Friday 30 November 2012

Nov 30:
Isa is a little under the weather today so she sent dad and mom out to explore and they ended up going to the Mercado de San Miguel for tapas and a play of Don Quixote in Spanish.
Plaza de Espana

Mercado de San Miguel






Thursday 29 November 2012

Nov. 29:
Today we went to the golden triangle of art, and I chose one piece from each to tell you a little about, but first I will tell you what else we did today. First we went to the three museums than we were walking home and saw a big, and beautiful building with lots of plants on the side. Then we were shopping until dinner. Dinner was in a deconsecrated church and it was good but dad liked it the most, there was music and opera, my favourite part was dessert.
Now the museums. First we went to the Prado and saw the painting Las Meninas, done by Diego Velazquez in 1656 which shows the 5 year old heir to the Spainsh thrown. One of the most important paintings in western history but I didn't think if was that interesting. Second museum, the Reina Sofia museum, the painting Guernica by Pablo Picasso (very good art work) made in 1937.This piece shows the suffering of a war but in an unrealistic way (Guernica was the first time civilians were targeted in war by bombing the whole city). The third museum was the Thyssen museum and the painting Les Vessennote by Vincent van Gogh, in 1890. This was one of the last painting Van Gogh ever painted before he died. Also at the Thyssen museum was a exhibit on Cartier. Cartier was a jerwliest and a beautiful one at that. We each picked one for our own , I picked a tiara, but they have to stay with the exhibit. That looks like everything, ta ta for now.



La Capila restaurant in a church

Cartier exhibit at Thyssen museum

Picasso's Guernica in Reina Sofia museum

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Nov. 28: Today was very cold. We got up a bit late and went for lunch. Mum and I agreed that Mc Donald's was going to be better then any other food so we went there. The food was smaller then I remember and dad looked like a giant next to is Filet Of Fish. Then we all went  to Starbucks for a wifi break. Next we went to a museum but once we got there the man told us it had been closed for years. I have a cold so we went home and I did work. A bit later we went to an opera called El JURAMENTO which was good but a bit long. It was set during the war of Spanish Succession (1700-1714). I liked the costumes. Good nigh all, bye.







Tuesday 27 November 2012

Nov. 27:
Today we went to the royal palace of Madrid. This palace is the official residence of the Spanish royal family. There is an armoury that has lots of different pieces of armour for men and kids. The palace is on the site first used as a fort by the Moors in the 800s. Madrid was taken back by the Christians in 1085 but the palace did not really become important until Madrid was made the capitol of Spain in 1561.
There are statues on the tops of roofs all over the place here. In the afternoon I did some work, and after a while we walked around and got me a new coat and had dinner.  Now we are home happy to rest. Good bye. Oh before I go it was so cold today we all nearly froze.
Cathedral of the palace

Spanish Royal Palace

Armoury of the Palace






New coat in front of the Museum of Ham

Market selling food like Eataly in NY

Monday 26 November 2012

Nov. 26:
Today we drove to Madrid. Madrid is a big city, with roughly 5 million citizens and the capitol of Spain. Toledo was the capital but it was moved to Madrid in the 1500s. Madrid is located on the Manzanares river. Madrid is currently a candidate for the 2020 Summer Olympics, cool right. The rest of our day we spent shopping and playing minecraft. TTYL Bye.
Toledo to Madrid

Sunday 25 November 2012

Nov. 25:
Today I woke up with a sore throat but I lived. We first went to church at the cathedral, then we went to a really big museum. The museum was housed in the Alcazar (fort) and it had the military history of Spain. I liked the tin soldier (miniatures) and armour.   Then we went for a walk around Toledo and a late lunch at a place called La Orza which had really good food and the best artichoke I have had. The we all came home and relaxed. Now we are going to go for dinner so good bye.
 Alcantara Bridge

Got hot out there today

I like this artichoke

Toledo is almost surrounded by water

Bisagra (main Gate of Toledo)

San Martin Bridge

Saturday 24 November 2012

Nov. 24: Holy Toledo
Today we drove to Toledo! When we got here I stayed home while mum and dad went out to explore and eat lunch. They went to the El Greco museum and around the town. I did some homework and played Minecraft on the computer. When we were all home we went out for dinner and we had a mix of chinese and spanish. Odd combo but I liked the fried rice a lot. Now we are at home having a little bit of fun before drifting off to that nice place in our heads. ZZZzzz.
 Cordoba (A) to Toledo (B)
Crumbly on way to Toledo
View of Rio Tajo


Puente de San Martin
Cathedral of Toledo
El Greco


Friday 23 November 2012

Nov. 23:
Today it is a Roman holiday. Romans started an outpost here in Cordoba almost 200 years before Christ and it grew to be one of the biggest and most important cities of ancient Rome. We went to some pillars that were part of a Roman temple and then the archeology museum. We had good couscous for dinner, then we saw a horse show and mummy was especially impressed with the skipping horses.

Roman Temple
Ruins of Roman Theatre

Roman coins in the Archeology museum



Only cat today was seen by daddy

Thursday 22 November 2012

Nov. 22:
Today we first went to the cathedral that was originally a mosque. Cordoba was first made a city by the Romans and it was a rival to Rome and centre of Spain at the time. Then in 711 the Muslims took over and it became the biggest city in the world about 1000 years ago. The Christians took the city back before finishing the Reconquista of Spain in Granada in 1492. 

We did some walking around after visiting the cathedral but we had to come home to do homework. When I was done homework we all went out the see a historic castle that had an amazing garden. Then we walked to a big bridge and at the end of the bridge there was a another museum on the history of Cordoba. Then we went to our hotel and got ready to go see a water light show at the castle we say earlier. I loved the show there was water shooting here and there, but one hour of water and light can get a little boring. For dinner we went to a tapas place but I was disiponted with my couscous it seemed like they 
made the couscous a week ago and just heated it up, same with the chicken. ta ta for now.


Cordoba cathedral (originally a mosque)

view of cathedral courtyard
View from castled



Castle gardens


Roman bridge looking back at cathedral