Mom & Dad Visit Spain

April has been a whirlwind, for many reasons. Literally, Spain’s weather has been nuts this month. The glimmering hope of spring that blossomed in March—with clear blue skies and temperatures soaring into the 70s—was blown away by the chilly April winds, bringing grey clouds and colder temperatures. However, the real whirlwind experience has come from all the traveling, touring, and entertaining that I’ve done this month. Exciting events didn’t stop after spending the first two weeks in Turkey (see previous blog entry & Facebook pics), a great trip that left my head spinning and thinking of all-things-Turkish for days after my departure. Immediately upon my return to Spain, I had just enough time to unpack my suitcase, get some sleep, and teach some kids for half a day before I welcomed my own parents to Madrid!

Mom & Dad got here on Tuesday morning (April 14th). I met up with them for the first time at Hostal Salamanca, the little hostel 3 blocks from my apartment.
I (accidentally) pushed them really hard their first day here, convinced that it's best to truck on through the first day in order to fight jet lag. We had a nice Asturian lunch at Casa Mingo, rode the cable car across Madrid's Casa del Campo, and walked around the central part of town. They were troopers!

I kept my work schedule during the two weeks Mom and Dad were here. Yet, on the weekends, we three traveled together... with the first weekend trip to Sevilla.

My second trip to Sevilla started with a luxurious AVE high-speed train ride that took just over 2 hours, which certainly beat the 7-hour overnight bus ride I took to get there back in October. Mom found a great apartment for rent that was practically on top of the Plaza de Torros, and from our rooftop, we could see into the stables and watch the picadores y matadores before they entered the bull ring. Actually, bull-fighting season began the weekend we were in Sevilla. We debated whether or not we wanted to go to a fight. We took a tour of the Plaza de Torros on Saturday, and we haggled around a bit for tickets. Afterwards, we stopped in a small ticket office to compare options. Thinking we'd found the best deal, I said, "Let's do it." Well, Ticket Man ripped off three tickets and gave them to me. In turn, I handed him Dad's credit card (oh, the advantages of traveling with parents...), but he refrained from swiping the card in order to answer the phone. While, TM was making deals over the phone, I stared up at an enlarged photo on the wall: a matador, with sword in hand, was dodging an enormous beast whose shoulders and flanks were covered in deep-red blood, as a result of the protruding spikes. Staring at this image, I began to imagine what I was about to witness in person and only 50-feet away. These thoughts then triggered my fainting-response, and all of a sudden I began to feel nauseous. I looked at my parents and said, "I don't know if I want to do this anymore." Mom's face gave away her misgivings, too, but Dad just stood there saying, "You decide. I don't care." Just before Ticket Man hung up the phone, I picked up the credit card, which had been sitting at the top of the machine, and I clutched it in my hand. When he got off the phone, I answered his questioning face, "Es que no puedo!" I just can't do it! I tried to explain about my fainting habits, but TM still tried to convince me that it was una cosa muy linda, a very beautiful thing. I said I didn't care if it was or wasn't a very beautiful art; I didn't want to pass out because of it.

Then and there, I decided I am probably never going to see a bull fight. Yes, it's something unique to Spanish heritage, and yes, it may be considered an art. BUT it's only been around since the 1800s (which isn't that long) and it's something I just don't want to witness.

Luckily, Sevilla has more to offer than just bull fights. After the torro-incident, we toured the Alcazar, the Christian palace based off the Moorish designs of Granada's Alhambra. Sevilla is also home to the third largest cathedral in the world, whose bell tower and courtyard are the only remains of the mosque that once stood in its place (see photo above).

The Sevilla Cathedral boasts the world's largest and most extravagant altar piece. It's dripping in gold leaf.

The Cathedral's Treasury is ridiculous. Above you'll see the world's largest pearl... it's the body of the angel, only one adornment of a crown covered in precious gems and minerals. Below, Mom is demonstrating how these large altars are marched throughout the city during Semana Santa.

The Plaza de España

While I reminisced of the previous weekend in Mallorca, Dad revisited his hunting days in Cordoba (But Dad, we're in Spain, not Argentina!).

Next family trip... Barcelona!

We enjoyed our trip to Sevilla, even if we didn't go to a bull fight. We returned to Madrid Sunday evening. Mom and Dad took day trips to Toledo and Segovia, in order to get a taste of old-town and small-town Spain. I met up with them around Madrid after classes, but one afternoon, they made a visit to my school.

Mom and Dad were put in the hot seat when they came to my second grade class for a few minutes one afternoon. The kids practiced asking questions in English, but some of them weren't really thinking when they asked in adorable high voices: "How old are you?" "How long have you been living here?" "How often do you play football?" Regardless of how many times they asked, "Where are you from?", I'm glad that my parents got to meet these loveable terrors of mine.

Walking through Plaza Mayor and "bull-fighting" in Retiro

One of the best things about having my parents visit me was that they got a chance to meet a lot of people that I have been writing or talking about for months now. From teachers and kids to my best friends, Mom and Dad can now put faces with names. One night, Ida, Yadira, and SK came over to have wine and tapas at a nice establishment (restaurant? bar?) on my street, called La Taberna de Jaen.
I spent the second weekend with Mom and Dad in Barcelona. We flew out on Thursday evening, and when we arrived, everyone was carrying roses for St. George's Day. Above is Sir George slaying the dragon. Our hotel was centrally located near La Rambla, the wide promenade that runs from the harbor up into the new city center. Street performers, like this one with Mom, do their best to impress the thousands of people who flow like a river up and down this busy street.

Barcelona has a great market on La Rambla. Every type of fish, shellfish, and domestic animal body part you could ever want is there. Colorful displays of fruits and vegetables spill out of the stalls into the narrow walkways. Tourists and locals alike come to shop around or just look. Of course, we wandered through it more than once throughout the weekend.

Of course, a visit to Barcelona wouldn't be complete without seeing the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's most famous, most significant, and on-going project. I couldn't believe the progress that I saw in just four months since my last visit! It should be completed in approximately 20-30 years. Reunion in Barcelona?

Barcelona is champion of modern architecture, as it was subject to the numerous architects and designers experimenting with the distinct design of Art Neveux in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, the construction cranes and towers of La Sagrada Familia serve as constant reminders that Barcelona is still practicing innovative techniques when it comes to eye-catching architecture.

Watch out for those muscles! Mom, Dad, and I had some fantastic meals throughout their visit. I definitely enjoyed a more upscale epicurean experience in those two weeks.

Thanks, Mom & Dad, for treating me to so many great meals.

Barcelona has a lovely beach, but it was quite blustery when we visited. It was a little too chilly for us to hang out on the beach, which I thought was a shame since I miss being near the water. However, my parents weren't in need of much beach time, because as I write this, they are enjoying the beach life in Panama City Beach, Florida, USA.

Both my parents and the month of April have left with the spring winds. Now, it's May. Unbelievable. I have either been traveling or entertaining visitors for the past NINE weeks. This is my blessed weekend off, where I am staying in Madrid, relaxing and resting. I've got three more trips in May (Santiago de Compostela, Budapest, & London), and I've got to get my students prepared for the dreaded Trinity Exams. Does the whirlwind of my experience in Spain ever end? Someday... but I've got a lot of things to do and see before then!