Leonor says goodbye to the Canary Islands and ‘takes to sea’ for the next 22 days

The moment of truth has arrived. Midshipman Borbón Ortiz and the rest of her companions embarked this Thursday on the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano to undertake the first long voyage of the year. After two short trips (from Cádiz to Tenerife and then to the Canary Islands) that have helped them acclimatize to the ship and its rules, Princess Leonor and her companions said goodbye in the port of Las Palmas between smiles and a lot of nerves.

Dressed in the official uniform and perfectly organized, the heiress and the rest of the midshipmen have waved their caps at the crowd of curious onlookers who have come to see them leave. They have 22 days of crossing the Atlantic ahead of them, heading to Salvador de Bahía (Brazil). After docking, they will go to Montevideo, Punta Arenas, Valparaíso, Lima, Panama City, Cartagena de Indias, Santo Domingo and New York. With this ocean crossing the so-called “learning phase” begins, after passing the stage of “reception, orientation and adaptation to military life”, as indicated by the commander and ship captain Luis Carreras Presas do Campo, from the dock.

These first days have been hard for the daughter of Felipe VI and Letizia because, as revealed in Confidential Monarchy, she, like other colleagues, have suffered from the dreaded ‘Land Sickness’, a common syndrome among sailors and sailors that It manifests itself when they return to dry land after getting used to the rocking of the boat and causes dizziness and disorientation. This discomfort forced the princess to rest in her cabin for a few days, especially during a night of rough seas. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and was back into daily routines.

The heiress will return to Spain next June and will complete her sixth month of training on a Navy frigate. On July 3, he will embark again with his companions to make the route to Ferrol and Marín, where the Naval Academy where he entered in August is located. The trip ends in Pontevedra, on July 14.

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