July 12, 2024
Greetings from Spain!!
We are a couple days into this amazing trip and we are having an absolute blast! Let’s recap the past couple days before we start our trekking section of the trip tomorrow. A few days ago, we met everyone in the airport after a long, tiring flight, yet the group was excited to start the trip. We soon got into vans and drove to our first destination, a beautiful little fishing town on the northern coast of Spain called Llanes. This place boasts amazing views on the coast in one direction and behind us lie the surreal mountains of Picos de Europa national park. We took a quick siesta then got ready to stop by the beach and explore the town before dinner. John selflessly took it upon himself to carry everybody’s shirts and towels so they didn’t need to bring their backpacks. We are all so grateful for his kindness! After a quick dip in the refreshing water of the Cantabrian Sea, we got a little bit of ice cream where Libby busted out her superb Spanish skills, doing the entire transaction in Spanish and impressing the entire group. We walked up to a viewpoint where we could see the seemingly endless ocean in front of us, knowing that if we continued straight, we would eventually end up in England! After a little sightseeing, the crew headed into town to check out some local souvenir shops before dinner. Henry got some cool, locally made souvenirs that were a big hit with the rest of the group. After doing some shopping, we all got some classic pasta bolognese and breaded chicken with homemade French fries, just what the group needed, a little taste of home before we really dove into our Spanish adventure.
On our first morning all together, we woke up to sunshine and blue skies! We ate a quick breakfast and all piled into the van for our first activity… canyoneering!! Best described as sliding, climbing, and jumping off waterfalls, it’s not for the faint of heart! Andrew led the pack the entire morning, taking the risk of going first down mostly every fall. Even though the water was cold, Gigi squealed with excitement the whole way down. A couple of times we had the opportunity to do some mini cliff jumps! Blair bravely pushed all worries aside and ended up jumping more than most everybody else, completely living in the moment. After ditching the wetsuits and grabbing a warm lunch, we got right back to it and swapped waterfalls for the ocean- time to surf! After we were suited up, we got a quick lesson from our guides and hit the waves to try it for ourselves. Ari was up before the whole group was even in the water, to the amazement of the rest of us! Spencer worked closely with our guide on his surfing and Spanish all afternoon long. After riding the waves all afternoon, we headed to a Llanes restaurant to try local Asturias cuisine, even trying world famous Asturian blue cheese. We finished up our evening with a nice moonup as a storm brewed in the distance!
The next morning we woke up to the calming sound of raindrops echoing off the rooftop. The group was still in high spirits though because today we were going surfing for the second time! After yesterday’s “warm up” day, the group felt dialed and ready to shred the gnar at the famous Torimbia Beach, a beach that is known for its good waves and beautiful views. As we walked down, we were greeted by our favorite surf instructor, Mateo and quickly got suited up and got our boards, ready to hit the beach. After a quick warmup, the group ran down the beach, eager to hone their skills from yesterday and shred the gnar once again. Caleb absolutely grinded both days of surfing, never taking a break and working hard, and today all that hard work paid off when he got on more waves than anybody. Today’s surfing was incredible, everyone stood up many times, the waves were impeccable, and the vibes were immaculate. However, all this activity made us hungry for lunch so we stopped by a local pizza place with the guides for some well earned lunch. Despite all the personal pizzas being delicious, nobody enjoyed their pizza more than Evelyn, who confidently stated she could’ve eaten 2 more pizzas if they were in front of her! Good thing we went to get some ice cream nearby as a good dessert to cap off our time in Llanes. As we depart this little beach town we called home for the last two days, we eagerly await the trekking that is to come next. Our stay tonight in the town of Sotres gives us a glimpse of all there is to see in Picos de Europa National Park. The group arrived and after settling in, immediately began playing some card games to pass the time. Later we explored around the town, got to do a little shopping, before enjoying a nice, well-earned dinner full of authentic Spanish food. Croquetas, salchichas, veal, salad and more in a family-style meal absolutely hit the spot. After our group gets some much needed rest, we begin our trekking section of the trip tomorrow! That’s all for the past couple days, but stay tuned! There’s many more adventures to go on and memories to be made. Well check back in after we arrive in Morocco:)
Adiós,
Katie + Garrett
July 10, 2024
Hello Spain + Morocco Families!
All students have safely landed and the trip is off to a great start! We can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure! Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next two weeks! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ