Picture it! Madrid

The symbol of Madrid is the bear and a strawberry tree...I didn't want to tell them, but strawberries don't grow on trees because they were just so into it! They would just have to replace all the statues and toursit crap they sell. I did think that this one was really cute and if they did decide to finally get it right I would happily take this statue off their hands!

I thought Madrid, and Spain in general, was supposed to be really chic and all the woman dress to the enth degree, even if they are just going out to buy cigarettes (this is probably a real situation because it seems that EVERYONE smokes in Spain, including some Pregnant woman... apparently they haven't been listening to all the research over the last 20 years!). That's whyI was SHOCKED to see this new style of hat! This woman was wearing such a nice outfit, all coordinated and stuff and then she plops her map on her head! I just wanted to offer her 5€ to go and get a hat to go with her outfit! I mean, come on!


Driving in Spain was usually fine, especially out of the cities, but I was really happy we didn't still have George when I saw this mental roundabout! Especially when you think that most Spanish drivers run red lights regularly! What happens here is that the people going west get a green light and the east bound gets a red, then when the light changes, they use the SAME LANES! Its crazy! I don't know if I explained it well enough but it just looked like organized chaos to me! Just my kind of driving!

I forget for sure, but I think that this building is the old Post Office building, but the locals laugh about its design because it looks so much like a Cathedral. I really thought it was beautiful though so took a picture. Hope you enjoy!






The picture on the left is the front of the royal Palace and the one on the right is the cathedral. They both look very beautiful and simple on the outside, but once you step inside its a completely different story! Its like bad tast and gaudiness barfed all over the place...of course I loved every minute of it! Below you will see a few different pictures. The first one to the right is the front hall. Its so big and grand that it completely makes you stop and go 'Oh...' I loved it. The picture next to it to the right I took in the Armory and I just loved that the armour was created to cup the soldier's bum and keep it safe! And what a smart way to creat the perfect bottom! Its like the middle ages plastic surgery...only it iron surgery! Ha ha ha! I can be so funny sometimes! The next two were taken in palace rooms. The one on the left from the 'Yellow Room' because everything was trimed in lemon yellow. The one on the right was from the family sitting room. There was no plain spaces anywhere! The floors, the ceiling, and the walls were all covered in patterned marble or fabric or plaster designs! So intense! Finally, the two below that are of the thrown room and the royal pharmacy. Yes, the royal family had their own pharmacy! These are actually the old ceramic containers where they used to keep the variety of different herbs and chemicals to keep everyone healthy. There were even a few glass jars that still contained dried herbs. So amazing!






As soon as we walked out of our hostel and turned the corner this is the sign we saw....non other than our good friend Tio Pepe! How's that for coincidence!

Picture it! Cordoba

These two picture were taken in the Cathedral/Mosque in Cordoba. Throughout it are these arches with the red and yellow stripes which were built during the Moor invasion. More recently (like in the past century or so) the catherale ceilings were decorated in the Catholic fashion. It was really incredible to see the mix of the two styles in the church. On our trip also included a friend from our hostel, Hikari who was along for the exploration of Cordoba. A nice German man took a picture of the three of us, and looking at it now I realized that I look very boobyliscious. I'm sure that was a nice treat for the older man!

Picture It! Seville

The picture on the left is of me enjoying some yummy sangria...as you can see from the one on the right, I probably shouldn't have enjoyed it so much...meet my new boyfriend Jose...he's so cute!

The next four pictures are from the Real Alacazar in Seville. Its the beautiful Moorish Palace that is apparently still used today...I think...the audio guide may have lied to me! It was really beautiful though. The gardens were so lush and green, full of orange trees and bright flowers.









This picture on the left is taken just outside the huge Gothic Cathedrale (the ginormous building to the right). The plaza has 4 or 5 beautifully coloured buildings and a fountain in the middle. The Church is the biggest gothic one in Europe and we climbed all the way up the tower and had a fabulous view of Seville...however the ticket people were not very nice and I had to give them a bit of attitude...but don't worry, I told them I was American!

Picture it! Jerez

This is the Tio Pepe mascot from our visit to the Tio Pepe Winery. It was really fun to see how its all made but I have to say that I am not a fan of Sherry or Brandy...Eek!
Gotta love it when you find a random Sherry barrel with a Canadian Crest on it! They had barrels with all the countries that they ship to. The barrel above and to the right of this one had the Irish crest on it...creepy huhn?

Such a beautiful area! I am SO stealing the idea of having grape vines growing above my desk...looks cool, smells great, and keeps the sun off you while you drink!

Picture it! Gibralta

So here it is...the huge ginormous rock of Gibralta! Because the far side of it is flat it creates its own weather system. The top is usually cloudy and really windy, sometimes also creating lots of rain. We did get to the top (or near it) and looked over the side and almost got knocked backwards the wind is so strong! Good times had though in 'Little UK'!

Here I am with my new little friend...his name is Harry. I don't know if that is really his name but he seemed like a Harry to me so that's what I am going to call him. He was so cute! I really wanted to bring home a monkey but didn't know how Orla would feel about it...and as it turns out Sinead would not have been too happy about it either! However if you are ever in the market for a monkey I would totally head to Gibralta because our tour guide was telling us that the monkey population is getting out of hand and they have to 'get rid' of a few of them every year...I don't know what it means but it made me get a little sad. Anyway, funny picture! Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday to you,

Happy Birthday dear Heidi,

Happy Birthday to you!

Have a GREAT day!!

Keep an eye on the mail!

Picture it! Granada

Taking a chill break on the Hammocks at the first hostel we stayed at in Granada. It's probably a good idea we didn't stay there a second night because we might not have gotten out of the hammocks!


Riding on the tour bus. The sky looks cloudy but it didn't rain until much later. It was actually perfect weather to ride around on an open roof bus and see the sights!





These are two pictures from the Almahar in Granada. The designs in the plaster are actually relief work and not painted on. All the walls and doors looked like these with most of the rooms having tiles like the one through the door. It was spectacular!
This is Krissy's 2€ orange. I'm not sure what the face was about but it looks pretty cute actually. Kind of like an alien. As you can see, although the orange cost us 2€ it was still up to us to to peel it!

Picture it! Barcelona

I have been saying it for years but it looks like Spain beat me to it. This McDonald's window is a Walk-thru, instead of a drive-thru! Its genius! Can we please put these in Canada for those nights when you just need some fries after having a few pints?


This is Krissy standing outside the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It is the only Cathedrale in the world that is still not complete and it is not believed to be done for another 30 years. It was designed by Gaudi and looks like something out of a Tim Burton film. The picture to the right and the one in the lower left are of the spires, each toped with a different bunch of fruits or vegs. The one on the bottom right is of the interior, which isn't finished either. It reminded me of being in a huge garden. Windows are all shaped like flower blooms and the colums like the stems. I am SO going to head back 30 years from now to see it all finished!


This pigeon almost flew right into my face! I just thought it was so funny that it almost blinded me for life so I took his picture...or is it a she? Does anyone know how to tell the difference between male and female pigeons?

The mosaic lizard is the symbol that Gaudi used to open his park. There is a large fountain that incorporates the lizard. I just thought it was really fun and HAD to get my picture taken!
These 4 guys were playing in the park and were keeping everyone entertained. I just couldn't believe that they had dragged all their equipment so far up the park! They were really good and I regret not getting one of their CDs. Too bad...once they are famous though I can say that I knew them when!

These two pictures are from the outdoor living space that Gaudi designed. Originally he wanted it to be a space that people could live in harmony with nature but it never really caught on. Now it is a really amazing park covered with mosaics and huge gazebos and seating areas.

If you didn't know, Christopher Columbus was originally from Spain and it seemed every city has a monument to him. This is the one from Barcelona, and I think he might actually be pointing in the direction that he traveled...I could also be making that up though so don't quote me on it!

These two pictures are from the Gaudi Appartment Museum. The on on the right is of the front of the house and the one on the left is Krissy standing on the roof. There are different opinions as to the inspiration for the shape of the roof but one is that it resembles the back of a dragon. It also remined me of the way that light plays on the bottom of a lake through the water.

This guy kept us entertained for a few minutes. He basically tap danced and bounced 3 white balls off the ground while being accompanied by a guy on a piano I think...Krissy, am I right or was it another instrument?
This was a statue from the Dali museum in Figures, and I think its the only picture I took at the museum. If you can't really see what it is, it's of a large hipped and boobied woman standing on the top of a car...She is possed much like the mermaids they used to put on the front of pirate ships. She just looked so feminine!