Now that we have settled into our new apartment we are eager to experience Spain, the culture, the people, the countryside, the language and so that is what we did this past week.
JEAN LEON
Recently, Ricky became new friends with a local film Producer Loris Omedes , who invited us to “industry” event that is held each year at a famous winery called Jean Leon. Our new friend Loris and his wife Yolanda recently made a documentary about the man behind the winery named Jean Leon.
He was American immigrant from Spain. In 1956 he and James Dean started the restaurant LA SCALA in Beverly Hills. It was the place to be for many famous movie stars at the time.
After years of success he decided to come back here to Spain, his native country and make his own wine.
The group of local film actors, directors, producers before the grape harvest.
but they were super yummy right off the vine.
After the harvest, our team has 5 mins to make as much juice as possible. By the way no one washes their feet before the mushing begins.
Does it look appetizing?
Pouring the grape juice into the vat to be measured. Ricky's team wins!
A view of the vineyard.
ANDORRA
Holden, Luke and Cambrie all went on sleep away school trips for a couple of days, so Faith, Ricky and I took a trip of our own to Andorra. Andorra is a tiny country about 3 hours drive north of Barcelona surrounded by the Pyrenees Mountains. The people of Andorra are known to live longer than in any other country in the world. They don’t pay income tax either, which probably explains why they live so long.
Andorra is famous for it’s tax free shopping, skiing and it’s natural spring waters. Ricky isn’t a big shopper. I love to shop but not with Ricky and Faith together. So with no shopping or snow, we decided to go to a natural water pool. The brochure at the hotel concierge describes Caldea as Europe’s #1 Spa. We can’t believe our good fortune, this place looks amazing.
Looking at the photos we assume all the smaller pools are hot water, but all the water was luke warm.
The entrance is pretty fancy with like 6 blue lit up staircases criss crossing each other. There are steel and glass icicles hanging from the massively high prism ceiling. “Ok authentic Andrea, what do you really think?” I want to be positive and enjoy Europe’s #1 spa, but I kind of feel like I am on free cruise that I won from signing up for a new credit card.
Suddenly the lights go out and then beams of colored light start flashing as Spanish opera music blares from all the speakers. Water starts spilling over the pools and spraying from fountains. We are swimming in the middle of a water laser lights show. It’s not exactly what came to my mind with the description of “Healing thermal waters”.
COUNTRYSIDE
"This place is fancy," says Faith
The change room is unisex, which is odd, and then before you enter the “healing waters” you are forced to go through a round about with a series of high powered sprays and showers to make sure you are clean before you enter. I don’t want say anything negative to Ricky and Faith, so I look away when I see the silk palm trees in the corners and the plastic vines hanging from the second level.
"What is that blue mushroom thing with windows up in the vines?" Faith asks
"Who knows?" says Ricky. "I don't want to know." I think to myself
COUNTRYSIDE
“Wow this drive is so beautiful.” I say to Ricky as we drive to Andorra. “Not as pretty as Alaska,” he says.
Nothing tops Alaska’s beauty in Ricky’s mind, but I am not comparing Spain to Alaska. “In Alaska there would be all this plus bigger mountains with snow on them.” Just then, I notice a stone house in the side of one mountain and beg Ricky to turn off so we can explore a little.
Nothing tops Alaska’s beauty in Ricky’s mind, but I am not comparing Spain to Alaska. “In Alaska there would be all this plus bigger mountains with snow on them.” Just then, I notice a stone house in the side of one mountain and beg Ricky to turn off so we can explore a little.
I have to admit, I have never been to Alaska, I am sure it is amazing, but this historic Spanish Village was pretty amazing.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TRIPS
The older kids had school trips this week. I actually can’t even pronounce most of the places they went, so I will generalize this part more from what the kids said.
Holden took an overnight train to Seville and then toured around from there.
Holden:
“The food was horrible. I am starving. We went to a bunch of castles and the teachers pretty much gave us total freedom. There was one castle that had huge gardens filled with flowers and fountains as far as you could see. It made me think of you so I took a picture with my iphone for you Mom.
Luke took a train and a boat to the north Basque country.
“The food was horrible. I have lost so much weight. We went to this castle on the side of steep cliff and the teachers pretty much let us just walk along the side of the sheer cliff wall where the sea is like 1000 feet below. “
Cambrie went to the Pyrenees Mountains by train and then by foot to a village where people still live that you can only walk to.
Cambrie:
“The food was horrible. There was like cold pasta with lumps of tuna and a few olives and the bread from the day before that we didn’t eat. The teachers let us run across the train tracks and through the forest without supervision. The kids from the village came to one of our activities and all the village boys kept slapping me on the butt, so I kicked them.”
I ask each of them what they LEARNED and it seemed like I just got further description of the bad food.
Don't mess with Cambrie.
TRANSFORMER HEAVEN
Remember the transformer/x box drama? I forgot to report that after we moved into the apartment, Ricky opened a cupboard and found his dream power transformer and American outlet power strip. Too bad he already fried his Xbox with the cheap transformer from Las Ramblas.
Remember the transformer/x box drama? I forgot to report that after we moved into the apartment, Ricky opened a cupboard and found his dream power transformer and American outlet power strip. Too bad he already fried his Xbox with the cheap transformer from Las Ramblas.
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE
Parks….
Faith with her friends Alisse (Holland) and Etia (China)
Hanging out at the park is the place to be in Barcelona. Kids get dressed up fancy, there are people selling balloons and fans, and parents chatting away for hours as the children run around. One night we went to the park at like 6pm and it was dead, by 8pm everyone was out, and at 11pm the same parents and children were still there. Now that I live up an elevator on the 4th floor, I too look forward to going to the park. The park in our neighborhood has a café that you can have lunch at and so it is the perfect meeting place for everyone.
School…
With the kids settled and happy in school, I too, started school this week. I go to ESDADE School for business and language. I go all day to Spanish class, and it is a killer. My emotions are all over the place during the day. From crying when I don’t understand anything to elated when I finally understand something, to insecure when trying to pronounce “desunyana” (breakfast), to confident when know that queso means cheese before the other younger and smarter students do. Either way I have long way to go.
After class today feeling like I learned a ton, I jumped in my friends car and a thick book called “500 Spanish Verbs Identified” was on her seat. “I thought you already know Spanish?” I said to her. “You have lived here for 5 years.” "Oh I am still a beginner," she says.
Horsesback Riding
Ok this post is getting ridiculously long. Faith has been struggling the most with city life and found happiness this week at her new riding class. It's a nice break for the girls to be reminded of things that are familiar to them...
ESADE School Day 1
After class today feeling like I learned a ton, I jumped in my friends car and a thick book called “500 Spanish Verbs Identified” was on her seat. “I thought you already know Spanish?” I said to her. “You have lived here for 5 years.” "Oh I am still a beginner," she says.
Horsesback Riding
Ok this post is getting ridiculously long. Faith has been struggling the most with city life and found happiness this week at her new riding class. It's a nice break for the girls to be reminded of things that are familiar to them...
Cambrie with Zoe riding in San Cugat just outside Barcelona
Speaking of familiar, I got a package from my Mom this week with a box of BOUNCE dryer sheets. I never thought that I would get so excited over BOUNCE. Imagine when I see you again my friends? For sure the double spanish kiss.
oxox Andrea
