prepare for the passage to the Canaries.  Since we did not know what the shopping would be like in the Canaries, we took advantage of the huge Carrefour (very nice Supermarket that delivers) to make sure we were totally stocked up until we reached the Caribbean.   After over-filling three grocery carts, we decided that we couldn’t fit anymore on Imagine - if we still wanted to float, that is. 

We spent our last night in Spain having some good, old fashioned American fun with Mehari.  We took a quick trip over the border back to Gibraltar and went bowling.  We had a blast with all 12 (Miles – Age 1 isn’t quite ready yet) bowling, laughing, and cheering.  We followed our night of bowling with a gourmet meal at McDonalds.  What a treat for all!

The weather looks pretty good for a sail to the Canary Islands and Imagine is packed with goodies.  So after six jam packed, exciting months it is time to leave the Med.  Since we went through the Suez Canal in April, we have visited Israel, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Spain, and Gibraltar.  We have seen many innumerable historical sites, enjoyed incredible experiences, and spent time with wonderful people.  But now it is time for us to move on, to start the next leg of our journey, and return to the Atlantic Ocean.