We drove to Gina's on Monday evening and waited for our cab we had booked. We scheduled it to arrive at 10:30 pm and requested a van. At 10:20 pm Stuart rang them and they said the van should be there shortly. Then Stuart received a text saying the cab had been canceled. So we hopped in a regular cab just outside of Gina's building, even though we were crammed, and drove to the airport. Comfy ride!
We were booked on two different flights so Gina didn't fly with us, which was probably to her relief. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt was fine, and the kids slept a bit, and were entertained by movies and games. The second flight was the nightmare, at least with Millie. She was terribly unsettled and there were no games or movies to entertain her. Needless to say we were all finished with traveling by the time we arrived in Madrid. Sadly, we had to drive 5 hours to get to Oria. The kids slept half of the journey, but were quite restless.
We arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's around 6 pm. After getting things out of the car and unpacking a bit, we fed the kids and went for a swim. The pool was cold but very refreshing to the weary travelers.
The kids were bathed and hit the sack at 9 pm. It was believed they would sleep through the night, but our beliefs were incorrect. Around 3:30 am Millie screamed and I jumped out of bed. I brought her in to sleep with me. Around 4 am the bed seemed strangely crowded. I looked over and Jack had crawled into the twin bed with us. I got up and insisted we go back to their trundle beds so at least there would only be two of us in one bed. By this time both kids were wide awake, thirsty and wanted to eat. I went into the kitchen and got them some crackers. They ate crackers and I fought to stay awake and monitor them. Jack wanted to play with his Lego guys or the IPad. Um, no! I made them lay back down. By half past five they were both asleep again so I returned to my bed.
I woke up around 9 am and felt relatively refreshed. Jack had been up for about a half an hour by that time and Millie woke up just before 10 am.
The morning was super lazy. Grandpa and Stuart cleaned the pool while the kids terrorized the pond fish.
I had coffee on the veranda and enjoyed the fresh breeze of Spain.
On a Wednesday morning why wouldn't you want to have coffee sitting here?
The day was filled with relaxation and a wading pool for the kids, which proved to be very cold.
There were a lot of gifts to keep the kids entertained.
Millie really loved her Fleminco Dancer outfit. She looks like a true Spainard.
Jack was given all of the Star Wars films. He couldn't wait to get up to start the series on Thursday morning. The big question was which series should they start first? Oh the challenges of the Star Wars fans. In the end they began at the chronological beginning.
Wednesday evening we had dinner on the veranda again. We had burgers and salad. The cool breeze was certainly welcomed. Because it is nearly half past nine before it gets completely dark, the late evening sneaks up on you. We ended up going to bed around 11 pm, about an hour after the kids. Sadly, Millie still had jetlag. She woke up at 1:15 am and finally went back to sleep around 4:15 am, continuing to be thirsty, hungry and rolling around trying to get comfortable. What a treat that jetlag is!
Thursday we didn't get up until around 10 am. Because of this we had a late start to our shopping outing. We went to a Mercadona, which I would compare to a Safeway, and we also went to a shop that provided all types of knick knacks. Most shops close at 2 pm for a siesta so we did rush a bit. Jack wanted everything he saw, which has become the norm.
We had tapas at a local cafe and I was able to try out some of my incredibly rusty Spanish. Stuart thinks I can communicate well because I use a great deal of animation while talking. If we were playing sharads his assessment would be correct, but when trying to figure out why we can't get food at the moment we need it, actually being able to speak the language would be helpful. Thank goodness Grandma understands and speaks a great deal of Spanish.
We got back to the villa just before 5 pm and decided to go down to Espiranza's, a local bar where tapas and beverages are served for next to nothing. She serves some delightful little dishes. Gina took the kids out to take pictures with her. I think she could tell they were restless and we were tired. She is really an easy traveling companion, and super helpful.
We decided that although it was a bank holiday in all of Spain on Friday, we would still get up early and head to Granada. Granada is about an hour and a half west of Oria and the place Christopher Colombus met Ferdinand and Isabella to get the money to sail to the New World in 1492. There is great history in Granada.
We were out the door just before 9 am. This was a great feat since we have not even been out of bed since we arrived before 9 am. After we realized how much day we actually had by getting up that early, we vowed to get up earlier for the rest of the holiday, mainly because we know how difficult it will be to get up in a little over a week when we go back to work. Also a benefit is we get to enjoy our time more.
We got to the Alhambra just before 11 am. The tickets were sold out, which we knew would most likely be the case, so we hopped on the City Sightseeing bus, my favorite way to see a city, and off we went. The tour took us all around the city and had an audio description of the sights we were seeing. Go figure!
We got off the bus at the Cathedral and walked into the center of town, where we visited almost every stall with everything from castenettes to Route 66 signs- not lying. I ended up buying this little hand-knitted coin purse. It was adorable and very practical.
We had lunch in the town center and then shopped a bit more. After walking around and looking in most every touristy shop, and eating ice cream on the square, we headed back to the bus stop. There really were no other places to get off of the bus so we headed back to the Alhambra. There were a few shops by the Alhambra that sold some little plates and saucers, so naturally we had to purchase something.
Our thought was to stop and have a bite to eat at one of the hotels along the motorway on the road back to Oria. However, because of the bank holiday no place was open. So instead we went back to Casa Las Estancias (Grandma and Grandpa's house), picked up Grandma because Grandpa was napping, and went to Espiranza's for a drink and tapas. I could probably get used to the Spanish life style.
We ended the evening with some tapas at the house and then hit the sack.
On Saturday we had a very lazy day. It was overcast most of the day and quite a bit cooler. Stuart helped his mum tie up some plants in the garden while the kids and Gina cracked open almonds from Grandma and Grandpa's almond trees. We went swimming later in the afternoon, even though it was quite cold. Once you were in the water it was fine, but the wind was blowing so it became freezing as you got out to dry.
We had a game of 'let's throw the ball at each other's heads', which was delightful. Jack and Millie seemed to, as always, have fun.
While the kids were bathing Stuart fixed their dinner. Our goal was to get them into bed before 9 pm. Once they ate, we headed to Espiranza's for drinks and tapas. It actually got too cold out on the patio and we had to move indoors. Once we were finished at Espiranza's we came back to the house and put the kids to bed.
Our dinner consisted of paella, a traditional rice dish in Spain. As you can see it was full of seafood. It took a great deal of prep, in which I did not participate. It was delicious. But boy did it stink once it cooled. Seafood shelf life is pretty short.
Stuart cooked it on a special burner meant just for paella. He was totally in his element.
Sunday we got up and went to a market in Fines. There were fruits and vegetables, as well as sun dresses and shoes. Of course Gina and I had to buy a couple of dresses. We also purchased some produce and candy. There was a man making churros in a huge vat of oil. It was quite a sight. Naturally we had to partake.
After the market we came back to the villa and had a swim. The water was the same temperature as the days before.....cold. Millie stayed in for around 15 minutes and the rest of us didn't last much longer.
Grandma made a roast dinner with pork, chicken and every vegetable known to man. It was delisious.
We got up on Monday morning and headed to Baza Lake. At the lake we had a little rubber boat that everyone played with. We rented some paddle boats and paddled around the lake. It was hard work. Our paddle boat had a slide on it. The kids went down it a few times and then Grandpa swam over to our boat and went down it as well.
We had lunch at the restaurant by the lake. About the time lunch came was about the time I think I was hit with a stomach bug. Fun!
We went back down to the lake for a little over an hour, but then it was so brutally hot we couldn't cope. We headed back to the villa and cleaned up for tapas and beverages at Espiranza's.
I was not well at all and felt super nauseous. I just sat and listened to conversation. Jack and Millie played with Teddy, Shelia and Chris's dog. Yes, they brought their dog to the bar.
When we got home the kids had already been bathed and so they went to bed. I went shortly after they did.
Our struggle here with the kids has been the time the sun actually goes down, but they will get back into their routine once we get back to the UAE. Plus, we think Millie has been having bad dreams because a few mornings she has gotten up and talked about the monsters in her room at night.
Everyone slept just fine on Monday night, which was nice. Tuesday brought about another day of rest and relaxation, pool side fun, tapas and Sangria. We did attempt to go to the basilica in the village center but it wasn't open so we went across the street to the local pub for a cerveza.
Basilica= closed
Pub= open!
When we returned from the basilica/pub we had a game of snakes and ladders. Grandma always has something to entertain the kids. This was a large plastic game board and each player acts as their own marker. It was really fun. Millie just liked rolling the dice, but Jack, Gina and I really wanted to win.
After our game we hit the pool for our daily swim. We also revisited our ball game that involved the girls throwing balls at the boys and vice versa. After the pool the kids took a bath, and for the first time in our trip the water pressure took a dive, so getting the soap out of Millie's hair was a bit of a challenge.
For supper we had pork ribs and burgers, like you do. Every night but one we have eaten outside, which has been lovely. We couldn't have asked for better temperatures in the evenings. And really during the day it has not been terribly unbearable. All in all we have had a very relaxing stay.
Millie found a good book to read during our stay. Funny that she already needs reading glasses.
Tuesday night I was awake for about two hours, stressing about a situation that came to my attention by our friend Rochelle. Andrew, her husband, was the person we were hiring to take Jack and Millie to school this coming year. Through some turn of events (car engine dying, them moving very far out, and him having. To cut his school run by a few kids), that was no longer going to be possible. We also found out that Ms. Janet, Millie's nanny from last year still didn't have a place to work for this school year. After stressing for the two hours in the middle of the night, I messaged Rochelle to see if Andrew could just take the kids to school. Because we have to leave so very early we would then have to find someone to stay at our house with the kids until Andrew could pick them up. Here was the solution.... Ms. Janet is going to live with Rochelle and Andrew, be dropped off at our house at 6:15 am every school day and then picked up at 3:30 pm when Andrew is done with his school runs. We split her pay and we get a full time house keeper. Hello!
Wednesday was our last day at Grandma and Grandpa's, which is always a bit sad. We packed, watched some more of the Star Wars series, swam, showered, ate dinner, and then it was time to load up the car and drive through the night to Madrid.
Leaving is always so difficult. Grandma was sad, I was crying, and when Gina, the kids and myself were sitting in the car, Stuart hugged his mum one last time. Gina turned and said,'Okay, I can't watch. That makes me sad.' I agreed, and continued crying.
Our drive was a long one and we were all a little weary by the time we arrived. Jack slept the entire way, and Millie slept most of the way. Millie, however, kept screaming, kicking, hitting, and crying, during her sleep. It was so strange. While we were in Spain, Millie would come out to the veranda most mornings as Gina and I were relaxing. She would look at the large terra cotta lizard on the wall and proceed to tell us about the monsters in her room. I really think she has been having bad dreams at night. So I can only assume she was having bad dreams on the way to Madrid. She opened her eyes only once in the many times she screamed out. I felt so helpless.
Once we got to the airport and checked in, everything was pretty uneventful. Our flights were good. All of us slept during out first flight to Germany. In fact, Millie slept the 2.5 hour flight and the 3.5 hour layover. She really needed it. She is our '12 hour of sleep' kid for sure.
The second flight Stuart slept, but no one else did. It really wasn't a bad flight, and the fact that the kids didn't sleep and we arrived back to Gina's around 11 pm, meant they would sleep all the way home and through the night. They did exactly that!
I got up at 8 am and decided since I was awake I would go grocery shopping to get it out of the way. The kids and Stuart were still asleep so I snuck out. I was gone for 2 hours, got all groceries needed, spent more money than I wanted too, brought McDonalds for everyone and headed home. I texted Stuart before I left the grocery store and apparently woke him up. Ha!
The rest of the day was spent sorting out our apartment. I found out I have way too many clothes here. In fact, all of us do. I'm not really sure how that happened.
In the evening Cathy and Claire came over for dinner. We ended up playing Trivial Pursuit until 1 am. So much for getting the much needed rest. Oops!
Saturday morning we lazed around until around 11:30 am. We decided we should probably get out of the house and be a little productive. We headed to the mall for a bite to eat.
I had left my car at Karen and Wade's house while we were gone. So after lunch we headed to pick up the car. We ended up staying for a while and talking, mainly because my keys were in Scott and Claire's house and they weren't home.
Once we had the car we headed to renew our Rugby Club membership. Yahoo! We decided to swim for a while. The swim was cut short when Rochelle texted to say they were on their way to our apartment. We hopped out of the pool and headed home. Jack was so excited to see Louie I thought he was going to squeeze him in half.
So basically the day was spent catching up with friends. It was great.
In the back of our minds we were thinking about school. Since both of us have new positions this year as Heads of Faculty, that means we will be in new schools. The catch is we can't be placed until someone shows up to take our teaching positions. So we are to report to our old schools on Sunday and Monday, then report to the Zone Monday at 3 pm to learn our fate. Stay tuned!
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