Vacaciones con la familia

Hola!

Over the last few weeks we had the pleasure of having Nathan's parents and brother with us in Spain. It was wonderful to be able to share some of the places and experiences that have been part of our adventure thus far, as well as do some entirely new things together. Our time together was also a way we chose to remember Nathan's grandfather, who passed away several months ago. We dedicated our time together to his memory.

Nathan and I arrived in Madrid a few days before his family was scheduled to arrive, giving us the chance to get over our jet-lag and do a little more planning for the family vacation. We had also managed to plan our arrival in Madrid just in time for the Festival de San Isidro (the patron saint of Madrid), International Museum Day, and a very important soccer game (Madrid vs Barcelona for the league title).

All of these events meant there was lots to do and see! Despite our rather zombie-like state, we took in a fireworks show 4 nights in a row, enjoyed free entrance to several museums, and got to witness a crazy city-wide street party because for the first time in 2 decades, Madrid won the league title (and considering the rivalry they have with Barcelona, this was an even bigger deal...). The ENTIRE CITY was on the streets for HOURS. We were staying in a hostel downtown and there were so many people that it was difficult to walk anywhere. But we were impressed with how orderly the party was - mostly people seemed to just be dancing and singing another round of "Campeones!"

And then, just as we started to feel like normal people, awake at normal hours again, it was time to head to the airport to welcome Nathan's family to Spain!

MADRID

We spent our first few days in Madrid in an apartment close to the Puerta del Sol plaza, downtown. From there we could walk anywhere in the downtown core within 20 minutes, which we figured would be nice if/when anyone needed to have an extra nap during the first few days. However, everyone seemed quite determined to beat jet-lag as quickly as possible... with as much caffeine as was necessary... and so with the help of many a  "café con leche" we actually spent far less time in the apartment than we expected.

We spent a full day at the Prado Museum, stopped in at the Reina Sofia Museum to see some Picasso, especially the "Guernica", went shoe shopping (at least, Darlys and I went shoe shopping...), visited the Royal Botanical Gardens, and tried out a few different restaurants, and more than a few cafés. :)

GRANADA

From Madrid we drove to Granada in our "medium-sized rental car" that I had reserved... which somehow transformed into a 9 passenger van when we picked it up... A bit large for the 5 of us, but we certainly weren't crowded... :)

In Granada we stayed in an apartment about 100 meters from where our apartment had been. It was fun to be in the neighborhood of Realejo again, especially so that Nathan's family could get a true sense of what it had felt like for us to live there.

We had all sorts of adventures in Granada. We had a picnic with some of our Granadino friends, we did lots of walking and wandering around the city, we visited the museum exposition that my colleagues at the U of Granada currently have on display at the Caja Granada Museum of Memory, shared a meal with Joaquín and his family, went for tapas, took a segway tour of the city, and, of course, we visited the Alhambra.

The Alhambra, an Islamic palace and fortress constructed primarily in the 9th and 11th centuries, is absolutely beautiful. It is said that when the Catholic Kings finally conquered the Moors, they were shocked at how detailed and delicate the design of the palace was. They had assumed that it was just another typical fortress, but upon entering they were amazed at the delicate ceramic, sculpture, and woodwork that makes the palace something out of a fairy tale. Nathan and I had visited the Alhambra before, but we were happy to visit it again. The Alhambra is made up of palaces, fortresses, towers, and many beautiful gardens. We were all impressed and amazed that Darlys climbed EVERY tower. (It is clear that even a replaced knee is no match for the determination of my mother-in-law. :)

SEVILLA

During our week-long stay in Granada, we did a day-trip to Seville (it's about a 2.5 hour drive from Granada). Nathan and I had not been to Seville before, so it was something new for us too.

To arrive at our parking destination, our GPS sent us through the center... which in a 9 passenger van is not the easiest thing to do. Streets in most Spanish cities are narrow, and feel especially narrow when they are packed with people. But Nathan did a great job of patiently wading through the crowds in our massive vehicle and we soon were able to leave the vehicle behind to explore downtown Sevilla on foot.

After lunch in an outdoor terrace, we visited the Archivo de los Indios (Archive of the discovery and exploration of the New World), then Seville's spectacular cathedral, and then walked along the river for a while.

The Seville Cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world. It was good that we had planned at least an hour to see it because there is so much to take in! We also enjoyed climbing to the top of its bell tower (up all 35 ramps and 17 steps) to see a great view of the city.

TOLEDO

Following our week in Granada, we spent a few days in Toledo. Again, this was a new city for Nathan and I, and there is something enchanting about this city. It is extremely hilly, with extremely narrow streets, and there is something very charming in its character that makes you feel like you are in a small town.

Part of the charm was definitely in the lovely apartment we stayed in which was right downtown. From the front door you could see the view of the mountains and within a few minutes walk we were right downtown.

Sword-smithing, jewelry design, marzapan, and art, especially for the artist "El Greco" (the greek of Toledo) are a few things that Toledo is famous for. We had fun doing a lot of window-shopping (and admittedly, some real shopping), although in the end Chris decided not to buy a suit of armour and sword, as cool as that obviously would have been. ;)

We took in a tour on the tourist "train" that took us through the city and out and up to several great miradors (look-outs) to see the cityscape. And then, of course, we visited the Toledo Cathedral. The Cathedral has several works by El Greco as well as its own fantastic architecture and history. Chris even managed to casually join a German tour group to get the whole story in German. :)

After a few nights in Toledo it was already time to head back to Madrid for our last night all together. In Madrid we had one more great meal together, including a round or two of pacharán, with a toast to "los abuelos".

It was a lovely trip overall, and bittersweet to say goodbye at the airport. Thank you Marvin, Darlys and Chris for visiting us and making our time together so special!

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

And now, on to the next adventure! Nathan and I leave tomorrow morning, early, to start our bike trip. For the next two weeks we will be cycling the pilgrimage route from Granada to Santiago de Compostela. After this 1,000+ km pilgrimage, we will then switch gears for the next adventure - a two week trip to Hungary for another singing project of Nathan's!

Wishing you blessings and peace and beautiful summer weather,
Candyce (and Nathan)