Seville!

Yesterday was a sad but exciting day. It felt like dropping your child off for their first day of elementary school or sending your kids off to college. It was the day our students left to be with their host families. Families brought everyone in their household to pick up the kids. They were dressed very nice and were just as excited as the students, which made the transition very smooth. So now the teachers are just on call for emergencies and we can enjoy this beautiful 80 degree plus weather. We are 6 hours south of Madrid, which is a lot more tropical and has a California feel. Yes, relaxation time, only if I cared about tanning......lol more information to come....

Oh yeah,  I will know the whole Columbus story. This was a major port area for the Spanish Conquistadors...lots of history with its connection to the Americas. This city is another that is full of history.

Flamenco Dancing

I know I have been blogging as best as possible in the order that I am doing things, but there is so much that I haven't talked about, it's crazy. I love to write and I try to get as much in during the little downtime that I have had. My wife has told me to put the phone down as we walk down busy streets because I'm getting attached to my blog (ADHD).

Last night was our last night in Madrid and we had the pleasure of going to see a popular dance called "Flamenco Dancing".Now being from the south suburbs of Chicago, the popular dance is "footworking" or "juking" which is fast movements of the feet with twist and turns. The music is house,  which is sped up rap songs, with sort of a techno blend. Flamenco reminded me of that, it was fun to see. 

Flamenco is a highly expressive Spanish dance form.It is a dance characterized by hand clapping, fast footwork,hand, arm, and body movements.Those involved are; dancers, a singer, and someone on the guitar. The roots of Flamenco come from Indian, Arabic, and Spanish cultures. 

In the end, I was standing up, getting an adrenaline rush from the dance and music. Here is a little snippet below. FYI, this was NOTHING like the performance I saw last night.

Flamenco

Toledo!

The city of Toledo has been populated since the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BCE). It is known for its cultural heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures. It was once known as the "City of Three Cultures". The city sits on a mountain top and is surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. It depicts the beauty of Europe, nestled in a small town. Majority of the city remains the same as it was hundreds of years ago and has been made a national monument. Toledo sees over 2 million visitors a year.

Tagus River/Iberian Peninsula 

Toledo!

So our adventure in Madrid comes to an end, but there is still more to come. It was an experience I will never forget. But on  to the next city, which takes us to Toledo. One word, AMAZING! More information to come. ....

SEGOVIA!

Today was a "Good Day" in the words of the great Ice Cube. We went to the historic city of Segovia and saw some INCREDIBLE sites. It was full of mountains, castles, and cathedrals. Spain is so rich in history and architecture. It is never ending with the amount of things to see. Segovia had this small city feel, but was really laid back. I must admit, going inside of a castle, had my imagination rolling. All of the movies and cartoons of kings and queens that have I witnessed growing up started generating in my head. The fight scenes, the big meals at the long table with the huge turkey in the middle, the way that they dressed, the gold, and crowns. This is the history of Europe my friends!

Segovia is a city that is nestled in a region of Spain that is mountainous and has a cool climate. It has a high elevation, so that creates the temperature change. Today, it was in the 60's, but very sunny. You can definitely tell the difference because when we got back to Madrid it was in the 70's. Segovia was once in control by the Romans and was abandoned by Islamic invasion. There lies deep history in Spain in this city. Here below are some pictures from some popular sites in Segovia:

Acueducto de Segovia is one of the most preserved and ancient monuments of the Iberian Peninsula. It was used to help transport water in the city from the 15th to the 19th century. It is no longer used for that, but is now a tourist attraction.

Alcazar of Segovia began as an Arab fort. It was also home to many of the monarchs of this city. It is one of the most distinct castles in Spain. It also served as state prison and a military academy.

View from top of Alcazar.....

Other buildings in Segovia...

Well, hope you enjoyed, next stop in the morning........Toledo, then Seville!

SEGOVIA!

Another day in the books, another early morning. The last thing that everyone needed was another time change, yes, we lost an hour of sleep last night. It is all good though, the espresso got a brother wide awake! We are headed to our next destination, which is Segovia. I don't know much about Segovia, so I will do some research on the way on the bus. The one thing I do know is that there is a higher elevation, which will bring a different temperature.

Based on this picture, it looks really cool! More information to come!

Museums and Art!

Walking through the the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (Spain's National Museum of 20th Century Art) was an experience that you only dream of. Now, I am not going to say I am an "art expert", but I do have an appreciation for it and I do have some artistic ability myself, so I can say I can identify with it. This museum was dedicated to Spanish art, but specifically to the works of one of the greatest artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. He was influential in the creation of "cubisim", which is an early 20th century style and movement in art, especially in painting. Cubisim is where geometric shapes, planes, collage, abstract and multiple viewpoints, are put together simultaneously. Here is an example below:

Picasso's creation of cubism has been considered the most influential movement in the early 20th century. It is incredible to see up close. Being in the same country where he developed his craft, allows you to feel the power of his work. I am blessed to have been able to really take in what he has done. Also, the architecture of this museum was very unique. It is hard to describe, as the building was really, really tall, but also wide in some areas, with lots of space. It reminded me of a Lego building from an elementary student, where it looks like it makes no sense to you, but the child understands. Very, very, hard to describe to say the least, but also incredibly creative and cool. Here is a view from the top floor, outdoor section of the museum. It gives you a great view of the city.

Here is a little video clip on Pablo Picasso:

Picasso

Another early morning......

Well, day 2 begins with a wonderful breakfast with quiche, pineapple yogurt, chorizo sausage (fire!), and a shot of espresso. They don't do regular coffee everywhere, although there is a Starbucks and Dunkin  Donuts. Most people  get shots of espresso in these little cups with small handles. My hands are big,  so I was using a lot of fingertips for grip.

Our next destination required us to hop on the subway, which was similar to the system in New York. It is interesting to see the  clean and mellow atmosphere.

Next stop,National  Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. The weather is absolutely perfect!

Here are a few pictures from the National Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. More information to come. ...

 Botanical Gardens

Pablo Picasso 

Map of Madrid

Here is a simple map of the area:

We are in Madrid and will be traveling next week to Seville, which is in the southwestern corner of the country. The students will be at a family stay, where they will experience the lives of a "Spaniard". Madrid is home to about 4 million people and is ranked #58 on the world population index.

Check this video out:

Out on the Town

We are doing ALOT of walking, which is all good because that means for every croissant I eat, I will counter with exercise. The weather is really nice, probably in the 60's, but temperatures will probably rise in the next week or so. March is typically a warm month in Madrid. Here are some pictures  of some buildings in part of the downtown area.

Food

Eating the food here has been interesting as well. It doesn't seem as if breakfast is a big meal for people in Spain. Here I am, looking for eggs, bacon, sausage, and I end up eating a croissant or panini and fruit. No Perkins, Denny's, Fat Nats' (which if you haven't eaten at, it is BOMB!). I did stumble pass a McDonalds, which I am sure that I will have to hit up at some point in time. But, the amount of pastries is incredible and I would definitely give it a 10 for taste and presentation! Not to mention tonight, we went to this really good restaurant, where they just brought food out in appetizer form and we shared with those around our table (Tapas). It consisted of chorizo sausage, this egg bake, fried cheese, salad, and calamari. We topped it off by going to this Chocolate Churro cafe where we ate churros dipped in this thin chocolate. I actually seen some people drinking the chocolate out of the mug that it was presented in. I could not do that, I will leave it at that....... 

Check this video out, it is in Spanish....

Churros

The food in the bottom picture came from the restaurant named  "Meson". It was a great time and  a guy was playing the on a keyboard the whole time. It was quite funny as he played "Macarena", Ricky Martin, and he ended the night by playing, "YMCA". That was HILARIOUS, to say the least. Good fun, good music, good food.

 

Don Quioxte

Today was full of adventure, as we walked, walked, walked, and saw so many great things. We got a chance to to see the statue of Don Quixote, who is a legend, created by the the great Spanish author Miguel De Cervantes. The architecture, art, and history makes Madrid one of the most interesting places in the world!

http://www.biography.com/people/miguel-de-cervantes-9242997

Amsterdam

Well, we made it to  Amsterdam and it is 6:37 in the morning here,  crazy.My body feels like it's around 11 or 12. I have no idea how I am going to get to sleep. We went through customs and all I kept thinking was how it reminded movie. 

The Beginning..........

Here I am, packing bags, making phone calls, checking on my class. The beginning journey of the trip of a lifetime is coming  shortly. I have mixed emotions of nervousness, excitement, and sadness. I will be away from my class, my daughter, mom, and friends. Not that I don't mind being away, but it is my first time doing this and like all "first", you don't know what to expect.

So, in my journey, I go from this:










To this:

See what I mean. To be continued........LET'S GO!!!!!