El Escorial

We took a day trip to El Escorial to see the palace built for Prince Felipe II, which is now used as a monastery. The monastery was cool, but the best part was the walk to it from the train station, through a very pretty park. It is fall time, and the leaves display an array of colors. Make sure to see the last video, which shows the girls playing in the leaves.

This palace (now monastery) is huge. Its basements house the tombs of dead kings, queens and family. We took a tour with a guide, because its size and many doors render it disorienting.


Edgard explains something interesting about the architecture. This palace was built during the time of the Spanish inquisition and during the time of the Spanish conquest of South America. It was a real power center.


Courtyard inside the palace. A mass was being held while we were there.



The girls enjoyed the garden at the rear of the palace.


It was a pretty, sunny day. The palace is perched atop a wonderful hill overlooking the country. Madrid is visible, but probably around 75 miles away.


This water fountain is a decoration outside of the prince's house, which is just down the hill a bit from the king's palace.


We enjoyed the palace (monastery), but we enjoyed the park even more.
These signs led us to the palace.

The girls played with sticks.

This leaf was the size of Edgard's head.



Another important discovery in the park.

The girls made a pile of leaves and then jumped into it.

Katherine made the full dive.

WAHOOO!!

A day with Mom/Grams

I got to go to Toledo with my mom, which was a treat. Toledo as a previous capital to Visigothic Spain and home to famous artists like El Greco, has an important history. We did not have much time that day, so we arrived before the city was awake and saw only El Entierrro del Conde de Orgaz (which houses a famous painting by El Greco) and the cathedral. Both were beautiful. We also enjoyed a wonderful lunch of tapas and beer.

Construction for this cathedral began in the 1200s. It's huge and the best art collection I have seen in a cathedral yet.

This is town hall. Very impressive in size, it sits across from the Cathedral.

My pretty mom.

Toledo is famous for their work with steel, particularly of swords. The Cathedral is in the background.

Made of marzapan if you can believe it!


The tapas were almost as good as the company. We threw our napkins on the grounds like old champs.

The train station-very impressive. Inside, it has a lot of fancy woodwork.

After leaving Toledo, we we to Alcala de Henares to pick up the kids from school. We stopped to greet Don Quixote and his pal , pancho. then, we got ice cream. What fun with Grams.

Murcia

We visited family in Murcia again and had a great time. We had a very relaxing time at the beach and at home.

On the way to Murcia. A signature sight on the highway in Spain.


Fun in the car on the way to the beach. Sergio is quite the card!



Sergio wanted to talk to his sister and cousins via walkie-talkie, but it wasn't working.


Saida, her usual composed and thoughtful self.

Good cousin time.

Enjoying their walk to the beach from Arturo and Rosa's house.

Pedro and Edgard getting ready for some good conversation. These two sat on a wall with their legs dangling while the others sat in the sand and played in the water. The content of their conversations has yet to be revealed, but they enjoyed themselves enough to raise suspicions.

After playing at the beach, we relaxed with drinks.


These girls enjoyed themselves in the sun.


Arturo is the nicest of us all.


The men fought over who would pay the bill.

The winner.


Sibling fun on the way back home from the beach.


Visiting family on the way back home.


The kids, much to their delight, get their own table for paella feast.

Katherine's birthday celebration, at Arturo and Rosa's, after we all had feasted.

COUPLE SHOTS

Saida and Pedro

You know who this are

Rosa and Arturo

Barcelona Videos continued

Here are more videos from Barcelona:

Barcelona videos

Here are Katherine's videos from our Barcelona trip.

Fresh off the bus

The size of the cathedral!
Sorry, turn your head to view.

Somebody's bones are in there....

Katherine has a loose tooth.

And it came out by the time we made it to the Sagrada Familia.

Barcelona photographs

Barcelona, like Valencia, is huge. But Barcelona has Gaudi, an amazing and quirky architect, who has left his mark all over the city. Most of the pictures in this blog are from Katherine, so you will see the city from her view.

This is a water fountain on Las Ramblas-designed by Gaudi.

Isn't he cute?

This is an amazing market with everthing from pig head to exotic fruit.

Dragon fruit. We did not try any because the market was closed the 2nd day-darn!

CANDY!!!

MORE CANDY!!!

Our hostel was nice.

It was haloween. Our hostel had decorations!

Gradma and Grandad's hotel had lot's of computers for internet connections. The girls like to stay connected!

Einstein was on Las Ramblas. He gave the girls a math lesson in static electricity. Ouch!

Isabelle asked to borrow this lady's wings. The lady gave her a little dolphin, instead.

Grandma is quite the explorer. And she likes candy, too!

Grandad, also an avid explorer, had lots of smiles and hugs to share.

Parc Guell-way cool.

Hill climbing at Parc Guell.

More Parc Guell.

Bird taking off at Parc Guell.

Endangered lizard at Park Guell-never saw one like this before.

We went to the Cathedral-check out the Barcelona video blog. This is a fountain in the back.

Isabelle and Grandad in the back part of the Cathedral.

In the Barrio Gotico, Katherine rubbed this turtle for good luck.

So far so good.

The next day, she still looked good, wouldn't you say? That turtle works!

Grandad had a flashback when we went to the pharmacy and he saw the sign (look above his head) for the magnesia efervescent. He kept a stiff upper lip, nonetheless.

This clay figure has nothing to do with the Barcelona trip (it was part of a math project at home), but it insisted in going on the web....