Vacation Recap

We're back! We had a great time in Spain...I am going to attempt to recap our time, but be forewarned - this is a LONG post! We did and saw so much in our 8 days there. Our trip can pretty much be summed up in a few words - sight-seeing and culture, food and drink, shopping, sleeping, and walking! Just about everything we did involved one of those 4 things. Sight-seeing was awesome - so much history, architecture, and beautiful landscape everywhere you looked. I have so many pictures! Food and drink - the Spaniards know how to dine! The cuisine was right up my alley, lots of seafood and fish - yum! Colin was a trooper and tried everything too =) And, food always came with drink - wine, beer, and in my case some creative non-alcoholic drinks and water! It was actually getting a bit humorous each time we were out and Javi would order - 2 gin & tonics, a rum & coke, and a fruity non-alcoholic drink/juice/soda/water. He said he got some funny looks from the bartenders. My conclusion was that pregnant women aren't out in the nightlife much (duh), but since I was on vacation, I allowed myself the pass =) I was impressed I could even stay up that late actually! The entire meal schedule is much different in Spain too (which we knew going there) - dinner is typically anywhere from 8-10 pm. We had several meals which ended after midnight, so after dinner, then dessert, coffee/tea, and then an after-dinner drink...meals were an event all in themself, but a lot of fun and SO good! Shopping - I did a lot =) Sara helped. Colin says I am not allowed to be away from Ellie that long again, because the more I missed her, the more I shopped for her - the kids clothes were just way to cute to pass up though! =) Sleep - Colin and I slept in until AT LEAST 10:00 am EVERY day (except a couple maybe)...the late schedule certainly contributed, but seriously, when was the last time we were able to do that?! It was awesome! And walking - we probably walked a minimum of 2-5 miles everyday just seeing the sights wherever we were. I wish I would have brought a pedometer to track my steps. Feet were aching on several occasions. So now, on to the pictures...I have them divided by the cities we were in...I have so many...enjoy! I also want to say I was totally impressed with my sissy's Spanish-speaking skills and knowledge of the streets and sights in both Madrid and Barcelona (we were constantly cutting through alleys and side-streets, but everytime ended up right where we needed to be) - thanks Sara and Javi for being such great tour guides and for a wonderful vacation!!!

Lleida

This is the town Sara and Javi live in. Population-wise it's about the size of Green Bay, but it feels so much more like a city with all the cars and people in the streets. I don't have pictures, but the drive to Lleida from Barcelona was really pretty too - Colin and I both thought it felt similar to driving through Nevada/Arizona/northern CA - a lot of red rock, mountainous terrain, winding highways, and desert greens. Lleida was our homebase for the entire trip...here we were out and about but also relaxing on any given day. There was a great shopping street which we frequented on multiple occasions, great places to eat, we caught one of Javi's games, and also just spent some quality time hanging out at Sara and Javi's place. Colin and Javi had some heated battles on the Wii, and I got a massage one day which was wonderful!

Some shots on one of our first nights out...







It was fun to see Javi play again (even though the outcome of the game wasn't great)



There was an awesome castle in Lleida where we got a lot of great shots...

Colin & I climbing up



There was this big mirror ball thing in the castle, so this is us looking down at it getting the reflection up.



Another shot inside the castle



At the top of the tower (238 steps up in a winding staircase about as wide as 1 1/2 people!)



A view from the top of the tower



We had some fun with the lighting in the castle and took these shots...



18 week belly



Sara & Colin trying to blend in with the ancient artifacts



I didn't get to enjoy drinks like everyone else, but I enjoyed dessert! =)



The boys being statues (there were people dressed liked statues all over Barcelona and Madrid, so Colin & Javi found it fun to be statues whenever they could - usually after a few drinks)



Dinner on our last night in Lleida



Madrid

The four of us went to Madrid over the weekend we were there. Saturday afternoon we caught the high-speed train for the 2 hour trip. Once there, Sara and I hit the shops, while the boys enjoyed a few beverages and entertained themselves watching the people and 'statues'. That night we dined at Sara and Javi's favorite restaurant in the city - one they went to a lot when they lived there. It was a late meal followed by a taste of Madrid's nightlife which was quite entertaining. Sara and I turned in 'early' at about 2:30 while the boys stayed out a bit later (in general, night doesn't really end in Madrid). The next morning, Sara and I got going 'early' (10:00) to start our day seeing the sights. We pretty much walked for 2 straight hours, met up with the boys and walked for 3 hours more. Madrid is a beautiful city with a lot to see. After a long lunch with some of Javi's former teammates and friends, we all hung out in one of the plazas and just visited for the remainder of our time. We caught the train back at 9:30 pm - all exhausted and ready for a day of rest and relaxation (this was the day of Wii and massage) =)

Waiting for our train to Madrid



Beautiful architecture











This is the former royal palace...amazing that people actually lived here - it was beyond massive.



Gardens at the royal palace



Sara & Javi



Sitas!



A great dinner out



Retiro Park



Inside the park was a crystal palace



Inside the crystal palace



Borges Blanques

This is a little town just 20 minutes from Lleida. It's also home of one of the most famous brands of olives and olive oil! Spain is the #1 producer of olive oil in the world, and I swear this town smelled just like olives. Olive orchards lined the road all the way there too which was pretty. My Dad LOVES green olives so of course we had to go here to get him some!

Olive trees



Barcelona

We flew in and out of Barcelona, so our last day in Spain was spent seeing the city's sights. Sara basically took us on a crash-course sight-seeing tour of the city - we visited cathedrals, shopping districts, and the port. Barcelona was also very pretty, but different than Madrid - more tropical being on the water, but also much more cosmo, modern, and catering to tourists. It didn't feel nearly as 'Spanish' as Madrid did as there were different ethnicities and languages being spoken everywhere we were.

More beautiful architecture







This was a huge monument of Christopher Columbus (couldn't really get it in a shot close enough)



Port of Barcelona



A big wooden crab on the pier



Legend is that if you drink from this fountain it will ensure your return to Barcelona, so of course we did!



We visited this market that was pretty unbelievable - it had about anything and everything you could ever imagine eating. These are just some of the booths, but imagine this x 10 (at least!)











Cathedral of Santa Eulalia built in the 13th century (and currently under construction)







The Sagrada Familia - this was the most impressive building I have ever seen. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí who is one of the most famous Spanish architects - it took over 40 years to design. The detail on this building was just unbelievable - pictures don't do it justice.







I actually found this photo online...this is what the Sagrada Familia will look like when complete. Gaudi died in 1926 and spent over half of his life designing this church. It's been under construction since before his death and not scheduled to complete until 2026.



Dinner on our last night in Spain