Saltair has been in Las Palmas Gran Canaria for over a month and we have made a lot of progress on our repairs and improvements ! The last couple weeks have been focused on family and spending time with loved ones has been really heartwarming. Seth and I traveled back to the states for a week, spending time in Scottsdale with his grandparents, Grandpa Stan and Granny Arlene. We spent lots of time hanging out, playing cards and helping out. It was really hot so we squeezed in  morning walks . Seth also kept up with some schooling. It was a really nice visit and we were sad to say goodbye.

My sister Eleonore, brother in law Nicolas and Nephew Arthur had arrived in Las Palmas the day before our return and we jumped right in visiting with them!
While we were away, more family boats had arrived for the ARC+ and the ARC. We are on a pontoon where most of the family boats are moored and the kids are all playing together. Arthur got to experience the fun to be had on a dock full of kids, jumping on a trampoline in a catamaran, playing hide and seek on our boat and going out on the paddle board with Seth !

Wednesday took us to the historic district where we admired the architecture,  visited the El Canario museum , dedicated to the indigenous inhabitants of the canaries and the cathedral Santa Ana.
While the exhibits focused on what we know of the lives of the indigenous population it only hinted at its extinction after being colonized by the Spanish.
I found it particularly interesting to see how each island developed its own culture as movement between islands did not exist yet. An Exhibit highlighted the difference between shapes and patterns of clay vessels for example.
Another exhibit showed how  skulls discovered in the coastal areas of Gran Canaria demonstrated ‘auditory exostoses’,bone anomalies located in the external auditory canal resulting from prolonged exposure to cold water. A great example of how archeology helps us picture the lives of prehistoric civilizations.
Seth and Adam spent a lot of time in the skull and mummy room where again, studies of the bones lead us to understand better how these ancient civilizations lived.

Thursday was Arthur’s birthday and we had a fun and busy day. We spent a lot of time at the Elder Science Museum where most of the activities are hands-on!  Seth loved sitting in the cockpit of an F5 fighter and both boys enjoyed the very varied exhibits and movies - a solar system IMAX film and one on the Sea Lion colonies of Australia - (both films solely in Spanish). We finally had to pry them away from a sand pit where they were digging for dinosaur bones so that we could grab lunch and head to Las Canteras beach for a bit.

We wrapped up the day with ice cream and dinner onboard…. Burgers (they were surprised we have a small grill onboard) and apple pie for dessert !  A lovely visit !

This week, the group of boats preparing for the ARC + ( they leave on Nov 5 , go to Cape Verde then on to Grenada) have a super busy week - we are enjoying the bustle on the dock and Seth is able to join the kids activities making for a fun week !