Spain for Surrealists 101 (Jerry Garrett Photo)
BENALMADENA, SPAIN
No, there is no Day 1 of Adventures in Espana. It is referred to in the Day 14 report from our 13-day Trans Atlantic Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas. We did, in fact, check out last evening’s bullfight at Marbella; the matador was gored, and the bull celebrated after the match by going to McDonalds. But not voluntarily.
Since we’ve been deposited ashore in Malaga, Spain, adjusting to life on land has proved more difficult than expected. On the ship, our daily activities were guided by, and organized by the daily Cruise Compass that the crew put together for us. It was a hour by hour blueprint for the suggested conduct of one’s day. It’s a great little tool, very handy, and much missed. It was rife with suggested lectures, classes, demonstrations and group activities aimed at one’s personal enrichment.
So we thought we might take a crack at our own Cruise Compass for the coming day in Spain’s Andalusia region, to wit:
8:00 Introduction to Spanish coffees for beginners.
8:15 Introduction to Spanish coffees for intermediate users.
8:30 Introduction to Spanish coffees for experts.
8:45 Twelve-step program for Spanish coffee addiction.
9:00 Introduction to Desayuno.
10:00 Re-introduction to Spanish coffees.
11:00 “Caffeine-burner” power walk.
12:00 How To Evaluate Your ONCE lotto tickets.
1:00 Introduction to Almuerzo
2:00 Introduction to Siesta
5:00 Intermediate Siesta, Individual Studies
7:00 Introduction to Spanish Rioja
8:00 Introduction to Spanish Blanco
9:00 Introduction to Spanish Rose
10:00 Introduction to Cena
11:00 Introduction to Area Heladerias
12:00 Introduction to Amontillado
1:00 Dramatic Reading, E.A. Poe: “The Cask of Amontillado”
2:00 Introduction to Masonry
3:00 Unsupervised free time
7:00 Queue opens for Spanish coffee for beginners.
[Tomorrow: We may or may not begin our study of Spanish surrealism. Depends on whether we have internet or not. But here's a preview: Last night we stayed in the Sahara Sunset Club in Benalmadena, Andalusia. It was a place that was so clean it was absolutely surreal. In fact, Sherry looked under the bed, to see if it was just as clean under there as the rest of the apartment. She found a sign that said: “Yes, we do clean under here.”]
Jerry Garrett
April 30, 2012
