Thanksgiving in Southern Spain - A quick tour of Andalusia

We decided for Thanksgiving this year we would head to a warmer climate and discover the wonders of Andalusia in southern Spain.  We found ridiculously cheap tickets on RyanAir into Malaga, and we rented a car with the itinerary of spending a day each in Granada, Seville, and Malaga.  The trip was fabulous with glorious sun, delicious food, and no shortage of adventure.  For our car rental, I specifically requested a Fiat 500, and this ended up being a perfect car, despite what the Hertz representative might have thought when we checked in.  Navigating the old cities in southern Spain would have been a nightmare with a bigger car.  As it is, if I never drive in Spain again, it will definitely be too soon.  Yep, this trip was full of car adventures including hotels that our GPS could never seem to find.

The countryside between each of these wonderful Spanish cities reminded me so much of southern California and parts of Nevada. (Actually, it reminded me most of Mexico.)  Honestly, it wasn't terribly exciting.  We needed the calm between locations though to rest of for the excitement we would find driving into each of them.  Pure craziness, I tell you!  Our first hotel was in Malaga. Our flight arrived late, so I found a hotel near the airport.  What should have been less than 5 minutes turned into about 45 because we had no clue how to get to the hotel. After finding our hotel and getting checked in, we all got a good night's sleep before our trip to Granada the next day.

Granada is an incredible city rich with culture and beautiful architecture.  Our number one sight to experience while in Granada was the Alhambra.  First we had to locate our hotel.  Simple enough, right?  HA!  Not only were we clueless, but our GPS seriously had no idea either.  In hindsight, it was kind of fun especially since we had a fun little car to navigate the narrow city streets.  We finally just found a garage to park the car and walked to the hotel.  Smart choice, and the walk was a pretty fantastic way to discover the Granada.

All checked into our hotel and having the rental car stowed safely into private parking, we headed up to Alhambra to discover its wonder.  If you do this beware of the women trying to loot money from you by handing you rosemary and saying a prayer.  I was an easy trap, especially when the lady is saying sweet prayers about my kids.  Such a sucker.

We had heard Alhambra was unforgettable, and we were not disappointed. Except for being much colder than we had hoped or expected, the visit was amazing.  The intricate detailing on all of the walls, ceilings, and floors is difficult to describe or to experience through a picture.  I had trouble picking the best photos to share because there were so many. Alhambra sits on top of the hill, so in addition to pictures of the palace, the castle and the other sights within Alhambra, there are also so many amazing views of the city from up there.  I'm sure Big R will think I didn't chose the best shots, but these are a sampling of how I remember my experience at Alhambra in Granada.

A view of Granada from Alhambra

Me and a sleeping bear in front of the palace

Reflecting pool inside the palace

Alhambra inspired inner peace - a tree pose anyone?

Some of the intricate details I mentioned - so incredible

Another view of the Granada - just wow

Church inside Alhambra

Interesting family portrat - hahahahaha

More beautiful details...

Some Daddy bonding time

Love my little man

What do you see, little r?

A handstand? Don't mind if I do.

Who isn't inspired to do wheel pose here?

One of my favorite pictures - so beautiful how the city is framed in the windows

Stunning gardens within the Alhambra

A walk with my boy

After a full day at Alhambra, we walked back to our hotel and then ventured back out to find dinner.  We made a brief stop for wine and cheese (oh, that cheese was drizzled with olive oil - to die for!) at a sweet restaurant that sat inside a cave.  The menu scared us with the listed prices, so Big R got conservative with our order only to find out upon leaving that two glasses of wine and a plate of cheese tapas was an entire 5 EUR.  HA, classic.

A great place to enjoy a glass of Rioja

A street-side view of the small tavern where we enjoyed wine 

The Alhambra at night

After a delectable dinner at an unexpected location, we finished off the night in our comfortable hotel room for an early night.  In the morning before our drive to Seville, we ventured out on the streets of Granada to view the Cathedral.  Instead we discovered a city full of charm, and we were instantly disappointed we didn't explore more of the city at night before turning in.

Beautiful produce sold in the old town market

Charming city streets in Granada

Then we were off to Seville and another adventure.  Again, it was good that the trip between Granada and Seville was relatively uneventful because driving in Seville was completely INSANE. Our hotel was in a great location though in the heart of the city, hence the reason driving to it was out of control.

We secured the car, checked into the hotel, and made our way out into the city.  Seeing Seville in less than 24 hours is not easy, but we were determined.  To make matters more interesting, I have been so busy with school that shy of making hotel reservations, I didn't spend any time doing any research about this trip. So, we ventured out into the almost unknown and became mesmerized by Seville.  We also gave in and decided to see the city the best way we know how, by horse and carriage.  Not a cheap way to do it, but we saw so much of the city that we never would have had time for otherwise, so to us it was worth every cent.

Eating was a pleasure in Seville. We loved most of the food, especially Baby C (holy cow can that kid eat!).  Big R was also determined that we would both get a piece of relaxation on this trip.  He did little research on Seville, but when he heard they had Turkish baths in southern Spain, he was quick to find a place where we could take turns indulging in a little relaxation.  My turn came in the morning while Big R took the boys on some little excursions while I enjoyed 90 minutes in a Roman bath house including a 15 minutes massage.  Honestly, have a couple hours to myself was heaven enough :)

One of the gates to the bull fighting ring

Inside the Alcazar

little r posing with a tapestry inside the Alcazar

View of Seville from atop the bell tower of the Cathedral

We loved this street for obvious reasons :) 

The Cathdral in Seville

Plaza de España - look at the detailing on the bridge

Another view of Plaza de España

City tour by horse and carriage - our preferred method of travel

Family portrait from the carriage

Our trusty stead

The Cathedral in Seville

Even at 8pm the streets were quiet only to come alive after 10!

Seville by moonlight

Christmas was in the air!

The entire city was decorated for the holidays

Our original itinerary didn't really include Malaga.  I'm not sure why we were going to leave this off of our list, but it was just the place we were flying into.  We decided it was worth a peak before we headed back to the hotel near the airport to get ready for an early flight.  I am so happy that we took the time to venture into Malaga.  What a magical place!  We always joke that Malaga is the third largest city in Sweden because so many Swedes relocate here.  It is now clear why they love it so much.

Our time in Malaga was short, but memorable.  Big R promised me a view of the Mediterranean Sea.  I would have soaked my feet in, but the temps were a tad bit too cold for my blood.  Our lack of planning landed us in a distance parking garage, so it was a trek to find the water, but we found it!  After a walk along the beach, we headed back into the city to find dinner.  Have you ever been overwhelmed with too many choices?  Big R even resorted to pulling out his phone and checking TripAdvisor.  Oh brother...  Rarely am I the one that doesn't need food.  Both Big R and little r were desperate for food and there were just too many choices.  Big R really wanted some fresh fish at a price we could afford.  Little r?  Oh, he wanted to eat at a place with white bar stools.  Seriously... I'm happy to report that we ended up at a place with both, but only after a few minor meltdowns from both of them.  The food was fantastic, and little r decided to entertain us with his craziness including taking that much sought after bar stool and sending it to the floor with him, food in hand, and head against the table.  We have yet to visit an emergency room on any of our visit, but good grief, I thought we were close on this one.

YAY, the ocean!  I'm happy :)

My little man is such a ham!

He climbed up to get a better view

The streets of Malaga - I feel in love!

Palm trees to remind us we are close to the beach!

The architecture was incredible!

We found ourselves in Malaga on the night that all of the Christmas lights were being turned on for the first time this season.  It was a Saturday and it felt like the entire city was downtown for the festivities.  The energy was amazing!  We finally had good food in our belly's and we were loving the lights and all of the people.  At this point I was really glad we parked far away from the madness though!

A tree of lights in downtown Malaga

The streets were lit with beautiful decorations

My favorite picture of the Christmas lights.

Overall, this was such an amazing trip.  We had so many unforgettable moments.  I wish we had more time to spend at each city, but I am thankful that we were able to visit all of them.  Big R keeps asking me which of the cities was my favorite and I honestly do not know.  I found each city beautiful and unique in its own way.  Granada was relatively quiet in comparison, and it had the backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas (the "for real" ones).  Seville was full of energy.  You could sense that the city slept all day and played all night.  There was a lot of pride there and the city was clean and beautifully kept.  Malaga had the feel of a resort town with a rich history.  It actually fascinated me the most, but I'm not sure why.

This was a great Thanksgiving.  I hope we have a reason to come back to this part of the world again and that we have more than a few days to see it all.

xoxoxo

p.s. Look to my travel page for travel details...

Is it Thanksgiving already? Yikes!

Is it Thanksgiving already?  Man, I miss blogging.  Life has been a little on the busy side around here. Not in a bad or good way, just in that way that life can be.  The boys never provide a dull moment, and school is just completely insanity.  I'm sure at some point it seemed like a great idea for me to go back to school, and ultimately it probably will be, but right now, it's making me a crazy person. AAAAHHHH!!!

The boys are growing up too fast.  Yes, I just became that mother that says my kids are growing up too fast.  It's true though.  Little r has become this person all the sudden.  He taught himself how to write his name, picks out his own clothes and gets himself dressed for school, rides his bike, talks back like a true child of an attorney (haha, we are SO doomed), and knows how to run every electronic gadget in the house.  My little man is a master at finding every nerve in my body and dancing all over it.  He's too cute to be mad at for long though.  I also adopted a "no yelling" challenge through the first of the year.  Not sure if I'll make it, but so far it's proving to calm everyone down just a bit.  Amazing what forcing yourself to take a deep breath will do.

My little monster - Star Wars is his ultimate favorite thing

Baby C is six months old already.  Can you believe that?!  It's absolutely unreal to me.  I look at his little infant clothes and I want to go rock in a corner.  He's at that age where life truly starts to get interesting.  I was told they learn to manipulate at six months, and I'm seeing that front and center with this kiddo.  He's normally pretty chill and naps well, but he has been working on a few teeth and many mom's can attest that this often leads to the inner monster releasing.  Poor dude.  I feel bad for him.  Little r didn't get his first tooth until he was nine months, and only had two teeth at a year.  The best part now though is the food.  You are supposed to start feeding children solids by the time they are six months to at least introduce them to the concept.  Baby C is hilarious.  The boy wants nothing, NOTHING to do with "baby" food, and would rather chomp on a piece of bread.  He devoured almost an entire blueberry muffin the other day.  I'm sure there are rules, I just haven't a clue what they are.  I figure, if my kid wants to eat the real stuff, that's what I'm gonna give him.

yummmm - i think? 

The little guy naps like a champ, but he decided the whole sleeping through the night deal was for the birds.  Those couple of months he gave me of sleeping 11-12 hours a night, just flew out the window. Yeah, it's probably time to do something about it, but I never anticipated the challenge of trying to sleep train a baby when you have other children in the house you don't want to disturb.  We'll get there. I have a feeling it'll happen out of necessity here pretty soon.

And then there's this whole school thing... In theory, an absolutely awesome idea.  Honestly, I'm really enjoying the classes, and I'm learning an incredible amount.  But holy cow is it a lot of work.  Like, seriously, a lot of work.  Either I'm just not as efficient as other students or 20 hours of works is far more than I thought it would feel like.  Of course, when you are home with your kids all day and the work is done in barely 1 hour increments or when you are half asleep in the evening, it does give the impression that the work is never-ending.

When you think you want to be a superwoman, it's disappointing a tad when you realize you can't do it all and that something needs to give.  But that's ok.  In the whole scheme of things, life is pretty darn fantastic.  It just means I won't be able to blog as much as I'd like.  My head is full of constant stories I want to share, and it's not clear if they will ever make their way onto my computer.  Instead, I talk to you inside my head.  If you listen closely, maybe you'll hear it - haha.  I'll do my best to sit down when I find the time and share some of the adventures going on in our lives.

So, here we are and it's Thanksgiving already.  The fam is heading to Spain for this one.  Time to thaw out a bit.  It's been snowing and uber cold here in eastern Bavaria, so the warmer temperatures will be fabulous.  It's southern Spain we are visiting.  We'll be spending the next few days exploring the beautiful architecture found throughout Granada and Seville.  I seriously cannot wait.

I'm hoping that between Christmas cards, getting gifts wrapped and sent stateside, visiting every fantastic Christmas market we can find and drinking tons of gluhwein, oh, and that pesky homework deal, I will find a moment or two to share the details from our trip to Spain.

Have a wonderful holiday with friends and family everyone.  I hope none of you get waylaid in the big storm sweeping across the east and that you all make it to your destinations.

Love to you all

xoxoxoxo

Strike a pose

As most of you know, yoga is my escape, my freedom, and the only thing that keeps my mind balanced. My yoga buddy, Kimberly, is an avid traveler like we are, and she started a fun "tradition" of striking a yoga pose in unique locations. I've been watching her do this for awhile, and on our latest trip, I thought it would be fun to take advantage of the beautiful locations we were visiting and "strike a pose" as well whenever the environment moved me. We were, afterall, traveling to some pretty incredible locations where being one with nature would be an easy transition and feel rather "natural."

My first inspiration came when we were at Lake Bled in Slovenia.  It was a quiet, yet beautiful day on the lake.  When we got to the island, I saw fantastic backdrops everywhere I looked.  I knew I had to give it a try.  These were my first EVER strike a pose moments...

The next day hiking down Vitgar Gorge about 4 kilometers from Lake Bled, I found myself in a place where the beauty was so overwhelming I literally had to catch my breath at every turn.  Could you possibly imagine a better place to "strike a pose"?

 

My family might not be into yoga as much as I am, but they definitely enjoy it, and they certainly see me practicing yoga a lot at home.  I thought it would be equally as fun to see if they'd like to find some inspiration for a couple poses as well.  After seeing me in side plank, little r decided he needed to have some fun, too.  Arm balances aren't really his thing, but he has his own way of becoming one with nature.  Man, I just love this kid...

 

Here are a couple more photos of us striking a pose on the island in the middle of Lake Bled.  Little r is my sweet yogini... It's pretty incredible to harness all that crazy boy energy.  

And then, of course, Big R had to join in the fun as well.  Plivitce Lakes in Croatia does that to people. There were perfect locations to inspire a little yoga everywhere we looked. His wheel pose is so stinking awesome!

 

This last photo is my favorite yoga picture from our adventure.  The pose couldn't be more simple. I'm literally in a comfortable seated position with Baby C asleep on my chest.  The surrounding environment is so incredibly serene.  I look like I'm taking a deep breath and I have a sense of happiness on my face.  This isn't a fancy arm balance or tree pose or anything even remotely fancy, but I love how this picture captures the essence of exactly how I was feeling at that very moment.  Life was so peaceful.  I feel like I could look at this picture and escape to that moment anytime I need a break from a hectic day.

I hope we remember to look for inspiration and "strike a pose" on our future adventures.  It was SO much fun.  We were able to get so many interesting and crazy stares from people as we posed or as tourists watched me crash my arm balances or waited not to interrupt Big R's wheel pose near a waterfall.  But it was pretty freaking cool, and we got some really fun photos to remember our trip.  

Jet engines in my basement...

Not sure if you remember that about a month ago I told you we had water issues in our bottom floor that needed a little fixin.  My hope was to share some of the experiences with you, but October has been absolutely bananas for us, so I honestly haven't had a lot of time to write about it.  That said, what started as a potential nightmare has resulted in a not-too-terrible renovation project.  It's funny how quickly you can get used to listening to jet engines running all day long in your house. You think I'm exaggerating, and I might be just a tad, but these machines were incredibly loud!  

The crew came in and handled the whole ordeal like true professionals. It was clear they knew exactly what they were doing.  The carpet came up, closets and furniture was removed, tile was cut out, and holes were drilled.  They hung plastic on the walls to trap the moisture and heat downstairs.  Our house seriously felt like that final scene from ET, and I hope you know what I mean or I might really be dating myself here.

I was going to take pictures.  Can you believe that we had that set up for nearly a month and I didn't take a single photo?  Holy cow am I becoming a slacker or what?!  Luckily our house is pretty big for us, so moving everything upstairs just made things cozy.  A tad disorganized, but definitely cozy.  Dare I say that we might kind of like sleeping upstairs a little?  The bottom floor has become more of a basement - a loud space that seemed like it was containing a biological experiment - but avoidable nonetheless.  Upstairs the drone of the engines came across more like a sound machine, so sleeping wasn't as difficult as we expected (although I needed a baby monitor to hear Baby C in the room right next door).  TV watching, however, was an interesting task because the volume had to be blasting for us to hear anything at all.  

The jet engines are finally gone, and it is unreal how quiet it is in our house.  Despite the cozy arrangement upstairs, I'm anxious to get things put back to normal.  Most of our clothes are in boxes in the attic, and all of the efforts to have my house completely organized have been turned upside down for the past month.  Not the end of the world, obviously, but it'll still be nice to put this behind us as a faint memory.  

Housing has been somewhat aloof on the whole deal.  Until yesterday we were concerned they would take their time getting things put back into place.  The walls and floors are dry, but we need contractors to make the space livable again.  This is all scheduled to take place on Monday, so I'll spend the rest of the week making things feel cozy in our house again.  

Thanks for all your support. My neighbors ended up having to go through the same thing kind of unexpectedly, so we've been leaning on each other a tad through this whole ordeal.  It really could have been so much worse.  Guess you could say we are pretty thankful, and mostly we are super relieved we pushed through this instead of caving in and moving to a whole different unit.  The thought continues to make me want to faint - seriously... 

Here's to hoping my next post about our house will be to tell you that all systems are back in place and life continues as normal.  Think positively, right?  This is Germany... I have no doubt the contractors will have things done in less than a day.