After a very late night followed by restless sleep and stress dreams, Clint and I woke up frantically reaching for our cell phones on our nightstands. We held our breaths, wondering if the fate of our country had been determined while we were sleeping (though unlikely). It was the first cloudy day in a while and the sky definitely matched our moods. We intentionally made a special breakfast to brighten the morning as we chatted about the Electoral College with the kids over pumpkin bread, fruit and coffee (we made coffee in an Italian Moka pot for the first time—tasty!!!).
What started out as a tense morning ended up being Kate's and my favorite day on the trip so far. Austin said it was a close second to playing basketball in the Dubrovnik castle and Clint said second to swimming in Croatia.
We visited the delightful Hammam Al Andalus—an Arab bathhouse in Granada. After being greeted by exotic scented oils in the dim lobby, the candlelit, Moorish-tiled hallways transported us into tranquil spa bliss. We went from room to room, submerging ourselves into different temperature thermal baths while sipping Arabic mint tea in between. Clint and I each took a turn slipping away for a 15-minute massage to melt the election stress away. The hour-and-a-half session ended by lying on a hot stone surrounded by candles and meditating. It was marvelous!
The kids had never experienced anything like it before and loved it. Austin couldn't believe how jello-like his body felt after and Kate is anxiously awaiting her next spa-day. Ut-oh!!! I told her she had to wait until she was 18!! This place did wonders for the soul. And one of the best parts? I'm starting to sound like a broken record... we almost had the whole place to ourselves! There were only two other people there (they limited their usual 36 guests to 6 due to COVID-restrictions). We all stepped out of this warm cocoon wanting to do it again tomorrow. We wish!! It was a great break from the news, but now we are logging back on!
