Spain

Spain was never really top on my list (I still have not made it to any of the places that were my top choices to visit before moving here actually).  Shea always wanted to go.  Lake was really excited about it during the planning process.  Ange and Dave (secretly in the background) must have been okay with it too.

Well, it was a fantastic place to visit!  We went to Madrid first and then to Barcelona.  We had hoped to visit Segovia too but nixed it last minute so we could see more of Madrid.

Now, the Spain lifestyle does not suit me at all.  I like to go to bed early and wake up early (I have always been a morning person).  The Spanish, however, prefer to eat dinner after 10pm, call it a night around 3 and then start the next day around 11am.  Thankfully, our time together in London had set up the travelling party to adapt quite quickly to this schedule.  All nights were late.  Very late.

All those late nights make for a thirsty morning (of Sangria)

But we were also determined to see the sights of these cities too.  This made mornings a bit rough and mostly doable by everyone (there were a few who needed extra sleep and liquids after a night of celebrating).

Only three of us made it out the first full day in Madrid.

We were later joined by the rest.  Dave and Shea attached at the shoulder.

There are some interesting signs out there.  This is from a scooter.  

In Madrid, we got to see a few museums (Museo Del Prado, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza), a palace (Palacio Real), a park (Parque Del Buen Retiro) and various plazas that served tapas and drinks.

Views from the park.

Us enjoying the sun at the park. Some burnt.

Just a random lake for boating.

Ange was captivated with little blue boy and his dog.

In the park, there is the only statue dedicated to Satan.  This is his fall from heaven.

The palace for the Royal Spanish Family.  Now it is only used for ceremonial events.

Enjoying some shade.  It was really hot!

After going "teacher" on someone else for taking forbidden pictures in London, I did the same thing.  This is the roof of the palace. Oops!

I worked so hard to try to get a picture of these little buses.  This is the best one.  Because the roads are so small, normal buses cannot go down them.  This bus runs every 10 minutes.

We got really good at taking selfies!

Thanks to Lake and Ange, we found some wonderful accommodations through AirBnB.  We had a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom flat in a great location!  Unfortunately, one of the bathrooms was a bit tight.

It was a tight fit for Dave!

After enjoying everything Madrid had to offer us, we took a train to Barcelona.  Barcelona kicked our asses for the first bit.  We arrived at our AirBnB-booked accommodations and started cleaning.  The place was disgusting!!!  Lake, being a man of action, made the executive decision to call the company and get us out of there.  AirBnB started off giving us all these promises to find us new accommodations (it being 10pm at night already) but did not carry through on anything.  We ended up finding a hostel for the night (because AirBnB stated they would locate us something for the remaining time in Barcelona).  In the end, they did not and we wasted an afternoon trying to figure out where we could stay.  It was a very frustrating experience.  I don't think I would ever use AirBnB again.  

The first sight we visited was La Sagrada Familia.  It is an unfinished cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi.  It is completely unique and modern in design.  A masterpiece.  Everything about it relates to nature and God. He was truly a genius with the design and details.  I would love to come back to Barcelona when it is complete (approx. 2020).

The exterior.

A perfect time for a selfie!

The passion facade.

The roof.  All the columns are designed to look like trees reaching up to the heavens.

A spiral staircase to the roof.

The alter.  His knowledge and use of light is breathtaking. 

The Nativity facade. The cathedral sort of resembles a sandcastle. 

Such details in each sculpture. 

We also did a lot of wondering (getting lost) in Barcelona.  Thankfully, we got to see some other wonderful things.

A random street in Barcelona.

Continuing with the trend: Every major city needs an arc.  

 One of the biggest lessons we learnt is that when travel buddies start getting cranky, they need alcohol. We solved many disagreements over a bottle of wine, pint of beer or glass of sangria.

We also pondered the great questions of life.

Even with wasting most of a day finding accommodations, getting lost, and being tired, we are all happy and still friends after a pint!

Although it would not go on for very long till someone ruined the mood.

Friends on!

There is always someone selling some sort of piece of junk to keep boys entertained.  One night it was these slingshot things that lit up.  The boys did this for about 2 hours.  This gave Ange and I some quality sister time while supervising the boys.

The boys shooting their light things in the air.

Of course, when you do this under a palm tree, one is bound to get stuck.  So what do you do: you shoot the others up there to get it out.

This game became quite the attraction.  Especially when three were caught in the same tree.

But this allowed us to make some friends.

And gave us the opportunity to buy more useless junk...

Like flashing sunglasses!

I swear, we only had these things for 20 minutes but took over 200 pictures of us wearing them.

They were pretty awesome.

Its about 3am in this picture. The party is still strong in some.

I think Lake is still upset that all the light shooting things are still stuck in the tree.  And there they remained.

Squirrel! 

It's not a successful night until someone has to be carried home.

I think this is a chicken dance?

Best friends forever!

Lake in his hostel room.

 You think after a night like that, we would be ready to sleep in.  Not true.  It was time to take a Scenic bus tour!

You would never have known that three of us were so very happy just before this because it looked like one annoying traveler (and Ange) were not going to get on the bus.  We all made it on though.   

 Our first stop was Park Guell.  Gaudi designed this enchanting garden.  It sort of reflects a Dr. Seuss style with colourful mosaics, paths and patterns.

A green parakeet.  These birds are everywhere in Barcelona.

A pathway.

Views from the top.

My attempt at an artistic shot of the city.

Some of the tile work.  

A roof mosaic. 

Supports to hold up a path above.  

Another selfie.

Back on the bus.

 We then went to the waterfront to see the beaches.  On our way, we saw a monument to Christopher Columbus.  We thought he would be pointing towards the New World (west).  Turns out he is pointing south.  No idea why.

Christopher Columbus.

At the beach.  Only two went in.

All this activity made for a sleepy (and cold) Lake. Notice he is snuggled into his backpack for warmth.

 Like all good things, this trip had to come to an end.  We split off into three groups: one to Rome, one home and that left Shea and I alone.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

 Shea and I had a few more days in Barcelona.  We used it to catch up on sleep, walk along the beach and visit the Picasso Museum.  The museum was very useful in showing the evolution of Picasso's artistic talent.

This is one of his early paintings.  If you don't like his later work, you have to admit that he is talented just from this.

One of his most famous works was to take this painting by Diego Valazquez and recreate it.  He asked himself "what would it look like if I move this here and that there?"

As a result of those questions, he created this.  Unlike most artists who copy paintings, he chose to change it and make it his own.  

 On our last walk of the beach, we came across this:

We found Euro-Disney.  It looks kind of trashy.  

My Tour Guide Skills are Lacking

So because my sister (Ange), her fiance (Dave) and our friend Lake were in London, I got to do some of the tourist things and play tour guide.  Note: I am not that great of a tour guide.  I make people walk lots and I still get lost. I also have a hard time finding pubs (just up the street and around the corner).

Overall, I think we all had a fantastic time in London together.  It was not even a reunion.  We just picked up and continued our conversations from the last time we saw each other.

Everything is so fun because we have been apart for so long!

I unicorned Dave!

Everything in London is so "Londony!"

The saddest post ever.

I forgot London had this. It's an Arc for Australian efforts in various wars.

A half-assed gun show.

We read this sign for about 5 minutes in BIG, DEEP VOICES.  

Riding in a cab! Backwards.

In a cab!

I drank Sake for the first time thanks to Lake!

Stupid Dave ruining the picture with a Stupid Dave face.

In front of Tower Bridge after a fantastic tour of the Tower of London.

The BEST Surprise a Sister Could Ever Ask For!

I have been told that I am basically the last one to know about a surprise that was in the works for a couple months.  A few months back I got an email from my Lake non-boyfriend that he was coming to London and was hoping to sleep on our couch. Why not?! I love people from "home!" It also worked out that School Term break was also happening at the same time as Lake was in Europe so we decided to plan a vacation somewhere.  Together we planned a wonderful holiday to Spain.  He took care of most of the bookings while I planned the itinerary (I love Excel; if you are planning to visit most major European cities, I probably have a spreadsheet that will walk you through a stress-free holiday there. Contact me for more details).

As we got closer to the date, I got very excited for this holiday.  The only thing that could have made this holiday even more awesome was if my sister could have come (she is the one who first met Lake and brought him into posse).  Alas, Ange was not going to be able to come because of work.

Or so I thought!!!

I had arranged to meet Lake after work and as we walked to get his bags (or so I thought), he played the meanest trick on me.  He told me that Ange and Dave were on the next flight to London followed by a JK. Not funny.  This brought on some awkward silence and my hopes had risen and then fallen.  Stupid Lake!

As we continued to walk, Lake looked a bit lost.  I figured he could not remember how to get back to the place he left his stuff.  As we figured out where we were I hear from behind "Hey, you dropped something."  Knowing this is one of the tricks the pick-pockets use, I turn around ready to yell at this stranger.

As I focused my attention on this dummy, it took a couple seconds to realize a camera was in my face and two smiling faces were staring at me; one belonging to my favoritest person in the whole wide world; the other was Dave.

Needless to say, there was screaming, tears, hugs and happy times!

Then I got to be in on surprising Shea with our guests!  One of the best days ever!!!!!!

Our London Lodge

After far too many months living is 600 square feet with two cats and sharing a bathroom for the first time during our marriage, we have FINALLY found our London home!!!  Unfortunately, like all things about London, the process is moving at a slug's pace.  The purchasing process here is quite backwards.  It is hard to believe that Canadian law stems from this crazy system.  We are not too upset about that though as the place is still under construction.

When we first decided to move to London, I was drawn to the Canary Wharf area.  It is super close to Shea's work, has easy access to everywhere in the city and for some reason it just felt right.  After talking to a lot of Canadians about the area, I finally narrowed in on why I like the area so much: it is a real downtown.  London does not have an official downtown.  There are random buildings scattered throughout the city.  But Canary Wharf is full of skyscrapers and unique architecture.  Another reason why I like it so much (and why people who were raised in London may not) is because it is quiet on the weekends!  There are not the ridiculous crowd everywhere that you have to fight to get to the tube or to buy groceries. The parks are not packed with people so you can always get a spot that suits (in the sun or shade, at a bench, on the grass...).  There is generally a table at the various pubs and restaurants too.  Oh, and its super close to the river and the walking and riding paths!  Just like home!

So we are moving into a duplex condo.  That means its two stories of space.  Our residence also has 24 hour concierge service and a full gym.  There will also be a grocery store on the main floor which will make cooking a lot easier (I am always forgetting one ingredient here and I hate having to walk to the store for one stupid thing).

So below are a few pictures of our current situation as well as a few from future HOME!

Hopefully the kitchen appliances in the new place won't duplicate as a favourite sleeping spot.

We will have a real linen closet!!!!  No cats snoozing on our clean towels again. Oh, and the washing machine/dryer will have its own home away from the three bathrooms.

Our views of London from the new place. We have a huge terrace and balcony. There is also a community garden.

Shea in the new dining room. Yep, we will actually be able to sit at a dining table again!

Views from the spare bedroom.  We can see all the main London buildings.

Milan, Italy

Shea has been working a lot in Milan lately.  We were lucky enough to have him travelling there for meetings on a Friday which allowed me to tag along and make a weekend out of it.  Because it would have made him a jerk in business class, we splurged so we could both enjoy the comforts of first class travel.  British Airways (our preferred carrier now that we are Silver Members) provides a wonderful Lounge for its high members where there is unlimited alcohol and food.  That made waiting in the airport very comfortable!

Milan is a very beautiful city.  I had heard that it was very similar to Naples (which still tops my Worst City list btw) so I was not expecting much.  The streets were very clean, the people were friendly, it was easy to get taxis and shopping was excellent!

We visited the Milan Cathedral first.  Now, you would think that cathedrals are getting a bit old by now. And to be honest, the interior was not much compared to some of the others we have seen.  The big attraction for Milan's Cathedral is definitely the exterior and the roof.

The Milan Cathedral is Gothic style and it is the 5th largest Cathedral in the World.

The interior is pretty amazing.  The cathedral claims to have one the the Nails that held Jesus to the cross.  

A Statue of St. Bartholomew. He was martyred by being flayed alive. That is his skin wrapped around his body.  

After climbing approx. 160 stairs, you are on the terrace or roof of the cathedral.  This was the best part!

It's one thing to enjoy the Gothic carvings from the ground, but the details are truly amazing close up.

Looking down onto the streets below.

Just some carved stone from the 17th century.

Like all old things, renovations are needed.  They are currently working on fixing some of the crumbling architecture. It was odd to see everyone relaxing and enjoying the sun on the roof of a church!

The Milan Cathedral is very connected with the Virgin Mary.  At the highest peak is a statue of the Madonna. 

The Virgin in stone.

Us enjoying the views of Milan.

Another highlight from Milan was this wonderful park called  Parco Sempione.  Because the weather was so lovely (+20 degrees), it was an enjoyable walk.  

The park with the Arco della Pace in the background. It seems that every city has one of these things.  

A close-up look at the Arc.

The park is loaded with turtles.  

Shea enjoying the sun.  He did burn. Can you see the turtles in the background?

On the other side of the Arc is the Castello Sforzesco, basically an old castle.  

The Castle's defences were first designed by da Vinci.  Later Napoleon did some remodelling. 

The interior square. 

This used to be part of the moat system. Napoleon had them drained.  Now there are cats living the life down there!

One of the corners of the castle. 

The front entrance. 

The front entrance close-up.

I think my favourite part of Milan was the one thing that pictures are forbidden. We got to go and see The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.  It was spectacular to see it in this very unimpressive room, just painted onto a plaster wall.  It was originally painted in the dining hall of a Monastery and depicts the moment that Jesus announces to his disciples that one of them will betray him.  He finished the painting in 1497.  Did you know everyone except Jesus has feet in the painting? The images we see of this work most often cuts off just after the table cloth.

From left to right, we have Bartholemew, James the Younger, Andrew (all three show surprise), Judus (in shadow, not blessed by God), Peter (angry and holding a knife, perhaps foreshadowing his actions in the Garden when Jesus is arrested), John (the youngest apostle as traditionally depicted swooning),  Jesus, (His hand toward the bread), Thomas the Older (his raised finger depicts his incredulity of the Resurrection), James (stunned), Philip (wanted more information), Matthew, Jude and Simon (Matthew and Jude look to Simon for answers).  

Interesting fact: During WWII, the Monastery that houses the painting was destroyed by a bomb.  Thankfully, sandbags had been stacked against both sides of the wall in order to protect the masterpiece.  

The painting was behind the wall on the right.  Those are sandbags that are stacked and supported.

Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie. The place where The Last Supper is located. 

Another interesting fact: There is another painting on the opposite wall of The Last Supper.  It is called The Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano.  You kind of feel sorry for it though because it is beautiful but overshadowed by The Last Supper.

Shea without a beer.

These open street restaurants were everywhere.  It was a great way to enjoy  the afternoon sun. 

 Finally it was time to go back to London.  While flying over, we sort of got near our future London home.  It was hard coming back to our little flat when we are just a few months away from moving into something far more comfortable.

Home is just down there...