Madrid!! ¡Viva España!

Another day in paradise!  I was fortunate to spend 5 glorious days in Madrid at the end of March.  Not sure if you can tell from the photo above, but my feet were happy to be home!!  :)

There was a bit of craziness while I was there as there was a HUGE union strike.  We expected the worst - everything closed, travel disrupted all day...not so much.  They didn't even get this huge strike going until 6 pm...typical Spaniards.  It was quite peaceful...and fascinating to watch.

I did get to see some new stuff... I know, hard to believe with the amount of times I've been to Madrid, but it's true.  I got to see the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.  While it has NOTHING on how Betty does it in London, it was fascinating to watch.

Another place I love to hang out is at El  Retiro Park... so peaceful....so green...lots of scultpures, monuments, walking paths, gardens, flowers, and Retiro Pond, where, if adventurous, you can rent a row boat and row around the pond...or just walk around it and enjoy a Bueno Bar!!

Cedric is always up for a tour around town - the Plaza Mayor is such a fascinating place for its architecture, designs, and definitely for people watching!!  Mix in some tapas and sangria and you've got yourself a great evening!

Met some amazing people on my trip - these two:  Daniele & Brian, made great sweepers with me, making sure no one wandered off, got lost, and stuck with the group...my two 'psychics'....or was that sidekicks?? lol :)

Ah, home sweet home...now just to find my prince for my palace....

We took a side trip south to the enchanting town of Toledo - this place never gets old with it's winding, narrow, cobblestone streets...it feels like you've gone back in time...heavenly.

One of the best parts of Toledo is this man, Fernando, a local guide who is unforgettable.  He took our group of "VIP's" around his town, showing us the spectacular cathedral and then over to the sword factory.  The kids love Fernando as he can relate to kids & adults alike.

Finally found my Knight in Shining Armor!!!  Yeah!!

Our last evening was filled with much frivolity of everything Spanish:  Tapas with a tuna band who serenaded us.  Love the free-flowing sangria!!  Follow this with churros y chocolate at San Gines...ahhh...heaven!

Of course Flamenco dancing had to be involved as well!!  Not by me, that's for sure, just the experts!

Rockin' Red Bus:  Daniele, Debbie, Emily, me, Carmen, Sue, Brian

Another great weekend spent with some amazing people in one of my most favorite cities in Europe!  Since I'll be back in June with kids, it was nice to have some time to myself in 'my' city.  Can't wait to show the kids what this place is all about!

Until then....
~steph :)

Day 11: On the Road again...

FCO --> EWR --> ATL --> MLI

Well, it's sadly that time again... good-bye's are no fun... so as I told the kids, it'll just be "See you soon!" What an amazing 10 days we have had during our Spring Break. Hard to wrap my brain around the fact that I have to be at work Monday morning at 8 am. Typically I have the summer to recover...guess it'll be about 9 hours instead. :) But, all worth it. Such a priviledge to watch how the kids changed, matured, came together as a mini-family over the 10 days...and to have been able to watch their faces light up at the amazing sites we saw.

We were the 1st ones to land here in Italy, and we're the last ones to leave. We had a 10 am flight out of Rome to Newark, so our wake-up call wasn't as early as Colorado's 3:30 am departure. Mario took us since he had a flight out at 10:15 back to Sicily. All checked in, but no boarding passes from Newark home...a hitch to deal with.

Sadly said our "See you later's" to Mario and thanked him for all his hardwork over the 10 days. The kids loved all his stories, his laughter, his singing, his joy of travel, and his love of Italy. A true master of his craft!


First flight was quite long - 10 hrs - Newark - got some sleep and watched a few movies. In Newark, after clearing customs, we had to go up to the 4th floor, recheck luggage and print boarding passes, then hustle off to security again and get to our gate...phew...

Had a few hours in Atlanta...which was extended another hour due to fixing a part on the oxygen tanks. Then, once boarded, they had to get a new pilot since ours timed out. Luckily we took off in time that the crew didn't time out...ay yi yi!

Made it home safe & sound, just an hour late. Kids were elated to see parents at the airport. Airports can be such a happy & sad place all rolled into one location...such a juxtaposition. Everyone's luggage showed - YIPPEE! So, we said our "See you in a few hours" and home we went for some precious hours of sleep in our own beds before our alarm clocks would wake us up to reality.

It was a super week - loved it all - possibly doing another Spring Break trip next year...am thinking Costa Rica!! Loved my Team Utah...oh, I mean Team Iowa :) Hopefully they are inspired to travel more in the future - I know I sure am!! :)

Thanks to all for reading our blog! You were with us there in spirit!
Hugs for now ~ steph :)

p.s. Next student trip is in June - we're off to Spain for 20 days!! :)
p.p.s. As for my streak...stay tuned!! I've got April figured out, but not May. June will be the 2 yr anniversary :)

Day 10: Capri

What another gorgeous day today! We have been sooooooooo lucky with weather on this trip - it's quite unreal.... actually we heard today that the icky weather is coming, so I guess it's time for us to go!
We grabbed a ferry out to Capri this morning from Sorento, did a boat cruise around the island to see the White Grotto as well as the Coral Grotto. Did a walking tour of the village, ending at the gardens below...

Had some free time to explore and go down to the beach to see the crystal clear water...amazing! Ferry back to Naples - Bus to Rome and here we are... packing and hoping to get some sleep before our 6:15 am shuttle to the airport.

We sadly said good-bye to our Colorado friends...first ones in, last ones out.

We've had a great time - we're all completely exhausted, a bit sunburnt, and broke, but such big smiles on their faces... good stuff!!

Excited to see you all & share stories!!

See you soon!

Wish us luck on our travels home!!

~steph :)

Day 9: Pompeii & Mt Vesuvius

Day 9 took us out of Rome, heading south to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. We went into the National Park and the drive up was spectacular!! Most of the kids grabbed walking sticks and headed up the volcano to see the crater and the view - amazing!!

After a quick lunch, Pompeii was next on our list. The kids LOVED it!! So amazing to see the ruins afte so many years...unreal...

Our hotel was located near Sorrento so that we can head to Capri tomorrow. After dinner, we took the kids down to the beach so they could dip their toes into the Sea...a bit chilly, but fun to watch them drawing in the sand and trying to skip stones.

Tomorrow we're off to Capri - pray for good weather!!
~steph :)

Day 8: Roma...part due

Today was a Free Day for us...which translates to a "Senorita Day." :)

We tried to hit a famous gelato place early on, but it was closed, so we were dropped off at the Piazza Venezia and had to be back by 6:15...so off we went. Saw San Ignazio church, then over to the Pantheon where the kids has a few hrs to shop, grab lunch, eat a gelato, etc...

Afterwards, we went over to Trevi to check it out in the day light, then up to Spanish steps, the Popolo, and then decided to a walk along the river...sigh...gorgeous...

So, basically our day was Piazza hopping, people watching, gelato eating, and a nice, leisurely pace...perfect!!

We sadly had to say good-bye tonight to the two groups not doing the extension with us. We are heading to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri tomorrow and the TX and FL groups are not - just us & CO. My kids really bonded well with these 2 groups, so was a bit difficult to say good-bye, so we just bid them a safe trip and a "See you soon!"

Off to the Amalfi Coast tomorrow - need some sleep!!
~steph :)

Day 7: ROMA

So, our internet went out on us last night after we had just gotten back from our Rome day, so sorry this is a day late...

Well, lucky number 7...what a day!!! We saw, in 8 hours, what it took over 24 centuries to build...yowza! Overwhelming and awesome all at once!

We started out our day at the Colesseum, then over to the Roman Forum...a break for lunch, and then came Round 2!

Round 2 consisted of the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. Had an early dinner and back to the hotel...exhausted!
Rome is such an amazing place - the history, the architecture, the people, the food...awesome!
Needless to say, it was an early night for us. :)

~steph

Day 6: Assisi and Rome...by Night :)

Today was pretty much a bus day...but what a break it up but a stop in Assisi, the birthplace & burial of Saint Francis. Such a magical place with it's cobblestone streets, winding alleyways, beige monotone buildings, and it's 2 story basilica set up in the Tuscan hills. Amazing! Father Michael from Pennsylvania took us around, showing the amazing frescos and arches of this amazing building. Everyone enjoyed it...such a magical place!

We continued more onto Rome and did a quick dinner & hotel check in and then off to see Rome!1 First stop - Trevi Fountain, where we all threw in our coins and made our wishes...plus we had to eat gelato. Other pit stops included the Colesseum and Forum as well as the Vatican. Can't wait to tour them tomorrow!

We have a busy day ahead of us on Wednesday...some might call it a day from hell...but that's not possible in this Eternal City! We're going to see, in less than 24 hrs, what was built in over 24 centuries...good stuff! Better stay tuned!!

~steph :)