Going back!

As the saying goes,

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We are excited to announce that we will be traveling back to Italy shortly, with a quick trip to Malta and a week long visit to Spain!

I can’t wait to share our journey with you. We have many exciting things planned, including visiting Barcelona, seeing the Mille Miglia in Rome, racing down to Malta for a early morning, late night two day trip, and the boys running with the bulls at the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona.

We cannot wait to share, and I am thrilled to be blogging about our travels again! Thanks for joining us!

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Flying Back

On Friday the 21st of June, we left Madrid. 

Coming Home! 5:15 am, coming home

What we were doing at 5:15 a.m.

Jacked up

The flight attendant couldn’t get the cable to latch to block off boarding. This scares me slighlty about the plane’s condition… <gulp>

Charlotte bound!

Charlotte bound!

Charlotte Bound!

Getting ready to leave

Coming home

Goodbye, Madrid! Hello, Charlotte!

 

 

 

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Madrid Day 2, Boys Leave

On the 20th we all packed up, the boys for London that evening, and us for Good Ol’ Charlotte the next morning. The boys left around lunchtime and then we spent the rest of the day in Madrid. Leaving Madrid

Leaving our apartment

Saying goodbye

Mom and Big Al saying goodbye

Saying goodbye

Mom and Dad on the escalator in the train station.

Saying goodbye

Andrew and Gus saying goodbye. Someone please explain to me why Gus tried to hug Andrew around his neck? Gus is a tiny peanut.

After leaving the boys we spent a little time in Madrid before we went to Pablo and Carolinas’ house.

Fernandito, the fat baby

Fernandito, the fat baby

Me and Fernando, their latest model. (Isn’t he CUTE!?!)

Pablito, a tiny wrecking ball

Pablito, a tiny wrecking ball

This little monster went through my purse and found some stuff to accessorize his pajamas. 🙂

Enjoying time with friends

Sitting around talking.

Pablito, a tiny wrecking ball, is all tired out

Poor Pablito was beat…

How to be princesses, taught by Isabela

Isabela was instructing me and their au pair on how we (princesses) were supposed to act. 🙂

 

 

 

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Toledo

On the 19th we went to Toledo. Toledo is 70 km away from Madrid. We took a high-speed train that was very comfortable. We got into Toledo and took a bus around the outside of the city. After that we walked around. Toledo is famous for being known as the “City of the Three Cultures” because it was peacefully inhabited (and still is) by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Because of these three cultures it has a very interesting mix of architecture and art. 

Toledo

The city from the outside.

Andrew and Dad with Toledo in the background.

Andrew and Dad with Toledo in the background.

Going into Toledo, Spain

Alex, Gus and Dad with Toledo in the background.

Dad and Alex and some little ragamuffin that keeps tagging along with us. We think he escaped an orphanage.

The facade of the Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo.

The facade of the Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo.

The facade of the Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo. The facade of the Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo.

 

 

We went to the Alcazar and walked around it and the shops in the surrounding area. The Alcazar is most famous for when, during the Spanish Civil War, Colonel Jose Moscardo Ituarte held it against the Spanish Republican forces. The Repblican forces captured Jose’s son (Luis) who was 16 at the time and threatened to kill Luis if Jose didn’t surrender. So Jose talked to Luis and said “Then commend your soul to God, shout ‘Viva Cristo Rey’ and die like a hero.”. And so they killed him. However, in the end the Nationalists (Ituarte’s “side”) prevailed.

The Alcazar

Family picture!

The coat of arms of Toledo, Spain

The Coat of Arms of Toledo.

At this point it was time for lunch. We got some cured meats, some fresh hot bread (he pulled it out of the oven and gave it to us. It was fantastic), some beer and some fruit and ate outside at a park bench in a lovely little area. Dad decided he was going to quit Market Source and become a hippie/bum. He immediately put this plan into action as you can see….

Dad being a bum, sleeping on a bench with beer

After leaving Toledo we went over to have dinner with a colleague and friend of dad’s and his family. At dinner we tried to take a picture and all the sudden everyone was picking up random bottles of alcohol. Augustin started it when he grabbed the Irish Cream and by the end we were all dying laughing.

Dinner with friends

Nice picture

Family dinner with friends and alcohol

Gus…. (and actually, little Alfonso, Alfonso’s son was giving us a thumbs up.)

Family dinner with friends and alcohol

And now it’s building…

Family dinner with friends and alcohol

Wow….

 

 

 

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First day in Madrid!

On the 18th we left Milan to go to Madrid. 

Arriving in Madrid, Spain

In the Madrid airport!

Walking around in Madrid

Walking into the center from our apartment.

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Plaza Mayor! Here we met some friends and then they took us to get some hot chocolate, churros, and porras.

Churros and Porras in Madrid

Here they come! Look at how balanced the guy is!

Spanish Hot Chocolate

The hot chocolate. This isn’t stuff you really drink. It is mostly to dip your churros in. Churros are plain small ones that are a little more airy. Porras are the bigger ones that are a little more chewy.

Spanish hot chocolate, churros, porras Spanish hot chocolate, churros, porras

Alex and Isabela sharing (Alex’s) chocolate. 🙂

How to travel with kids in Madrid!

Andrew and Pablito.

Almudena, Madrid

Almudena Cathedral

Almudena Cathedral

Almudena Cathedral inside.

Spanish Royal Palace, Madrid Spanish Royal Palace, Madrid

The Royal Palace

Spanish Royal Palace, Madrid

Another of the Royal Palace.

 

After leaving that area it was time for dinner so we went to the Ham Museum and ate mixed salami and of course, Ham with some super fresh, warm bread.

Museo del Jamon (ham museum) Madrid Spain Beer at the Ham museum (Museo del Jamon) Madrid Museo del Jamon, Ham museum, Madrid Spain

 

 

 

 

 

 

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