Pictures from Morocco

Beach visit on the way to the ferry, duty-free shop selling cigarettes, drive to Chefchaouen, dinner in Morocco, day taking pics in town, dinner with friends of Bruce's Moroccon friend.

Pictures from Conil, Spain

Journaling, homework at cafes (no internet at our apartment), meals from the terrace with views of the beach, hanging out with the coolest dog ever (besides ours, of course).

Pictures from Sevilla, Spain

In front of La Catedral,  the largest Gothic cathedral in the world

At the Alcazar

Pictures from Cordoba, Spain

Downtown Cordoba

Hanging out at the hotel pool

At La Mezquita

At the Alcazar (a Moorish palace)

An evening in Cordoba

Pictures from Granada, Spain

At the Alhambra

Taking pics of the city from the fortress at La Alhambra

Brothers enjoying the view together

Checking out the fragrant teas

Out on the town

Street performers dancing Flamenco -- unbelievable

Arrived in Rome!

From Deb -- We left on a 6am flight from Barcelona to Rome, took a long bus ride from the airport to the metro, squeezed into a metro train with all our luggage, rode about 10 minutes, walked to our flat, and made it to paradise. Bruce had booked a beautiful, little, old flat with glass doors that open up to a tiny patio with views of the Vatican. We unpacked and took a walk until we saw a pizza sign (which didn't take long) and had the best pizza we've ever eaten. Then, Bruce took the boys back to the flat for studies while I had a coffee break and went grocery shopping. Oh, and had the best cappucino I have ever had (Stumptown is a close second, though -- thank God!). Shopping was fun for me, trying to guess what things were and feeling just a taste of what my refugee friends in Seattle felt like when they first arrived. The grocery store was hilarious; when I first walked in, there was a huge shelf filled with pasta, olive oil, and pasta sauces. Around the corner were lovely cheeses and meats. Then a long row of wines. And a great section of fresh bread. And a monstrous selection of olives. Hmm. The weight we lost in Spain will quickly come back here. We will focus our studies on Ancient Rome, Sacred Rome, and Artistic Rome. Trips to the Colosseum and the Vatican will keep us busy for the next two full days, in between stops for pizza, coffee, and gelato.

Heading to Italy

From Deb Internet at all our places has been slow or non-existent, so this blog is not as informative as I'd like it to be. We had a quick trip to Morocco, came back to Spain, drove up the coast, and spent two days in Barcelona. The highlight for the boys was the Barcelona-Amsterdam soccer game, with Messi scoring a hat trick. For me it was seeing La Sagrada Familia, the church that Gaudi designed and is still being built using his plans. Plans for this church began in the late 1800s and the goal is to be finished by 2040. I was in awe when I entered the cathedral. Gaudi did a good job helping people to feel close to God here. More details and pics to come, I promise. We leave early tomorrow morning for Rome. Two weeks in Italy and then on to Prague, where Bruce's parents will be joining us. Loved Spain. Will miss it. But not the food. Wish I wasn't so afraid of the tapas.