The content of this post is an adaptation of an original text written by Guy Laliberté.

Friday, we arrived in Ibiza in late evening, in time for supper. This made me really happy, because I was able to see my kids, who were still up (as was my love!). I was finally taking my first real days off since arriving in Russia on May 10, and I planned to enjoy them to the hilt!

Saturday morning, I was still in my routine of 4–5 hours of sleep a night, so I got up before everyone else and swam a few laps in the pool to stay in shape. I find that my program doesn’t include enough time for working out. All the astronauts and cosmonauts I’ve spoken to have emphasized the importance of being in shape to facilitate the body’s adaptation to weightlessness. I therefore decided to work at it myself—and in a place like Ibiza, it hardly feels like work at all!

During the day, we went to the hippie market, which has been around for some 30 years and is full of artists and craftspeople. I felt like I was reliving my travel adventures of the 1970s.

We ate very well the entire weekend, thanks to my two excellent chefs (hard on the waistline, though)! The weekend wrapped up with a great Argentinean barbecue and a few bottles of good wine. I left my family with a heavy heart, but nevertheless stimulated by the thought of continuing my adventure.