Our TSSOM, with its beloved crew, has departed Mallorca, exited the Straits of Gibraltar, and put the balmy Mediterranean Sea in our wake. We are pitching and rolling in the Northern Atlantic Ocean yet again. While enjoying our port stay in Palma, some of us embarked on an excursion, altruistically assembled by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kowalski. The excursion began with a bus tour from Palma to Sóller, a small mountain town, renowned for citrus, almonds, and olive oil. We disembarked our bus at the Can Det Estate. Since its founding in 1561, the Can Det family has passed down its one-thousand-year-old olive oil tree and traditional oil press for generations. A gracious member of the family taught our group how olive oil is made with its various steps and equipment.

We joined the Can Det family for lunch, indulging in their rich olive oil and almond cakes, washing it all down with a fresh glass of hand-pressed orange juice. We were all assembled around a large “family style” table in the Can Det’s historical house. Over our delicious lunch, dressed in civilian clothes, students and staff alike, all raved about the views and the olive oil. Most participants purchased several bottles of olive oil to take back home. (Maybe you will find some of these precious bottles carefully wrapped under your tree this year.) Filled with the local food, we reluctantly left the Can Det Estate.

That reluctance slowly withered away once we stepped outside. We were awed by the architecture and towering mountains as we began to walk through the town with our guides teaching us some brief history as we gazed away. Then we arrived at a train station, where we jumped on a trolley to head back to Palma. The trolley snaked above the towns we passed, tucked away up in the mountains. We zipped through 13 tunnels and took in the views until we reached our destination.

The tour was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am very thankful for Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kowalski for organizing the entire excursion. The next excursion in Porto is a walking/boat tour and wine tasting. The ship is abuzz with excitement and anticipation. We look forward to our arrival, but there’s work to be done on the ship in the meantime! Our crew is all hard at work today: Alpha is on Utility, Bravo is on Watch, Charlie is on Training, and Delta is on Maintenance.

Post by MIDN 4/C Aimee Sala