I've Got Chills...

June 22:

Today I got to eat lunch with Captain Kingston. The Captain is an interesting fellow from England, who enjoys a good game of tennis-- on his Nintendo Wii. The other students and I chatted with him about pirates, storms, and his favorite places to visit. He told us, "One thing about people at sea-- we are like Peter Pan. We never grow up." In many ways this is true. He is waited on during every meal, and like a child almost everything is done for him, including laundry, cooking, and cleaning. I noticed a boyish twinkle in his old blue eyes, and I realized he must be right about the Peter Pan syndrome; he certainly had an adventurous spirit.

June 23:

This afternoon, we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, or "Gates of Hercules." I went up to the 7th Deck forward to watch as the ship cruised into Mediterranean waters. On port side I could see the faint blue outline of Spain and on the starboard side was Morocco. As we got closer, the land became more visible and I was able to notice geographical differences between Europe and Northern Africa. The winds were fierce and unrelenting, and even though I wore a cardigan, I could feel goose bumps all over. I couldn't tell if it was from the chill or the chills.

Today:

We are in Barcelona. More to follow...