Barcelona, Spain

Today we had another bright and early morning. We had breakfast at the hotel. Little did I know then that I had forgotten my camera battery in the charger in the room. I only realized this once we had started our walk to the metro station about 3 blocks away. So, here I was, in my favorite Spanish city, on my way to Antonio Goudi’s unfinished masterpiece Sagrada Familia, with a nice camera and no battery. I was BEYOND upset. God love our guide, Hugo, he tried to stop at every place he could to find me one but no luck. I had my back up camera and my iPhone 6+ but my intention of buying the camera the month before was to use it here in Barcelona. *heavy sigh*.

So, we moved on and made it to the metro line we needed and headed that way. Despite my hiccup I was excited. It has been 6 years since I saw the church. I was once again mesmerized at the site of it. The students had that same “ahhhh”  moment as well. It looms so tall and sprawling into the area with it’s towers (and construction scaffolds) it just amazes you to speechlessness. Hugo gave us a few minutes to enter the gift shop and then left us at the entryway (the opposite one I entered in 2009) and went to sort out our group tickets. He left me in charge (so to speak) of the group lining up in the group area. He knew how much I was looking forward to revisiting this place and i think he felt bad because he couldn’t find me a camera battery. He put me at the head of the line and had the students line up behind me and the teachers/parents behind them. I had a front row “seat” at the base of the (back facing) steps for group entry. My immediate view straight up and in front of me stood this awesome structure. Religious or not, Catholic or not, this is something you have to see in person to grasp the weight (and importance) of this place in the Spanish and religious world. It’s almost unimaginable to think as big as this cathedral is, it is not the largest one in Spain or the world.

It took Hugo quite a long while to get us set up. Apparently. as I had thought just by observing where we were entry wise, things had changed since he was last here. I did not really notice the time  honestly. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and I was standing in front of a artistic masterpiece in the works. I was in Spain, not working and enjoying my luckiness.

Finally, Hugo returned and we got set up with headphones and our tickets. The journey began. I tried to initially listen to the audio but my eyes were on fire with the details up close. Once we made it inside, I found out that Madison couldn’t hear her audio so I gave her mine to listen to. I was busy snapping photos on my phone.

The changes inside was amazing. I had looked up pictures before leaving America but seeing those changes from 2009 to 2015 was entirely different. The inside is almost completely finished except for a few small details and scaffolds in some areas. In 2009 the entire middle was roped off and workers were there and we walked around the outside of the area under scaffolds and fences to view the ceiling and windows. Today the floor is finished, there are some temporary folding chairs and the altar and some permanent benches are completed.

Sagrada Familia ceiling 6 years apart

I snapped a lot of photos with my camera and phone. Eventually I had to follow the flow and leave the interior. We went out the front doors (as these doors where where I entered in 2009 and I exited where I entered today) They are now actively working on this section including the towers (I still wasn’t able to go up the towers) We hung around for a while, walked through the mini museum underneath/next to the main church. We wandered around the church grounds and while headed to our cafe, a man and his family stopped me because they saw my Columbus Crew t-shirt on. They were from Columbus. We did the whole OH-IO and agreed we were Reds fans too. That was a nice meeting right there. Always can find Buckeyes in the world. So, moving on we ended up at our cafe called Ardevol for our churros y chocolate. It was a quaint place and a welcomed rest. After our break we took the metro to the Parc Guell area. We still had quite a walk to tackle (the back way rom which mom and I had done in 2009). We were running late because of the late start we had at the group entryway of Sagrada Famiia. The steep streets did have some escalators and a dirt path at some points but the view from the top of the “mountain” out to the city was spectacular! We got started on our tour of Parc Guell. I had been here in 2009 but i did not get to see the natural seating area on top of the main building. This community also was a creation of Antonio Goudi like Sagrada Familia.  The buildings look like gingerbread houses with colorful ceramic tiles and a lizard fountain at the base or beginning of the park. We wandered around the top for a while and then down to the marketplace area and then out to the front where the gift shop was. There was a line for that and I had already been in it once in 2009 so i just took pictures. Once we had all finished we met at the front gate and waited for Hugo then started down the hill to walk back to the metro stop. We walked along the Passeig de Gracia and gazed upon another of Goudi’s works, Casa Mila. After this we stopped for lunch/free time. Hugo led myself, mom and two of the students up to FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium. We took a metro up, about 7 stops and then walked down the lane to the stadium. Mom stayed with Hugo while me and the guys took the tour.

WOW. I actually have been in the Camp Nou. I’ve watched many a matches and here I was in the stands, in the lockeroom and on the field. I had my picture taken and ended up buying it. $55 and a commemorative book. Once in a lifetime feeling right there. I loved it. After looking around in the team shop I met up with the guys and we went looking for my mom and Hugo and they grabbed a bite to eat. It was getting late so we booked it (we did stop a few times on the way back to the metro stop for mom (it was up hill going back) and headed back to meet the students, parents and teachers.

We made it back to our hotel and changed for dinner. After dinner  headed back out to Palacio del Flamenco. I have seen two other flamenco shows and this was the second best one I have seen (the other was in Sevilla in 2013). This was like a sophisticated lounge and very nicely done. The adults sipped sangria and enjoyed a spectacular show! I love watching the movement and concentration of these talented people! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

This was our last dance in Spain for this trip. We walked back to our hotel and had a good time stopping along the way to look at shops. I am sad it’s ending yet at the sometime I miss home, my dad and my dog. Before we turned in Madison and I took some pictures together and then i let her borrow the memory card to keep some pics. Tomorrow we pack up and head out for home.

Until we meet again Spain. Amor! ❤

Montserrat & Barcelona, Spain

This morning we had our last breakfast in Valencia. As I savored my last glass of truly wonderful orange juice (Valencian Oranges!!!) my thoughts turned to the bus trip to Montserrat and Barcelona. It has been 6 years since my first time there.

Brad gave mom and Dianna the daily pain medicine. We wandered back upstairs to grab our bags. Goodbye Valencia and hello Montserrat. We walked to a block down to the main street to catch our motor coach. The street where our hotel is was too narrow to come right up to the hotel. We left the city and soon began to see the blue Mediterranean Ocean. Port Adventura Amusement park was visible at one point by the roller coasters on the skyline. That was nice to see. I had heard about it it but obviously never seen it.

We stopped at a bus stop on the highway. These are much more than just roadside rest areas like we have in America. They more closely resemble the large truck stops like Love’s or Pilot but even then they do not compare. They are larger and are much nicer. Dianna and I ended up buying some Sangria here for later. *wink wink*

We headed first to Montserrat. This is a monastery that is literally built on a mountain. The road up the mountain is pretty breathtaking besides winding and steep. If you have ever been to Sedona,AZ it is like that only much higher. While climbing to the top you are treated to the view of the Pyrenees Mountains which create a natural boundary between Spain and France.

As you can imagine, the streets and parking area up there is pretty narrow. That being said, there were at least 7 motor coach buses there besides regular cars. We were let off the bus and made our way to the main building for a bathroom break. The building was being worked on so some areas were not open. Hugo led us down the rather long bridge to the actual monastery. I am not fond of bridges but I did not mind this one. The view of the Pyrenees, the tram train and the monastery itself. Once we reached the small little community as I called it, we stopped for lunch in the cafe there. Ah, memories. While mom, Dianna, Juanita and I were eating, one of them said the man sitting at the next table looked like Barney Fife. Sure enough, he did. It was creepy!! That was pretty funny. After we ate we watched an educational video (geared to smaller children I think but interesting none the less. The museum depicted the history of the monastery with videos, photos and relics from the past. We wandered up the stairs to the courtyard and the actual monastery. This monastery where the “black virgin” is housed. The statue has been blackened over time by the candle soot. This is Catalunya’s most revered religious symbols. She holds an orb that people can touch and it is said they are blessed if they touch it. You are not allowed to speak in the monastery either. Once we left the monastery we had a wine tasting in the gift shop for the adults. Hugo did not like the way the lady administered the tasting. I guess she acted oddly. I did not catch what she said since it was in Catalan not Spanish. Either way it was a nice experience. Shortly after that, we headed back to the main building and back to our coach.

We headed back down the mountain and headed to Barcelona. (YAY!!!!!)

It is only about 25 minutes south to Barcelona. I knew when we were coming into the city. I recognized things. Though, when I was last in Barcelona, I approached from the southern part of the city rather than the northern part. We came in by the port of Barcelona and Castel Monjunic (A fortress on top of a hill, near the Olympic Stadium). Our hotel was relatively close to this area. We were dropped off at the hotel, got checked in (and let me just say, being in Spain, my last name is NEVER mispronounced.  I love it!!) My room was a front facing room and with a very nice view of the city. We cleaned up and met down in the lobby and headed off to La Ramblas. We had some free time once Hugo pointed out the Christopher Columbus statue at the start of La Ramblas. Mom and I walked with Juanita and Dianna, bought some souvenirs and I looked for some of the places I saw in 2009. I just love that street. Vibrant, bustling with life and entertainment. I pointed out La Poma, the place me, mom, Stef and Donna ate at our last night in Barcelona in 2009. Ah, memories! I felt like wonderful and so happy to be in Barca.

We met Hugo at the end (or beginning depending on which end you started at haha) near the Gran Via (a block down) and near The Hard Rock Cafe. I asked  Hugo about a few streets so I basically knew where I was. My last hotel was on the Gran Via so it wasn’t too far. We walked back to the hotel and after some mingling and socializing we went to bed. Mom and I ended up in Dianna and Juanita’s room. We had ourselves some sangria! Madison came in, had a taste and we had a good time giggling.Good times!!

Tomorrow the long awaited Sagrada Familia Cathedral. SUPER EXCITED!!! to see the changes in 6 years!

Valencia, Spain Day 2

oday we toured Valencia (just for reference it is actually pronounced Balencia by Spaniards, since they really do not have a “V” in the language) We walked from the hotel to the market and had free time to explore while there. This market is a huge place with a large atrium in the middle with tiles and glass. Everything you can imagine is in this market. they have seafood, fruits, vegetables, herbs,and a bit more. We tried some Horchata (my dad has talked about this for years now) This drink is a favorite of the area and is popular in the summer time since it’s cold.

In Spain, it usually refers to orchata de chufa (horchata de chufa), made from tigernuts, water, and sugar.

Originally from Valencia, the idea of making horchata from yellow nutsedge comes from the period of Muslim presence in Valencia (from the eighth to thirteenth centuries).

It has a regulating council^[4] to ensure the quality of the product and the villages where it can come from, with the Designation of Origin. The village of Alboraia is well known for the quality of its horchata.

It is served ice cold as a natural refreshment in the summer, often served with fartons. Tigernut horchata is also used instead of milk by the lactose intolerant.

The students bought various different items including some of the chufas that is how the horchata is made. We took some pictures on the front steps and started walking to the bus stop. We hopped on the bus to the Arts and Sciences in the newer, modern area of Valencia that has been revitalized over the last, what, maybe 10 years.  This area used to be a river bed before the city rerouted it fter a very bad flood. Today it’s the Arts and Sciences Musuem and the Oceangraphic Aquarium that is known thoughout The US and Europe as being the largest. They have an IMAX theater that shows educational movies. We watched that. It’s pretty neat, it has futuristic settings and seats. After the movie we walked down to the Aquarium. There are so many different animals there and the layout is pretty.

The Areas:
The Wetlands
The Red Sea
The Mediterrean
The Oceans

The actual aquarium has beluga whales, sharks, stingrays, lots of different fish and sealife in one of those over head viewing tanks. They also have walrus’, sea lions, dolphins. We split for lunch and to explore. Me, mom, Diana and Juanita had lunch with Hugo and talked. That was a fun time let me tell you! He has lots of stories and experiences. They had a big main attraction dolphin show. After the show we walked to the bus and went to the beach. it was a bit chilly, maybe 55 or so but the beach was absolutly wonderful! I’ve not seen a beach since August of 2014 so it was pretty nice to see it.  Some of the students took their shoes off and dipped into the water. I took pics, lots of pics of them and several good sunset shots with perfect lighting. It was very peaceful and a nice little unexpected break that was not on the itenary. I grabbed some sand and shells also for my collection. Once we were done we walked down to the tram station. They don’t have metros in that area because its too soft there so they use trams, upper rail ways to certain areas. It was pretty neat we could see it traveling and see the turns of the cars. After our tram, we got on the metro to make it back to our restaurant for dinner. Dinner was good (more on that later)

Valencia, Spain

Today we had an early wake up call at 6 so we could be ready for the train trip (Renfe) to Valencia. Hugo arranged for us a “take away” bag for breakfast since we were leaving before breakfast. After a short delay we were on our way to the Atoche Station. We had about a half hour to wait and the trip took about 1 1/2 hrs to arrive in Valencia.

Once here we boarded our bus and made our way to the Hotel to check in. We then had a small walking tour of the immediate area. We all had free time and then met the local guide at 2:30. We toured the Valencia Cathedral, visited other spots such as old colleges, post offices, city hall, other buildings and façades of the cathedral. We had free time and then dinner at 8 at el forret resturante. Tonight we dined on traditional Paella from Valencia (no rabbit only chicken). We then had a 30+ min walk back to the other end of the city to our hotel.

Tomorrow we visit the Market and the Art and Sciences and the Oceanographic museum.

Toledo, Spain

March 24

Hola! Today we had a day trip from Madrid to Toledo. A motor coach picked us up near the hotel. Once we arrived we took in the city by a panoramic view from above with views of the Cathedral and Palace. The Tajo river runs along the border and creates a natural defense on one side where the other side of the city is surrounded by walls. After the pano view we went into town and stopped at the Sword making shop. This shop makes jewelry, trinkets, swords (Lord of the Rings swords) and other items with inlaid gold. We watched a blacksmith and an apprentice at work. Once we finished that we went into the city center with a local guide for a walking tour of the city. We saw the Cathedral de Toledo, Santo Tope cathedral to see the painting by El Greco (Burial of Count Orgaz), we had free time for lunch and shopping.

We met after lunch and started the trip back to Madrid via our bus. Once we returned some students with with Señor to Estadio Bernabeau, where Real Madrid plays futbol (soccer). The rest shopped and wandered at their leisure around Madrid until meeting time for dinner. We had dinner as a group at Prado Tope. We all enjoyed this restaurant. The food was excellent.

Tomorrow we have an early day. We catch a train at Atoche station at 8:40, to Valencia.

Spain 2015 PHS Trip Day 1/2

Bienvenido! Saturday March 21 we left Port Columbus for JFK Airport in New York. We did leave a bit late and we had a gate change but all went rather smoothly.
Spain blog

Bienvenido! Saturday March 21 we left Port Columbus for JFK Airport in New York. We did leave a bit late and we had a gate change but all went rather smoothly.

After a 4 1/2 hr layover in JFK we finally left New York at 7:50 pm Sunday March 22 and officially began our journey to Spain. The flight took roughly 6 hrs and 34 minutes. The food was decent. I think everyone was surprised by that.

The sunrise was gorgeous as we entered Spain and began our descent to Madrid. We landed around 7:45 am local time and made our way to the Customs/passport area, which included a tram to another section of the terminal. After passing the passport area we headed to the baggagage claim and then met our guide, Hugo. We promptly boarded the bus and headed into the city. We soon discovered there was a marathon being run in the city. We circled once then found a traffic cop and were allowed to make our way to our hotel, El Regente, located off The Gran Via in the city center. Some of our rooms were ready some were not. Those rooms that were ready we used for storing the bags.

We met back in the lobby and were on our way to The Royal Palace of Madrid a short walk from our hotel. We had an appointed time for our tour at 11 am. After a short wait and passing security we entered the courtyard to the Palace and made our way to the entrance. We retrieved our headphones to better hear our guide and the. Began at the Staircase of the Palace where we learned about the frescos on the ceiling, took a few photos and then began the tour of the Palace. Now all the rooms are open and some were open this time that were not previously (at least that was the general consensus). Two of my favorite rooms was the Stradivarius violins rooms and The Thrown room. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We then had free time to explore the courtyard. Some of the students took pictures of the courtyard and the front of the Palace, visited the Palace gift shop, the park area and the Cathedral opposite to the Palace, Almudena Cathedral. We met with our director, Hugo around 1pm and made our inside the Almudena Cathedral.

After a short visit to the cathedral we visited Plaza de La Villa, then stopped for lunch near Mercado de San Miguel (this is a modern market popular for lunch) near Plaza Mayor. The student split up in groups and explored the market and surrounding area. A short walk was Plaza Mayor where street performers entertain the crowds. There are shops and restaurants also in Plaza Mayor. Once our hour was up we headed into Plaza Mayor with Hugo and learned some interesting facts about the plaza’s history and famous entry ways. We proceeded to Puerta Del Sol. This plaza has the famous Bear and strawberry statue, shops and 0 KM. This is very similar to 0 mile in Florida. All point in Spain start here and branch out.

We returned to the hotel at this point for a small break and to determine what we should do since it was raining. After and hour, it was still raining but it did slack off and stop. We decided to walk to the Chueca quarter. This area is known for shopping and mostly shoes. This area is also known for its modernista building designs.

We broke for some free time along the shopping area and met back at Mercado In the area. After our free time we walked back to Puerta del Sol area to our restaurant, La Catedral. This is a sit down place we had ate at in the past. The food was excellen as well as the atmosphere. During our dinner the Madrid and FC Barcelona futbol game started and when we left many tapas bars and places were watching El Clasico as it is affectionately called. Some of the students stopped for ice cream on our way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we will see a bull fighting ring, The Retiro Park and The Prado Art Museum.

After a 4 1/2 hr layover in JFK we finally left New York at 7:50 pm Sunday March 22 and officially began our journey to Spain. The flight took roughly 6 hrs and 34 minutes. The food was decent. I think everyone was surprised by that.

The sunrise was gorgeous as we entered Spain and began our descent to Madrid. We landed around 7:45 am local time and made our way to the Customs/passport area, which included a tram to another section of the terminal. After passing the passport area we headed to the baggage claim and then met our guide, Hugo. We promptly boarded the bus and headed into the city. We soon discovered there was a marathon being run in the city. We circled once then found a traffic cop and were allowed to make our way to our hotel, El Regente, located off The Gran Via in the city center. Some of our rooms were ready some were not. Those rooms that were ready we used for storing the bags.

We met back in the lobby and were on our way to The Royal Palace of Madrid a short walk from our hotel. We had an appointed time for our tour at 11 am. After a short wait and passing security we entered the courtyard to the Palace and made our way to the entrance. We retrieved our headphones to better hear our guide and the. Began at the Staircase of the Palace where we learned about the frescos on the ceiling, took a few photos and then began the tour of the Palace. Now all the rooms are open and some were open this time that were not previously (at least that was the general consensus). Two of my favorite rooms was the Stradivarius violins rooms and The Thrown room. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We then had free time to explore the courtyard. Some of the students took pictures of the courtyard and the front of the Palace, visited the Palace gift shop, the park area and the Cathedral opposite to the Palace, Almudena Cathedral. We met with our director, Hugo around 1pm and made our inside the Almudena Cathedral.

After a short visit to the cathedral we visited Plaza de La Villa, then stopped for lunch near Mercado de San Miguel (this is a modern market popular for lunch) near Plaza Mayor. The student split up in groups and explored the market and surrounding area. A short walk was Plaza Mayor where street performers entertain the crowds. There are shops and restaurants also in Plaza Mayor. Once our hour was up we headed into Plaza Mayor with Hugo and learned some interesting facts about the plaza’s history and famous entry ways. We proceeded to Puerta Del Sol. This plaza has the famous Bear and strawberry statue, shops and 0 KM. This is very similar to 0 mile in Florida. All point in Spain start here and branch out.

We returned to the hotel at this point for a small break and to determine what we should do since it was raining. After and hour, it was still raining but it did slack off and stop. We decided to walk to the Chueca quarter. This area is known for shopping and mostly shoes. This area is also known for its modernista building designs.

We broke for some free time along the shopping area and met back at Mercado In the area. After our free time we walked back to Puerta del Sol area to our restaurant, La Catedral. This is a sit down place we had ate at in the past. The food was excellent as well as the atmosphere. During our dinner the Madrid and FC Barcelona futbol game started and when we left many tapas bars and places were watching El Clasico as it is affectionately called. Some of the students stopped for ice cream on our way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we will see a bull fighting ring, The Retiro Park and The Prado Art Museum.