In July 2017, myself and three friends, Amanda, Melissa, and Kim, headed to Tangier, Morocco for the day. The port that the ferry leaves from is only about 1.5 hours from where we live. You take a nice, big ferry ride for about an hour across to Africa and arrived in Morocco. We hired a private tour guide for the day who drove us all around explaining all the ins and outs of Tangier. We started with a scenic drive around the “California” area. This is called this because this is the area where all the money is. Huge mansions, nice cars, guards outside of houses, and many people of a certain caliber having vacation homes here. In fact, the King of Saudi Arabia’s brother just has acreage of land in one part to park his MANY, MANY luxury sports cars… must be nice!

Next we went to breakfast at the point by the lighthouse. This lookout point has views of both the Strait of Gibraltar and the southern coast of Spain. The café had the most delicious breakfast of these almond and cinnamon crepes as well as fresh Moroccan mint tea. I’m pretty sure I have dreamt about this meal ever since lol. We sat and ate and then walked around the lighthouse just taking in the views.

Next we went down to the beach front for some camel rides. This was quite an experience that I know I will most likely never have again. Such a cool thing to say I rode a camel on the beaches of Morocco.

Next stop was the Caves of Hercules. These caves are half naturally made and half man made over time. They get their name from the ancient stories that Hercules stopped to rest in these caves before his 11th labor. The opening to the sea is actually carved out in the shape of Africa (when looking in from the sea). These caves have so much history and beautiful carvings inside that were unfortunately hard to capture on camera.

Next it was time for lunch. We ate at a local restaurant that was featured in the latest James Bond 007 movie. The views from the rooftop were endless and the food was amazing (Moroccan food in general always is).

Lastly, we made our way around the market streets of Tangier. Spices, lamps, rugs, ceramics, and more all inside tiny, narrow alleyways and shops. Surrounded by beautiful blue painted walls, ornate doorways, and little hidden gems. The smells and close proximity to everyone was a little much for me, plus I’m not one to haggle and negotiate on pricing, but it was a fun experience.

After a long 9 hour day, we jumped back on the ferry to head home to Spain. It was such a fun and eventful girls trip for sure and I am so glad that I got to experience it with some of my favorite ladies!

 

Grammy and Pappy came all the way from Oklahoma to spend two weeks with us in Spain. They got passports for the first time just to make this trip and we were so excited to have them.

We started by taking the train to Madrid to pick them up. I made a mistake and got the date of their arrival wrong so we showed up to the airport the day BEFORE they actually got here. We waited for two hours and when I finally realized what I had done, we got in our private, chauffeured car (that I had booked for all of us lol) and headed to our AirBnB.

We spent the day exploring a bit of Madrid. We ate lunch in Plaza Mayor, walked to see the Royal Palace and Palacio Real and enjoyed all the architecture and sights in between. We ate some yummy gelato, played hide and seek in a park, and just winged it on our unplanned day. We had a great day, but let me tell you… these kids were soooo happy once their Grammy and Pappy were finally here!!!

We enjoyed relaxing days around the area by showing them how we live. They got to be here for both Lyla and Jayson’s birthdays which was wonderful. We enjoyed dinners out, days at the beach, strolling the old Spanish cobblestone streets, and just spending time together. I didn’t realize how many pictures I didn’t take until I went to make this blog post, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re busy having a good time with family.

We ventured out to Cadiz one day. It is the oldest providence in Spain and is just across the water from where we live. The church, the old streets, the views of the water… all breathtaking. There ended up being a religious celebration of some sort going on that day so the streets were packed with people and a parade. Due to this, we were unable to go inside the church but we did sit outside and have lunch while taking in the view. Its such a small and charming little city that we were glad we finally got to visit.

We took Dale and Teresa to Seville for two days. It is one of our favorite cities in Spain and although I’ve blogged about it several times, it never gets boring. We took them to the Real Alcazar Royal gardens, ate some Mexican food and drank some tinto, and finally went inside the cathedral. We have walked around this cathedral every time we have been to this beautiful city, but never went in. This cathedral is the oldest gothic cathedral in the world and is even more stunning on the inside. Christopher Columbus’ tomb is inside and that was such a neat thing to be able to say we have seen. We had a wonderful time in Seville just as we always do!

We wrapped up our last night with them here by eating dinner down by the harbor in El Puerto, walking around downtown, and Dale and Teresa took a sweet horse drawn carriage ride around just the two of them. It was a relaxing night! We definitely did not want to see them go, but were so happy to have made these memories with them! Thank you Grammy and Pappy for coming to visit us!

We ended our vacation through Italy in Venice. This city has been at the top of my must see list (this and Santorini) since I can remember and man was I excited to finally get there.

We left Florence on the train and in a short 1.5 hours, we were in beautiful Venice. We had been warned about the expenses of Venice and man were people right. We came out of the train station with our three suitcases and backpacks and headed towards the water taxis to get a ride to our AirBnB. These nice men came up and asked to help with our suitcases and escort us over so we thought they were the drivers or part of the service…. nope, they wanted 20 euro just for walking our rolling luggage and extra 50 yards. grr!! first lesson was learned right off the bat. We got on our water taxi and we were all in awe of what we were cruising past. I don’t think many kids can say their first time on a boat is in Venice, Italy, but our lucky ducks can!!

We had an adorable AirBnB just off the water. Walking the small alleyways that weave and wind through the city where the buildings just tower over you, it such a different and unique feeling (I don’t know why, but I loved it). We ventured out to a local market to get some produce, bread, and drinks for our few days there and then got settled in. we did a little bit of exploring the first day, but not much since it was the evening time by then. We went to the side of the open water and sat at a restaurant with a beautiful view. We relaxed, ate some delicious Italian food and watched all the boats go by. The kids were sooo amused when a cruise ship full of people came through and they got to wave at everyone on board. It was pretty entertaining.

Our first full day in Venice we explored the city by walking alllll around it seemed. This city is very difficult to navigate in that the streets and alleyways run all different directions so you have to go back two blocks to go forward three in the right direction. Its easy to get lost and seems like there is no direct path anywhere but we figured it out. Those backpacks definitely came in handy with the kids with how much walking we did… never had to hear them complain although Jayson and I felt like our shoulders were going to fall off at times lol. Thank goodness the view is gorgeous no matter what turns you take so the walking doesn’t bother you in the end.

We found out real quick where the other expenses came into play as well. We sat down the have lunch on the water our first day and definitely paid for the view… literally. On top of ordering 26 euro ravioli that came with 7 pieces of ravioli, we paid an additional 11 euro PER PERSON as a “sitting” fee. Ridiculous! These people know how to get ya!

From there we ventured over to St Mark’s square. The infamous square did not disappoint. From the TONS of pigeons to the surrounding architecture, I’m pretty sure we stood there and turned in circles just taking it all in for a while. From St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Campanile, and Doge’s Palace… there is sooo much to take in and admire. We just walked around the square looking in all the little shops that outline it, ate some yummy gelato, and let the kids run around some!

After this, we slowly walked back to our AirBnB, taking a different route and enjoying all the beauty this town has to offer. We ate dinner, the kids had a bath and went to bed, and Jayson and I sat out on our little patio and enjoying the local Chianti.

Our last full day in Venice we started out at Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana. These are huge, architecturally ornate museums that sit on the corner of where the Grand Canal meets the open water. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen that was not from way up high somewhere. From this location, we hopped on a water bus that went all around the city through the canals so that we could see all the scenery that we knew we would not be able to see by walking (since we didn’t have the time). The kids loved sitting on the boat and just looking out at everything. We got many compliments from older couples that were amazed that we were traveling with two small children just shy of 2 and 4 years old. We explained to some that we actually lived in Spain currently so it wasn’t that big of a treck…. others we just took in the compliment and let them think we traveled all the way from the states lol.

The next morning, we headed out to the airport via the water bus. Our flight was not until the afternoon but we were warned to give ourselves HOURS of time before and thank goodness we did. It took us 1.5 hours of sitting on a full water bus to get out to the airport (its a good ways away from the main part of the city) and then the airport is just a mess. We waited in line for an hour just to check our bags (the only had one counter open for our flight) and then had to go to the opposite side of the terminal to go through security because our gate was on the opposite end from our check in and you can only go through the security check point nearest your gate. 5 hours later, we made it to our gate in time to line up to get on the flight!

All in all, Venice was beautiful, but not my favorite. It is very crowded and expensive. I am glad that I got to check it off my list and say that I experienced it though!

 

When I planned our Italy trip, I knew I wanted to see Rome and Venice and just decided to do a two day stop in Florence as well since the train went through there anyways. Man am I glad I did!!! Florence ended up being my favorite city of the three. It was so charming and beautiful.

Our Air BnB was absolutely adorable. It was in a prime location and the entrance was just behind a ceramic store which made me love walking up to it every single time.

Our first day we walked across the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge is lined with exquisite little jewelry shops on each side. The views from the middle of the bridge are what you see on a post card. I just stood there on the middle of the bridge and tried to take it all in. It was definitely one of those moments of, “I can’t believe I’m really here.” (I have one of these moments in almost every city we visit). We grabbed lunch in the square and let the kids ride on the carousel a few times.

We then headed down to see the Pazza del Duomo and Baptistery of San Giovanni. This cathedral is breathtaking. Its detail and grand facade is something that pictures just cant capture. We just walked around in complete awe.

We then took a horse drawn carriage ride around the city because the kids were getting tired and so were our backs from carrying them. We ended our day at the Palazzo Pitti. We sat outside this huge museum and just let our kids run around and chase pigeons lol. We had a snack in the beautiful weather and had a small moment where we felt like locals.

Our last morning in Florence we went up to Piazzale Michelangelo where the replica of the David is. This area overlooks the entire city of Florence. The view is stunning and I could not have taken enough pictures.

We hiked down and walked a few miles to go eat lunch at Gusta Pizza which was recommended by Morgan Goodwin and Madeline Clark. It is a tiny little restaurant with just 6 tables and a huge brick oven that they cook their pizzas in. We got there right at 11 when they opened and were the second people in the door. By the time we ordered and sat down at our table, there was a line out the door. After eating their pizza, I know why! This was the BEST pizza I have ever eaten!! If you ever go to Florence, you must go there.

After this we headed to the train station to head to Venice. Our time in Florence was short, but amazing! I’m so glad I made the random decision to stop here during our trip. It is a city that I hope to visit again one day!!

 

Yes I had to say it!! The first stop on our Italian getaway was the infamous Rome. We arrived the first night to our Air BnB pretty late so we just settled in and called it a night. Our first full day there started with our tour of The Vatican City. We booked a small group tour that took us through the museums which were ordained with huge detailed statues, beautiful tapestries and paintings, and such detailed architecture. The museums alone took us about 3 hours to get through.

We then went inside the Sistine Chapel. I can not even describe what this room was like. Standing in such a holy place with such history and beauty was such an “aww” moment. Now I will say, you are told before hand that there is a certain dress code (which I made sure we were in accordance with before getting dressed that day), NO pictures of any sort, and NO talking while inside the Chapel. If you know our two kids, the latter part is what I worried most about. We got very lucky in that the tour of the museums wore them out and they fell asleep in their travel backpacks just before entering and slept through the entire thing. Jayson and I stood there with that extra weight on our backs and just took in the ceiling and magnificence of where we were standing.

** no pictures here unfortunately… the guards make sure of it. EEKK!!**

After leaving the Sistine Chapel, we headed over to St. Mark’s Cathedral. This cathedral is unreal. Again, it has the same dress code, but photos and talking are allowed. The pictures would never be able to do this place justice though. Its detail and beauty is beyond measure. I will try to let the pictures speak for themselves if they can.

After taking a break to FINALLY eat, we headed over to the Pantheon. The fact that this structure was built in 125 AD and is still in such exquisite shape says a lot. The top of the dome is open and there are statues of the Roman gods and goddesses all around the interior wall. It is one of those places that you walk into and just feel it all… the immensity of where you are!

Next we walked up the street to Trevi fountain. Now I have seen the VERY small replica of this in Las Vegas, but man…. It is neat to finally see the real thing in person lol. The fountain is so large that you can feel the mist coming off the water while standing near it. There are levels of seating and areas to walk all around it to make sure you can see it all from different angles. Once again, our kids napped in the backpacks while we carried them. Other people always find this so amusing and even ask to take pictures of them in their backpacks like they have never seen such a thing?!

As you can guess, our day was exhausting so we decided to grab two pizzas and a bottle of wine from a local shop on the walk back to our Air Bnb. This day was actually mine and Jayson’s 5 year wedding anniversary and we spent our night eating pizza and drinking wine on the back porch of our flat while watching our kids run around. At one point we cheers each other and said if we are doing nothing more than just this, anywhere in the world, on our 50th anniversary, we will still be completely happy!!!

 

Day 2 in Rome… we started our morning out at the Coliseum. This is one of those places that I have dreamed of going for years and years and it did not disappoint. To stand inside such an enormous structure and just imagine where the gladiators stood was another “wow” moment. I don’t think Jayson and I said much to each other while walking around the Coliseum because we were so consumed with taking it all in. I don’t know how else to explain it except it is definitely a must see.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat, headed back to our Air BnB to grab our stuff and took a taxi to the train station. It was time to catch our train to the next destination… Florence!! Although we did not spend a lot of time in Rome, we got to see everything we had set out to see and loved every minute of it!

In March of 2017, four of my dearest friends came to stay with us in Spain and we had an awesome 8 days!!

We started by picking up the girls in Seville and showing them all around the beautiful town that we have grown to love. We took horse drawn carriage rides, ate paella, drank tinto, and watched them adapt to the culture all around them.

Once we got back to our town of El Puerto, I took the girls down to the local beach just to dip their toes in the sand and water and have some relaxing time together! We danced along the beach, goofed off as always and just enjoyed our time together!!

The girls and I went on a bodega tour in the town of Jerez de la Frontera. It is a fairly newer bodega being around for only about 15 years which was so refreshing seeing how excited they still are about their products and the process of developing new wines. We got to see the entire process from picking to fermentation and then enjoyed some tapas and wine sampling. It was a great little girls day while the kids were at school and Jayson was working. Katie and Lindsay were definitely in their element while Me Ali and Stacy were just trying not to do something wrong etiquette wise lol.

We walked around the little town of Rota one day as well. We went inside the old castle that is now City Hall. We were allowed up on the rooftop (which was even a first for Jayson and I) which gave us beautiful views of the city and ocean. We showed them inside the old Catholic church in town and the magnificent detail that is inside these cathedrals. Tapas, tinto, and of course lots of good conversation and laughter made for a pretty great day. We went back that night for a night out on the town and lets just say…. it was a FUN night and I don’t think Rota knew what hit it lol

We made the short trip up to Ronda, Spain which was also a first for our little family. We enjoyed an amazing 4 course meal with 180 degree views of the vast countryside below. We walked the town, looked out over the gorge and onto the Puente Nuevo bridge that towers above it all.  It was such a relaxing and serene day which was just what we needed.

We had another relaxing day where we went to have fish pedicures done in another local town called Sanlucar, We had champagne and chocolates while fish ate at our feet and just sat and gossiped and caught up. We grabbed take out Chinese food on the way home and enjoyed a night in at our house.

Our final night with the girls was spent horse back riding on the beach of El Puerto. Our horses had crazy names and I’m pretty sure our guides thought we were all nuts, but we had a great time! It was cold and windy that evening but the views of the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean were breathtaking.

This picture cracks me up!!!! I could not have timed this photo any better lol

I have to state that it ended up being one of two weeks in March where the African winds were very strong and the temperature had dropped a lot lower than normal. I had planned things for each day they were here so that they would get to see as much as possible in the short time they were here, but mother nature had other plans. I had planned a trip to Tangier, Morocco and Gibraltar, UK as well so that the girls could say they visited not only several cities, but three countries on two continents while they were here, but with high winds and a little rain, the ferry rides were shut down and our plans were canceled. We made the best of the days and the weather though!!

I laughed soooo hard in that week, felt like I was 22 again at times, remembered very quickly that these friendships are ones I will cherish forever and the memories and inside jokes from this trip will always stick with us!

These two photos sum up that week sooooo well…..

My kids LOVED having the girls here. They bonded with them so much and I loved finally getting to see this since we have always lived away from my friends.

The pure joy on their faces at the fact that it is legal to take wine to go and walk around the streets of town just enjoying your drink haha.

Love you girls so stinkin’ much! We are so very grateful that you came all that way to see us and experience this adventure in our lives with us. We had a blast…. now COME BACK!!!!

 

 

In November 2016, we took a weekend trip to Marbella, Spain with two other families that are very good friends of ours. We originally planned it because the town has a huge ceremony  when they light up their town square for the first time for the holiday season. Unfortunately the weather had a different plan. It was cold and rainy the entire weekend, so although Christmas lights were not an option, we got out and explored where we could! We had an amazing 5 bedroom airBnB that we all stayed in together! We went to a nice hibachi dinner (which they don’t have these in our area of southern Spain) and walked around when we could in between the bouts of rain.

The highlight of our trip though was to the Mariposario de Benalmadena. It is basically a huge butterfly dome!! We got to see the process of the worm in its cocoon before it becomes a butterfly. There were butterflies bigger than my hand, some that had clear wings, and others with vibrant colors. They would land on you at times and just flutter all around you. They had a fish pond and a kangaroo as well. We spent hours in this place which was a great escape from the weather outside.

Although I didn’t really get any pictures of the city itself, it really was a beautiful town! Mother nature had a mind of her own that weekend and we made the best of it!!

In August 2016, we met my parents in Barcelona for just under 4 days before they continued on to their Viking cruise and man was it an awesome time. Barcelona is huge and 3 full days was definitely not enough time to see everything, but we sure as heck tried. We did a lot of eating, some drinking ;), and a LOT of walking (we averaged over 20,000 steps each day).

We started out on day one by riding the hop on hop off bus so that we could just sit on the top of the double decker bus and take in the entire city while listening to the audio about it all. This is always a good way to figure out what you want your game plan to be for your trip. After that we just did some exploring and walked the streets of the city near our Air BnB. Enjoyed the views of the stunning architecture and buildings designed by Gaudi. He had such a fluid and distinct vision that was so neat to see.

We started out on our first full day in the city by going to Montjuic hill at the National Museum of Art of Catalonia. This building itself is stunning but the views are to die for. It over looks the city center and almost all of Barcelona. You can also see Mount Tibadabo (yes the one referenced in Friends lol) in the background. From here, we made our way over to Olympic park where the 1992 summer Olympics were held. This was a nice place to just explore and let the kids run off all their energy for a bit.

That night we enjoyed some Asian cuisine and an evening stroll through the streets. Just like here in southern Spain, there are playgrounds or parks all over the city that makes it sooo easy to travel with kids.

The next day we toured La Sagrada Familia!! Words cant even describe the magnificence that is this church. Every single aspect of the design and build is tied to the story of God. From the work on the outside telling the story of Jesus, his disciples, his death, his resurrection…. to the inside being lined with pillars and spiral staircases that all lead to heaven, stain glass that starts orange like the sunrise and gradually gets darker until it is blue like the night sky. Being in this holy place of worship somehow makes you feel humbled, blessed, and like you’re just one step closer to our Lord just by being there. It was beyond amazing!

I also loved this street that led directly straight behind the church that had little restaurants on either side with seating all down the middle. You could sit and eat, drink some tinto and just admire the view of La Sagrada in the background. It cant get much better than this.

Well besides having pictures of your kids playing on a playground with this beauty as the backdrop 🙂

The last day we did some walking around the city a bit more and made our way over the parc de la ciutadella. This is just a big open park with huge fountains, playgrounds, a zoo and pond with row boats. we walked through this park and immediately just felt so relaxed. There were people doing yoga, walking tight ropes, dancing, and just enjoying time with friends and family. This was a nice way to take in more of the culture and lifestyle and make it easy to travel with little ones.

All in all, Barcelona was amazing!!! It is definitely a place I would love to go back to seeing that we didn’t even get to see half of the city in our short time there.

 

 

 

Well I have been seriously sacking on keeping up with this blog. Between two toddlers, a home business, and the craziness of life itself… it unfortunately has been low on my to do list. So now it’s time to play catch up and post what I can remember from this last year.

 

Since it’s now time for Feria again this year, here is our experience last year at our first round of Feria in Spain!

 

Feria is exactly what its translation into English means “Fair”. It is a huge celebration celebrated for a days to a weeks time in several towns throughout southern Spain. It began in 1847 that originally started as a livestock fair due to an agreed upon proposal granted by Queen Isabel II. By the 1920’s, it had become the spectacle that it is today. When you walk into Feria you are surrounded by casetas, loud music, women of all ages in their flamenco dresses, and beautiful horses. Rebujito is the special feria drink that can sneak up on you… I recommend two at max lol. There is tons of food, games and rides for the kids, and just an amazing atmosphere and vibe throughout the entire thing.

Our first year here, I took the kids along with some of our friends, to Feria in Rota. Jayson was working, but it was half price rides for the kids so of course us moms were in! The kids played, danced, and we all had a great time!

 

A few days later, we went to Feria in El Puerto as a family. Lyla and I both wore our pretty flamenco dresses, we ate tons of food, admired the beautiful horses, and just soaked in every second of this lively occasion. It was such a good time and we are definitely looking forward to enjoying year number two at Feria this month!