Day 12: Our day in Barcelona

And then there was one...group left...

All the other groups left this morning while we opted to stay another day. I had planned this extra day from the start with one goal in mind: La Sagrada Familia.  2 yrs ago I went in for the first time and vowed all my other trips would go in. So to assure the time to go in, we added a day to our trip...today!
So we got tix on line and off to the Sagrada Familia we went.  Was cool to see what has been added over the last 2 yrs...it amazes me everytime.  The pictures don't do it justice but they work.
We then headed to the beach, had a 2 hr lunch and tried to find a spot in the sand. But about a million of our closest friends had the same idea on a Sunday, so I made a home base & off the kids went.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel with lots of laughs & reminiscing.
We are currently getting packed up for our flights home tomorrow.
While we hado an amazing, unforgettable time, we are ready for home.

Day 11: Barcelona

Today we had a city tour of Barcelona.with our local guide. We first stopped at La Sagrada Familia,  Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece.  It was cool to see what has been added since I was last here 2 yrs ago. As the kids & I are staying an extra day tomorrow,  we booked tickets for Sunday morning to actually go in. Wait til you see the pics!!
Next stop was Parc Güell,  another Gaudí creation. The park wasn't super crowded so we actually got a group pic at the lizard/dragon.
We drove thru town a bit towards our last stops: Olympic Stadium and Montjuic view point. We actually got to hop off the bus and take pics at the stadium & of the Calderon.  The view from Montjuic was impressive! We even got a pic of all the kids from all the groups.
We headed back to Las Rambles for lunch & free time. After lunch we headed to the Picasso Museum,  just as it started to rain,  we found it...and the line around the block. So we skipped it and shopped some more before meeting with the entire group for dinner. The weather throughout the entire trip has been hot, but the last few days we've had to deal with scattered showers...ugh... so we're praying for good weather tomorrow.

Day 10: Barcelona

We got up a bit early today, walked across the street to the Atocha station & caught our high speed train to Barcelona.  Took almost 3 hrs to get there.  We sent the luggage to the hotel, and off to center city we went. Had time for lunch & shopping on the Rambles before we headed to the Gothic Quarter. From there,  the kids did a bike ride excursion around the area & down to the beach.
Back to the hotel went,  had dinner, and while the boys watched the Spain Eurocup match, the girls & I went looking for ice cream. Found it...but also stumbled on some games & fun!
Tomorrow we'll get to see Barcelona on our city tour...and we are excited!!

Day 9: El Escorial, Segovia, and an extra stop

Today was one of my most favorite optional starting we do because of all the places we visit.
We hopped on the bus & headed north out of Madrid to our first stop: El Escorial. Nestled in the hills, it's one of the official Royal Palaces in Spain. It's also where almost all the Kings & Queens are buried.
Next up was an extra stop: Valley of the Fallen.  This was an addition to our itinerary because the Alhambra was closed, EF added this in for us. It's where the Dictator Francisco Franco is buried. Steeped in history, this creepy church was fascinating for all.
Last stop is the beautiful town of Segovia.  Known for the largest Roman aqueduct and it's castle, the weather did not cooperate for us at first. So we grabbed lunch and by the time we started the tour, no more rain.
Kids enjoyed the day as it was such a variety of places, all full of rich history.
Back to Madrid we went, got a little shopping in after dinner before heading back to the hotel.
We have to get all packed up as we're catching a train in the a.m. to our last stop: Barcelona.

Day 8: Córdoba, Don Quixote, and Madrid

This morning we left Granada and headed north. Our first stop was Córdoba, famous for its Mezquita. We toured the beautiful red & white striped arches of the mosque which surrounds a Christian Church in the middle.  Fascinating,  that's for sure!
Back on the bus after lunch, heading back to Madrid. We made a stop at a Venta,  or Inn that Cervantes would have referenced in Don Quixote.
More bus time and we finally reached Madrid. Checked in to our hotel and off to dinner we went.
Busy day tomorrow so stay tuned!

Day 7: Gorgeous Granada

We left the Costa del Sol and headed to the Sierra Nevada mountains & Granada.
We went straight to the Alhambra, the last Moorish fortress.  We toured the beautiful gardens, the guard towers, but due to some odd changes by the Alhambra dudes, we couldn't go in and see the Lions. (FYI...not real lions, just a famous fountain surrounded by lions.) While we were bummed, it gives us a reason to go back.
After lunch, the kids participated in a Scavenger Hunt activity and enjoyed it!
We grabbed some helado, shopped, had dinner & then went off to a flamenco show in the caves.  Always a fantastic evening! Fun to see Sue, Charlie, and Caroline get up & dance!!
Tomorrow we head back to Madrid via Cordoba. Can't believe it's Day 7...we're over the half way point...wow...and we still have some great stuff to go!!

Day 6: Beach Day

So today we originally were supposed to go to Morocco but that excursion was canceled due to global tensions. We then signed up for Taste of Andalucia,  but that was cancelled as we were the only group who signed up for it. We tried a last minute hail mary to get to Gibraltar, but that too was foiled. So, we hit the beach. Boy, was it a hot one...98ish...water was freezing, sand so hot the kids jumped from shaded spot to shaded spot and then dead out sprinted in to the water. They had a great time, and we lathered them in sun screen. We headed back to the hotel a little earlier than planned, just to get them out of the heat. After dinner, we of course had to go for ice cream. Tomorrow we head to Granada, so hoping for some relief from this heat.

Day 5: Stupendous Sevilla

Sooo sorry for the delay in blogging. Our hotel in Costa del Sol had horrid and spotty WiFi so I had no ability to upload anything.

So, Day 5 we toured the superb city of Sevilla. It was another warm one, but we're getting used to that, sort of... We started with a little of a bus ride along the river, saw many country's pavilions for the 1929 World Fair. We hopped off and got to see theveryone Plaza de España up close, also built for the fair.
We then headed to the oldest part and wandered thru the narrow, windy streets to get to the Cathedral. After grabbing lunch and some shopping time, we went in to the church, climbed the Giralda Tower, and saw Christopher Colombus' tomb.
Afterwards, we hopped back on the bus to make our way to Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol. Checked in, ate dinner, and then headed to the beach. It gets dark very late hete so the kids got a little swim in before sunset.
Another busy, yet awesome day!!

Day 4: Terrific Toledo!!

We said good bye to Madrid this a.m. and headed south to Toledo. We were met by the infamous local guide, Carlos, and we set off to explore this beautiful town. We did a panoramic tour first and then set off thru the town. We explored the narrow,  winding streets and saw the impressive cathedral. More wandering led us to a beautiful masterpiece by El Greco. We ended our Toledo day with a visit to the Damscene workshop to shop for jewelry & swords.  We spent the rest of the day on the bus, making our way south and west to the beautiful town of Sevilla.
Tomorrow we're off to explore this beautiful city! Pray for cool breezes as it's a bit warm in Spain!!
Hasta la próxima  :)

Day 3: Magnificent Madrid

Today was all about Madrid. We started the day with a bus tour of the capital city. We saw the bull ring, got out & took pics at the Real Madrid stadium. We made our way along Gran Via to the Plaza de España before our final stop...the Royal Palace. We took a fantastic tour of the palace and saw all the beautiful rooms, chandeliers,  and clocks. Next up was a stroll to a Tapas lunch via Plaza Mayor. Tapas lunch was fun as rounds & rounds of food came our way. From jamón serrano to manchego cheese, patatas bravas, tortilla española,  calamari, and croquetas...ending with Churros y Chocolate all while being entertained by tuna musicians.
After lunch we had free time, so we headed to Retiro park, got ice cream, and then the kids rented row boats on the lake. We then headed back to Sol for some shopping before dinner....quite a full day!
Tomorrow we leave Madrid and will be touring Toledo in the a.m. and then we're off to Sevilla. I'll try to get pics loaded but the kids are sucking up the WiFi, so we'll see. ;)

Hasta la próxima

Day 2: We have arrived!!

We have arrived!!

We are safe & sound in Madrid. Flights went well, but we did have to move rather quickly in Paris to make our connection to Madrid.

Once in Madrid, we checked in to our hotel, hit the metro, and headed downtown.  Our first stop was the infamous Prado art museum where we saw paintings by Velazquez,  Goya, Murillo,  etc... After a few hrs, we were ready for dinner & then back to the hotel.

We are exhausted,  which is normal on Day 2. It's warm & sunny, and tomorrow should be the same.

So, we're off to shower & to bed & ready to see this capital city mañana!

I'll try to post pics, but WiFi is a little slow.

Hasta mañana!!

#22: Viva España!!

Yes, my friends, it is that time of the year!  I sit here ready to embark on trip #22...this summer it's Spain for 13 days!  It's honestly crazy to think it's #22...where has the time gone!?!? This will be trip #8 just to Spain with students and it honestly feels like going home. It's such a fantastic country and we are in good hands with the infamous Fran as our TD.  This year we have 4 girls (Emily, Cheyenne, Caroline & Mary), 3 boys (Charlie, Kaleb & Michael), 1 mom (Sue), and me.  We are paired up with 4 other groups: 2 from Colorado, 1 from Illinois (Peoria), and 1 from Texas.  We all meet up in Madrid and tour from there.  This is one of my favorite tours!  We start in Madrid and then loop south, visiting Córdoba, Sevilla, Costa del Sol, Granada, Toledo, back to Madrid, up to Segovia/El Escorial for the day, and then a train to Barcelona.

How good are you at the Alphabet Soup game?  Here's our flying route: MLI - MSP - CDG - MAD
So, thanks for the positive thoughts & prayers for our travels!
Until the next time...