Early in the morning, Mariano went to a travel agency on Coso Street to choose Menorca as his next destination. This year, he could choose between the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, but opted for the latter: “I chose Menorca because my wife hasn’t been there and it’s been a long time since I went.” He had already been to the Canary Islands “several times” and returned a week ago from spending a few days in Mallorca.
This is not the first time the couple has signed up for the program. “We’ve been doing it for three years. I normally travel on my own, but it’s good if I save a few euros,” Mariano explains.
A couple waiting in line to decide on their holiday had similar luck, as it had been “quite a long time” since they had been selected: “They may put you on the waiting list and take a long time to give you a place, but this year we got our first choice,” they say. They will therefore travel to Palma de Mallorca to enjoy the island’s beauty for a week. “There’s an atmosphere, you have a good time, you go to the beach and get a change of scenery” are the positive aspects they highlight about this type of trip.
A few places farther back, Carmen was using the Imserso trip to return to her homeland, Tenerife. Once at her destination, she will visit her uncles and cousins who still live on the island. “I’ve lived in Zaragoza for many years and every so often I return to visit my home,” she explains. Most of the time, she travels with Imserso “alone,” but says she is always “very well looked after in the hotels and on the plane.”
Meanwhile, Lucía still does not know which destination she will travel to, but acknowledges that wherever she ends up will be “wonderful.” On other occasions, she has traveled to different destinations along the Mediterranean coast with her partner or her cousin. “The good thing about these trips is that they’re cheap and not bad at all,” she admits.
