For Christmas this year we decided to go on a trip instead of exchange gifts. Mitchell and I pitched the idea to the kids way back last spring and they were all for it from the start! Throughout the year we tossed around different ideas like a cruise, a beach house etc. Since we had plenty of time to plan and decide I just waited and I knew the right adventure would come along at the right time. Back in May and June as our time with Alfonso (our foreign exchange student) was coming to a close, I had a fantasy of taking the whole family to Spain to meet Alfonso’s family. I knew it was unlikely to be within our Christmas trip price range but I always held out hope. The second week of July I was in California visiting family and Mitchell was still in Utah working before he could come join us in California. One day I got a notification of a flash deal on rountrip flights to Madrid in January. They were more than half off the prices I had been seeing! I quickly texted Mitchell to get the ok and he said “sure, why not.” 10 minutes later we had 6 flights booked! It turns out, even after nearly 12 years of marriage, Mitchell didn’t think I would actually do it. Haha! Now he knows better!
Spoiler alert: We had the most wonderful time in Spain! Everything was amazing, the kids did great, we loved meeting Alfonso’s family, the excursions and sights were incredible and we loved it all.
Wednesday January 8/Thursday January 9: We took the Frontrunner to the airport from Lehi. That is just a great way to go since we didn’t have to worry about parking or driving. The kids thought it was a great adventure.
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Off we go on an adventure!
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In Salt Lake it was snowing pretty hard and by the time we all got loaded on the plane and taxied away from the gate we had to get de-iced. There was a line of departures for de-icing of course and we finally took off for DFW 45 minutes later than schedule. We already had a tight connection in Dallas so we were really nervous about missing our flight to Madrid. As we got off the plane in Dallas there were 2 American Airlines employees waiting for us with orange signs that said MADRID. They said the plane was waiting for us but we needed to hurry! We didn’t run but they definitely hustled us over to the international terminal and right to our gate quickly. We didn’t even sit down we just got right on the plane. Whew! That was close! The flight from DFW to Madrid was 9 hours and overnight. We landed in Madrid at 8:30am local time which was 12:30am Utah time. Everyone was prepared with a backpack with books, snacks, a blanket, headphones etc. I brought melatonin for the kids (and parents) so we would be sure to get some sleep. Everyone did phenomenal on the long flight. After dinner was served and cleaned up the kids changed into pajamas, took and melatonin and the boys all fell asleep. Audrey was the only hold out and didn’t sleep at all on the flight. It was still dark when we landed but shortly after we got to enjoy our first sunrise in Spain from the airport windows. It was fairly easy to find a bus to the large train station in Madrid and we got there in plenty of time for our train ride. Layne was especially excited to ride the “bullet train” to Seville. It was so fast! In a car it would have taken 7 hours to drive to Seville but the high speed train took only 2.5 hours. Our train didn’t leave until 1:15pm and by then we were all deliriously tired so we all slept most of the train ride.
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| "Dad, Mom, do I look like a teenager?" LOL |
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| We made it to Madrid! |
Alfonso, his parents and his youngest brother were all there to greet us. At that moment I got to hug Alicia, Alfonso’s mom, which was a long awaited treat for me. They took us right home to leave the luggage. We were all somewhat dazed and jet lagged so it was hard to determine what we needed or wanted to do. Alicia suggested that we go across the street to a nice park and that was lovely. We got to talk a bit, reminisce about our time with Alfonso, catch up on the time since he left our home and get to know the rest of the family. Before it got too late we got a few sandwiches at a little café. Alfonso had a soccer game that evening and Mitchell jumped at the chance to go see him play and I took the kids home to sleep. Mitchell says it was so fun to see Alfonso in his element. He has been playing indoor soccer with these same kids since they were preschoolers and they have a great field rapport. Alfonso also scored 3 of the 5 goals for his team and they won the game!
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| Alfonso in his element |
Friday January 10: Jet lag is a funny thing. I fell asleep right away about 8:30 on Thursday night, we were so exhausted! Then I woke up a few times during the night. 1:30am- No! Go back to sleep. 3:15am- No! Go back to sleep. 5:00am No! Go back to sleep. 7:30am- Well, no one else is awake. Go back to sleep. 10:30am- Yikes! I better get up! It was nice to sleep in on Friday and we purposely planned an easy and flexible day for that reason. Jose Luis and Alicia went to work on Friday and Alfonso had a couple of tests he needed to take at school so we were on our own. After breakfast we walked to a large municipal park that was closeby. Parque Maria Luisa was beautiful and huge. The architecture of the buildings is ornate and very European looking and also has a notable Arabic influence. We decided to check out the museum of art and popular culture and it was great. Farther into the park we explored gardens, ponds and the impressive Plaza España. We were told that an episode of the TV show Game of Thrones was filmed in the Plaza. There were flamenco dancers performing in the plaza and we stopped to enjoy the music and dancing for a while. The highlight of Parque Maria Luisa was feeding the pigeons. The kids bought a couple of bags of dried peas to feed the birds and suddenly they were covered in the tamed palomas. It was a huge thrill for them to have several birds land on them at once. The pictures speak for themselves here.
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| Beautiful, Arab inspired building that houses the Museum of Art and Culture |
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| Plaza España |
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| Plaza España |
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| Plaza España |
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| Aim and FIRE! |
From there we walked back home. I need to note that Alfonso’s parents and 3 siblings all stayed at various family members homes so that we could all stay in their home with Alfonso. That was just the first of so many generosities that they offered us. That evening Alfonso babysat Redick, Reid, Layne and his youngest brother Pablo at home. Mitchell, Audrey and I went on a driving tour of Sevilla with Jose Luis and Alicia. They informed us about a lot of the history of Sevilla and of Spain in general.
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Saturday January 11: This was our big excursion day! Back in October, on the day they became available to the public, Alicia reserved tickets for both of our families to tour La Alhambra. It was the last Arab controlled area in the Iberian Peninsula up until 1492. In the year 711 AD Arabic Muslims invaded the Iberian peninsula and in only 7 years conquered the region. They were there until 1492 when the kingdoms of Northern Spain, under the direction of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, reconquered the area. It was about a 3 hour drive from Sevilla so I rented a car for the trip. I was pretty nervous about driving on foreign roads but Jose Luis did a great job leading the way and the road signs are all very clear. The traffic circles were the only tricky part but really the driving was great. La Alhambra was magnificent. The pictures don’t do it justice at all. It was just so impressive. My favorite part was the Patio de los Leones. There was a beautiful fountain mounted on the backs of 12 carved stone lions. The fountain divided into 4 channels of water each flowing away in the 4 cardinal directions. It reminded me of Genesis 2:10 that describes a fountain/river of water in the Garden of Eden that parts and flows in 4 directions. We stayed at la Alhambra as long as the kids lasted then started the long trek home.
It was very clear that the kids (Spanish kids included) would all fall asleep on the long car ride home so we decided to get dinner at a restaurant close by then let them sleep the whole way home. Fosters Hollywood is a Spanish chain that Alfonso talked about a lot. It was his favorite restaurant from home. We loved eating there and sharing in one of his favorites.
Sunday January 12: It was another jet lagged sleep in day. We all slept until after 10:00. Once we got moving for the day Jose Luis, Alicia, Alfonso and Pablo took us to historic central Seville. They just gave us the overview tour since we knew we would have time to go back another day. We saw the cathedral, the bell tower called the Giralda, the historic Jewish district and other landmarks. That afternoon Jose Luis had arranged for us to have lunch at a restaurant inside a gated community close to where Alicia grew up. There we shared a huge pan of paella that was utterly delicious. It was the perfect location too. We sat at an outdoor table and the kids had plenty of field to run in and big trees to climb. Redick even caught a couple of lizards. No one felt rushed and we all loved the relaxing afternoon together.
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| A relaxed tour and walk through the center of Seville |
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| Reid and Pablo |
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| Audrey, Melanie, Alicia, and Mitchell with the original city wall in the background |
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| Yum! This paella was so so good. |
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| Audrey doing what she does best, make new friends! |
That evening we got to attend an evening Catholic Mass as combined families. I was brought to tears at the part of the mass where we all shake hands and greet each other in love. During the majority of the service I was worried that my kids weren’t being still, they forgot how to whisper and, since they weren’t understanding most of the words, weren’t listening. I felt uncomfortable for the disturbance to the rest of the congregation around us. However, at that moment when I turned to the very people that I assumed were being irritated by my kids irreverence and we embraced, all I felt was love. I hope that I can show the same understanding and love to others around me. After mass we finally got to play some games with Alfonso that evening.
Monday January 13: Mitchell and I managed to wake up early and go on a run together around Sevilla. It was so nice to go together, we loved it.
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| Mitchell and I went on a run together through Seville. The sunrise was perfect. |
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| The Triana Bridge. I love the circle details underneath. |
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On our sunrise run through Seville
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Another big excursion day! To Cadiz and the beach! Unfortunately our trip coincided with the end of term for the schools in Spain. That meant that Alfonso’s brother Jose and sister Miriam had to go to school each day for exams and we didn’t get a lot of time with them. Pablo is only 10 so he was able to miss a few days of school and join us. Reid, Redick and Pablo loved their time together, they all got along really well. Our first stop in Cadiz was to walk above the shore and look out on the beautiful blue Atlantic Ocean. We explored an old fort that had also been used as a jail. The cathedral in Cadiz is gorgeous, aren’t they all?! We spent quite a bit of time inside looking around. Redick, Reid, Pablo, and Layne liked the crypt the most. Redick read on the wall “…de los muertos.” Then he asked me, “What are muertos?” After that they were a bit wary that a zombie might pop out from behind any corner.
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| Fortress in Cadiz |
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| Tidepooling/crabbing beach |
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| We went looking for crabs on the beach and found a few |
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| Inside the Cathedral in Cadiz |
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| The organ in Cadiz was so unique! |
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| Cathedral in Cadiz |
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In the Cadiz cathedral Redick saw this ornate silver altar and said "That is an AWESOME trophy!"
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| Redick and Pablo in the crypt |
Once again Jose Luis knew just the perfect spot to go for the kids to have fun and the adults to relax and enjoy. We ate at the most magical restaurant right on the beach. The beach was shallow and calm and we could supervise the kids so they braved the 60* temperature, got on their swimsuits and played in the surf a bit and made sand castles. The kids were having so much fun that even Alfonso decided to join them and swim a bit. We marveled at how relaxed we felt despite traveling with 4 young kids. It was such a lovely day. Playing games with Alfonso at night was the perfect end to a great day.
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| This was the most magical place! |
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| Near the beach was an ancient wall |
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| Alfonso looking handsome |
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| We tried swordfish. It was pretty good! |
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| Have I mentioned this was a magical place!? |
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| Traveling with children is a trip, traveling without children is a vacation. It's rare to feel like you're on vacation when the kids are around but this afternoon was truly magical! |
Tuesday January 14: Our last full day in Sevilla. Again we slept in and got a bit of a late start but it was another relaxed and flexible day. Since we decided to stay in Sevilla, Alfonso said he would be our tour guide. Jose Luis and Alicia went to work and the other Spanish kids all went to school. Alfonso took us to the city center on the metro bus and we took our time seeing everything in the cathedral. The cathedral in Seville is the largest Gothic style cathedral in the world! It was truly grand. We walked over a large engraved stone on the floor that said Christopher Columbus’ son was buried in this cathedral. That was exciting and I mentioned it to Alfonso and he, nonchalantly said, “Oh yeah, Christopher Columbus is buried here too.” Wow!! Indeed, there is a huge impressive mausoleum inside the cathedral that contains the remains of Christopher Columbus. I overheard a tour guide say that they actually only have 300 grams of his remains but they are the only verified remains, so here lies Christopher Columbus. The Giralda is the tall bell tower that is part of the cathedral. It was originally built in 1198 as a part of an Islamic mosque in the city. When Ferdinand and Isabella conquered the Moors in Sevilla in 1248 the existing mosque was symbolically converted into a cathedral. Later, in 1356 an earthquake damaged the original mosque beyond repair. The cathedral that stands today was completed in 1433 after 73 years of construction! After the cathedral we went into the ancient Jewish sector and saw a part of the original city wall.
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| The cathedral in Sevilla |
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| Stained glass in the Cathedral of Sevilla |
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| The tomb of Christopher Columbuses son |
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| The tomb of Christopher Columbus! |
When it was lunch time Alfonso volunteered to take the kids to Burger King and let Mitchell and I enjoy a quiet relaxed lunch at a cute sidewalk café. We took him up on it and he took the 3 boys and Audrey stayed with us. We ordered several small appetizers, tapas, and shared them and it was lovely.
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| A little relaxing time at a sidewalk cafe |
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| Audrey is ready to dig in to our fancy sidewalk cafe meal |
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This was pretty much our view all over Seville, it is such a lovely town. Orange trees everywhere, beautiful building facades with colorful tile mosaics.
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| Alfonso was a great tour guide! |
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| These orange trees are all over Sevilla and they are so charming! |
Then we wandered around leisurely and bought a few souvenirs in old Sevilla. We knew that Pablo was anxious to play with the kids one more day after school so about 4:30 we decided to go back to Parque Maria Luisa to feed the palomas again and meet up with Pablo. By this point the kids were tired from walking all afternoon so we splurged and rented scooters and rode over to the park. It was so fun!! There are electric scooters and bikes all over the city that, when you download the app, you can just hop on and pay by the minute. Alfonso had never done it before and we all laughed and smiled the whole way to the park. Except for Redick who hit a bump and his front tooth collided with the scooter. In the end though he said it was worth it. Audrey and I got up to 24km/h on the bike path!
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| So. Much. Fun. |
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| Our bird girl |
We got to the park just as Alicia and Pablo arrived. The Harris kids enjoyed another feeding frenzy with the palomas. Since it was our last night in Seville we planned to share a Spanish cena (dinner) with everyone at home. We had a family size tuna empanada, a delicious tortilla (potato and egg quiche), a very delicious salami type meat, green olives, and picos (small crunchy bread/cracker things). The cena started about 9:00, which was early for Spaniards who usually eat dinner about 10:00. When we were done we cleaned up and played The Resistance which was Alfonso’s favorite game when he lived with us. We sent him home with his own copy but he hadn’t played it with his family yet because he didn’t think they would like it. They all seemed to love it so I hope they will play more often! By the time we finished the game it was after 11:00 so we said our goodbyes. That was really sad. We connected so well with the Barbero family and the time just flew by! Alfonso said goodbye to the kids since he had to leave for school early the next morning. Tears were shed by everyone involved. We love our Spanish brother/son!
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| Despite the age difference, Aurdey is 9 and Miriam is 13, these two got along so well. |
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| All of us, minus Alicia taking the photo, at our Spanish cena (dinner) at Alfonso's home |
Wednesday January 15: Mitchell and I got up early to say our goodbye to Alfonso. It was quick since he was running out the door to school. That was probably for the best too because I was really gearing up for a cryfest. We let the kids sleep a bit longer and then Jose Luis and Alicia took us to the train station to get back on the “bullet train” for Madrid. Alicia and I wiped our eyes on the whole drive and then we had our cryfest together at the station. We are both convinced that God orchestrated the whole thing. Our families were meant to meet and we really felt a great connection and formed a wonderful relationship. I truly hope it isn’t too long before we get to see each other again.
This time on the train we were all awake and got to see the countryside of Spain. We saw orange orchards and olive vinyards, it is arid and beautiful even in the winter. Madrid has a totally different feel from Sevilla. Madrid is a busy, bustling city filled with people. We decided to walk from the train station to our Airbnb since it was only a mile. We had 3 suitcases and each person had a personal backpack but we thought it wouldn’t be too bad. Little did we know the whole mile was up a pretty steep hill! Lol. Once we got there we found out that we had to pick up the key at another office that was 1.5 miles away. Ugh. I stayed with the boys and Mitchell and Audrey went to get the key. They hopped on one of the public scooters and zipped there and zipped back though it still took more than 30 minutes since the sidewalks and streets are so crowded. The boys and I enjoyed Spanish pastries while we waited.
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| Here's our fast train to Madrid |
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| Riding the high speed train |
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| Olive trees growing along the train tracks |
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| Layne was such a champ! We walked from the train station in Madrid about a mile up a steep hill to our Airbnb. Everyone was very tired and some of the kids were having a hard time. Layne grabbed the small suitcase and lugged it up the hill with no complaints! |
Our Airbnb was quite spacious for central Madrid! We had 2 large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, formal dining room and a living room with a pull out couch. It was just perfect. We were within easy walking distance to a couple of metro (subway) stations and a large plaza with restaurants etc. We just dropped off our luggage and left right away to get some food and go figure out the subways. The public transportation turned out to be very easy to navigate and we made our way to the Madrid temple. It was closed for it’s annual maintenance this week but the grounds were beautiful and peaceful. It was definitely a contrast to the crowded rush of Central Madrid. We took pictures and checked out the temple and the grounds. Mitchell saw a manicured olive tree on the grounds and we were all drawn to it. It was such a sacred spot that we decided to have an impromptu family devotional there. We sang Gethsemane and then read 2 accounts of Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane. It really was a special place because everyone (including the active boys) calmed and felt the Spirit there. We sang Families Can be Together Forever at the end and it was a really special part of our day. Heading back home Mitchell took the boys to Burger King so they could get a fast dinner and a fast pass to bed time and Audrey and I took a little bit more time to have a nice seafood paella, not nearly as delicious as our paella from Sunday, and we shared a Nutella crepe.
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| Pizza. In unexpected varieties. |
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| Navigating the subway system like pros! |
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| Madrid Temple |
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A beautiful, sacred place near an olive tree and the Madrid Temple
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| The Madrid Temple |
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| Audrey and Mom date for paella. |
Thursday January 16: The kids all saved up some money to buy souvenirs. They found a few trinkets here and there but the boys hadn’t found just the right thing. Redick felt quite a bit of remorse for not having bought the wooden sword he found at La Alhambra so he was on the hunt. We set out Thursday morning, fueled up on delicious pastries and were on the hunt for some Spanish treasures. This led us to a toy store where they each found just the thing.
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Morning donuts because...Europe!
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We then went to a little museum about Raton Perez. Raton Perez is the Spanish version of the Tooth Fairy. The museum was absolutely adorable. Back in about 1902 a Spanish author who was an advisor to the King popularized a retelling of the story of Raton Perez. He was inspired by the young prince when he lost a tooth and was upset about it. In his fictional story about Raton Perez the author placed the story at a particular address in Madrid. Some time much more recently someone bought the building at that very address and built a museum to Raton Perez there. Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside the museum but the tour was delightful! The woman giving the tour spoke about a mile a minute but she was great with the kids. Along with our 4 there were about 10 other kids and their parents in our group. I was impressed that Audrey understood almost everything and the boys understood a lot too!
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| Raton Perez is the Spanish equivalent of the Tooth Fairy |
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| The Raton Perez museum was adorable! |
After the museum we hopped on the train to the surrounding cities and arrived in Alcala de Henares which is about 45 minutes away from Madrid. We had some yummy tapas there and then we met up with our guide Kim for a 2.5 hour walking tour of Alcala de Henares. Side note: I am really glad we ventured out to Alcala, it was much more relaxed and less busy than Madrid. I wasn’t at all worried about losing a kid there like I was in Madrid. Our tour was excellent. Kim is from Canada but has lived in Madrid for nearly 30 years. She is married to a Spaniard and as a side job from teaching English she gives tours in Madrid and Alcala. Our first stop was a private palace residence/city council chamber that was built in 1820 by Manuel Jose Laredo. The palace itself was interesting and historic but the really important relic there is a complete copy of the first polyglot Bible, called the Complutensian Polyglot Bible . It was so big that the complete Old and New Testaments, along with the accompanying dictionary, were printed in 10 massive volumes. This bible was printed in 1514 and was one of only 600 copies made. About 150 were distributed in the region and then the rest were loaded on to a ship bound for Rome. The ship sank so this copy is one of very few copies that remain preserved. The polyglot Bible was printed in 3 languages: Aramaic/Hebrew, Greek and Latin. This very copy was one that William Tyndale used and one of the ones used for the creation of the King James Version. Fun fact: it is recognized among Greek historians that the typeset used for this Bible is the most beautiful Greek type ever created even until now.
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| Modern (1820) palace patterned after La Alhambra. It is really intricate and magnificent. |
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| 4 of the 10 volumes of the Original Polygot Bible |
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| Since this palace is much more modern than La Alhambra that was built in the 1200s the colors are vibrant. La Alhambra would have looked like this in it's time. It must have been absolutely magnificent! |
We then went to the older part of Alcala. Not the oldest though, Alcala was once a Roman city! Alcala, like many parts of Spain, was once occupied by the Arab Moors and the Jews, Christians and Muslims shared the city.
Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros founded what was called the University City in the late 1400s. There is a University in the center of the city that continues to operate as a University today! Cisneros vision for the University city was to bring together all of the great minds and resources primarily for the compiling of the Polyglot Bible. Alcala was specifically well suited for that project because there were about 5,000 Jews living there before they were forced to either convert or leave during the Spanish Inquisition. The Jews were scholars of Hebrew and had original scrolls and manuscripts from Old and New Testament times. Cisneros wanted to ensure that his Bible project was as accurate as possible.
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| This functioning university was founded in 1499! |
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| In the courtyard of the University of Alcala near a statue of Cisneros |
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| Fun Fact: Alcala de Henares is home to around 900 storks. They are gigantic! |
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| The stone columns under this 13th century building were originally built by the Romans about 2,000 years ago when the Roman Empire controlled this region. |
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| In the 1300s and 1400s the city of Alcala was shared between the Jews, Christians and Muslims living there. It's known as the city of 3 cultures. This is the former site of one of the principal Synagogues. |
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| This small alleyway was once a hospital. |
Another big name in the history of Alcala de Henares is Miguel de Cervantes. He is the Shakespeare of Spanish literature. He is famous for writing Don Quixote and he was a contemporary of Shakespeare though it’s unknown if they ever met each other. Fun Fact: Shakespeare and Cervantes actually died on the same date, April 23, 1616, though it wasn’t the same day. 1616 was a few decades before the English adopted the leap year concept into their calendar so Cervantes actually died 10 days before Shakespeare. We got to visit the home that Cervantes was born in and see a life size statue of Don Quixote and Sancho.
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| Alcala de Henares, the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes |
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| This is actually the home where Cervantes was born |
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| Posing with Don Quixote and Sancho |
The last stop on our walking tour was to see the local palace/residence of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. It was inside this palace that Christopher Columbus discussed his idea to sail to the Indies going west. She promised him funding for his voyage as soon as she got things under control with the Moors. That happened in 1492 which is why he sailed that year as well. Queen Isabella only funded one ship however. Columbus funded the other 2 ships from other sources. Fun Fact: Audrey knows the names of the 3 ships that sailed on that famous voyage. Do you? The Niña, The Pinta, The Santa Maria. We really enjoyed Alcala and could have spent another couple of days there. There are still Roman ruins standing and the majority of the ancient city wall is still intact as well.
Back in Madrid Thursday evening we got all packed up to go back home. Our Spain adventure was incredible!
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| Christopher Columbus met with the King and Queen of Spain in this palace! |
Traveling back is another adventure in and of itself! Our flight from Madrid to Chicago was 9 hours long. We have now discovered that our children can watch 9 hours of screen time without getting tired of it. Yikes! That leg of the flight went great! In Chicago we had to navigate customs, baggage claim and go through security again. As we were going through security it began to snow and it didn’t stop. By the time we got to boarding the plane the snow was coming down hard and accumulating fast! We boarded the plane and sat at the gate for what seemed like forever. Finally the de-icing truck came by and de-iced the wings and we thought we were good. After sitting on the plane for 80 minutes the captain announced that the snow was accumulating so quickly that they had 25 snow plows out clearing the runways trying to get them open for departures. We were still hoping to get off the ground (I was beginning to doubt we would) but it would be at minimum 20 more minutes. In the end we did take off at 7:10pm, our scheduled departure was for 5:20. Oh boy! Marathon travel day but the kids are champs and we had a truly marvelous time!
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| 24 hours of travel is exhausting |
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