Sun, Songs, and Spanish Adventures

Yesterday was such a good day here in Málaga. We’re truly having an amazing time, and I can hardly believe we’ll be heading home soon.

Time flies, almost too fast and I have mixed feelings about leaving. I know that after a week back home in Sweden, I’ll want to come back to the ship. But at the same time, part of me just wants to go home, sleep properly, and see my family and cats again.

The day started with something everyone loves… free watch! Until 5:30 p.m., everyone was free to do whatever they wanted, and it was so nice just wandering around the city, checking out all the beautiful buildings. The rule is that we always have to go out in groups of at least three and be back on the ship by 10 p.m.

The plan was that Juli and I would have a super chill day at the beach while also doing our Spanish interviews (which honestly sounds like an excuse to go swimming). But the universe had other plans, we got split up. So I ended up going with Matilda Hjort and Selma Tzikas, and we had such a great time. We started by visiting the enormous cathedral in the middle of the city. And when I say enormous, I mean ENORMOUS. The entrance fee was 6 euros, which at first felt a bit unnecessary, but once we got inside, we realized it was money well spent. The paintings, the ceilings, the light, everything was absolutely magical. I think we even went quiet for a moment, and that doesn’t happen often!

After that, we thought we’d continue being a bit cultural and visit the Picasso Museum. It felt like a must while in Picasso’s hometown, but our motivation vanished the second we saw the line. It was longer than the trams back home in Gothenburg, at least a 30-minute wait, so we quickly decided to spend our time on something… sweeter. We headed to a café that sold “fake crumble cookies.” Turns out the owners were Swedish, so there we were in sunny Málaga, surrounded by palm trees and Spanish voices, ordering cookies in Swedish. The cookies were delicious, but so filling that we were full after just one.

As lunchtime approached, we walked down to the beach to meet up with the others. The sun was blazing, the sea was sparkling, and the sand was so hot you could probably fry an egg on it. When we got hungry, Matilda, Juli, and I went to a beach restaurant where we had grilled skewers, fried squid, and fried shrimp. It tasted like sunshine on a plate. We sat there for a long time, just enjoying the food, the warmth, and the view.

Kajsa and I have talked about buying a book in Spanish before we go home, to help us learn the language better. We didn’t have time to do that yesterday, but it’s high on our list for the last few days here.

One of the most spontaneous and fun things that happened yesterday was the football match. About 30 minutes before the Sweden–Spain game started, we decided, completely on impulse, to buy tickets. We took a taxi to the stadium and made it just in time for kickoff! The Spanish fans were super loud, and we did our best to make the Swedish side heard.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go quite as we hoped, Sweden lost this time, but I’m trying to see the bright side: my Spanish friends and the locals were thrilled, so at least someone got to celebrate! And as they say: better luck next time (buena suerte la próxima vez!).

When we got back to the ship, I found Lovisa and we went up to sit on deck. She took out the guitar and started playing En stund på jorden by Laleh, and we sang together. It was pure magic, the warm air around us, the lights from the city and the harbor… I think that might have been my favorite moment of the whole day. There’s just something special about music, it makes everything feel a little more alive.

I think I speak for everyone when I say we’ll bring home so many memories from this trip, both big and small. From the heights of the cathedral to the cookie café and the guitar songs at night. But also from all the sea days, the whales and their spouts, and the headwinds on our way to Morocco.

Sally Paulsson