Rise and Grind, It’s Time to Feel the Sunshine! - July 8


Welcome to the fifth day of our Gibraltar extravaganza! It was quite a fun-filled day for our team and definitely one we will not forget. But first—let’s recap a bit from last night’s festivities. Our group volunteered for the Town Criterium (road race) last night, where men and women from all islands cycled their way through the competition. Our group was stationed throughout the race as designated marshals, ensuring roads were successfully blocked off from traffic and pedestrians safely crossed intersections. The races were wicked—30 minutes for the women, 60 minutes for the men. Many of our members have never experienced a road race like this before and were in awe of the crowds, excitement, and intensity of the event. People from all over Gibraltar and visitors from other countries were lining the barriers watching and cheering for each and every biker. There was so much good spirit and support seeping through the crowds, and you could tell how appreciative the cyclists were just by the expressions on their face. With high speeds and hundreds of spectators, it was a wild experience for everyone! 
Moving on to today’s experience, we will begin with the morning. Another early awakening as we start our day, this time heading to one of Gibraltar’s finest beaches for a day of excursion and excitement: Sandy Bay. We arrived and were greeted by some of the most welcoming staff members, who got us geared up and pumped up for the morning of paddle boarding! Most of our group had never been paddle boarding before, so we were a bit nervous to say the least. However, one we all hit the extremely cold water on our paddleboards, we did not want it to end. Paddle boarding is a tough activity, but loads of fun! We of course wanted to know “who is going to fall off first?”—dear ole’ Jessica took the gold medal on that one. Our guides led us through an adventure in the water, exploring various parts of the rock and ocean, as well as briefing us with a history lesson of the land, rock, beach, and water. Fun fact: the sand on the beach is actually imported from the Sahara Desert! And, did you know that the rock is actually upside down? How cool is that?
After our individual paddle boarding and large group paddle boarding (oh how that was entertaining), we were able to relax and enjoy some time on the beach and ate a delicious meal at the Kokonut beach bar. After around 1:30/2pm, it was time to head back. After a quick rejuvenation, a few of us went to explore Gibraltar a bit more. We found ourselves downtown, exploring alley ways and unique staircases that led to buildings and shops up on the rock. We made our way through Trafalgar Cemetery and the Botanical Gardens, even catching a little bit of one of the NatWest male tennis matches, before heading back for dinner and much-needed relaxation. 

 - Catherine 






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