Spain/China 2023, continuing (06)

[aadler]

Fifth day in Spain – July 03 Monday

We got up 7:00AM (like most days), showered and down for breakfast by 7:30. Susan and I finished and returned to our room without ever seeing anyone else from our group.

The morning’s plans involved visiting a former mosque that had been converted to a cathedral during the Reconquista (the reverse of what was done to the Hagia Sophia when the Turks conquered Constantinople), followed by horseback riding with Andalusian horses. It was expected to be quite hot today, so even though Susan really wanted to see the horses, she chose to opt out of both, and I remained with her. Some of the group had elected to do some shopping rather than go riding; Kevin contacted the leader of that party, and she said she would pick up an additional adapter/converter for me.

Susan and I were in the lobby by 2:00PM, thinking that was the time when the group would gather for our next departure. It took substantially longer than that; by the time everyone had arrived and we all loaded onto the bus, it was about 4:45 before we started off. (However, the leader of the shopping expedition had brought back a suitable voltage converter for my use.)

We drove to Granada, and I spent almost the entirety of the trip reading from my Kindle. We arrived at the hotel (Aurea Catedral) somewhat after 7:00PM, were in our room by 7:30. Susan and I munched on the fruit plate while we waited for the schedule for dinner. Meanwhile, I set up the ‘new’ converter and established that it worked perfectly.

We were supposed to meet in the lobby (I think 8:30, but I don’t actually remember for sure) for our dinner outing. Susan was tired and asked me to just bring something back for her. I walked with Cristina down to tonight’s restaurant (La Telefonica), purportedly to see if I thought Susan could make the trip, but I saw nothing to make me believe she would be willing. We ate a series of dishes at outside tables, along with beer, wine, and — at the end of the evening — limoncello shots. As before, we gathered a carry-out box for Susan, and some of the other ladies, leaving before the last remnants, said they would take it to her when they got back to the hotel. I hung around for more, gathered a last box (of simmered cod, delicious), and then walked back with Cristina. Along the way I sang “Thunder Road” to her, because karaoke had been mentioned and I had told her my favorite song. I kept my voice down, though, because it was a public street.

(We both worry somewhat about the situation in China. She thinks Taiwan will be invaded by 2030; I worry it will happen within the next two years. I’d rather be wrong on that. Wish I had good reason to believe I am.)

Susan had already eaten by the time I got in. She fell asleep while I was doing journal updates, and I went to bed as well around midnight-thirty.