Having hit the Southernmost point of Europe, we have changed course to head back north. Our next ocean date is Bilbao later this week. Until then, we are enjoying being pampered in Spain.

Salamanca comes close behind Andalucia in our favourite places. Here, modern university living merges seamlessly with 500 years and more of history as students gather between the old cathedral and the faculty of language and translation right next door. On the Plaza Mayor, we observe lots of youngsters engaging in silly, but fun, in promptu group games. A sign of Spain’s high unemployment rate?

No matter how shocking the statistics paint Spain’s current economic situation, ‘el arte de vivir’ is something we can all learn from the Spaniards. They love to hang out in little bars and cafes, losing themselves in deep conversation over tapas and fine wine, or indulging in café con churros – a greasy gluten bomb somehow representative of the careless joy and spontaneity that I so love about this country.

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.