Presley's 1st Machine Tournament in Duluth - Mom's Birthday Weekend

Presley is playing AAA hockey this spring with the Minnesota Machine. They had their first out of town tournament in Duluth, MN, which happened to fall on Mom's birthday weekend. Canyon had to stay back for a tournament of his own as well as baseball tryouts. It was a fun weekend to get to know her new teammates and their families. We stayed in the Radisson, with a view overlooking the Duluth Hills. Presley loved the pool at the hotel.

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Between games, we enjoyed checking out a bit of the city by heading down to Pizza Luce and checking out the local candy shops with some of her teammates.



And the team was awesome in celebrating my birthday with cake on the last night and a team singing of happy birthday from the ice after their last win (and 3rd place finish). Fun end to a fun weekend.





And my highlight was having a birthday dinner with my family at Lyndale Tap House. We had peel and eat shrimp, played hearts, and enjoyed a nice dinner outside of home! Blessed for another great year!

Last Day of Spain - Time to Come Home

Our last morning in Spain, Cristina and her family woke up early to take us for the traditional "porras" and chocolate. We loved them and we loved the Spanish coffee. What an amazing trip!



When we arrived at the airport, we were disappointed to find out that they separated our seats and we were spread out all over the plane. Not fun for an 8 hour flight. They told us they would try to get us closer when we checked in with the gate agent. Our expectations were low that it would get resolved. However, we were delighted when we found out about 10 minutes prior to boarding that they upgraded all four of us to business class. Ron's frequent travel does have some perks. Presley and Canyon were in 7th heaven with all the amenities. What a great end to a great trip!



And our vacation continued as we enjoyed the awesome cookies from Marta back home. A nice ending to a trip of a lifetime!

Spain - Day 7 - A Day With our Eagle Heights Interns

Our last full day in Spain was a very tough start because of our late night out after the Flamenco. Cristina brought her cat Nela to meet us. She was so cute and so fast! A kitten moves very quickly!



We then went for churros and chocolate in their neighborhood. The chocolate was delicious and we were able to spend some time talking with the owners! A very traditional experience! We love churros and chocolate!



We then headed downtown to meet Pilar and Marta, two of our favorite interns from Eagle Heights that live near Madrid. They came to spend the day with us. We met them at the Plaza De Callao. And then we enjoyed an nice walk through town. It was a beautiful day as we explored the shops, the neighborhoods, and the streets of old downtown Madrid.



We stopped for a drink and snacks in Plaza de Chueca, which is the new trendy neighborhood in Madrid.



After our drink, we looked for a place for lunch. We missed the "lunch" hour so it was a long walk and a big hunt for a restaurant that was open and available. We had a cozy lunch at a place near Parque del Retiro. The kids had fun eating their fish and building towers!





We then headed to Parque del Retiro, a huge park in the city. When it was first built it was only for the royal family but eventually was opened to the general public to enjoy. The park has a beautiful lake where you can rent row boats and there are thousands of large fish. It is set against the Monument to Alfonso XII. Very beautiful. We explored for over an hour and didn't even scratch the surface of this beautiful park. While in the park, we also enjoyed some specialties from Pilar's home town, called Almendras garrapiñadas. A great day with some great friends.... Then home to pack and prepare for home.

Spain Day 6 - Exploring Madrid With Cristina

Each day of our trip to Spain is more wonderful. Today was very special because we were able to explore Madrid with Cristina! We started our day early on the bus and the train to explore Cristina's hometown!



Our first stop was Estadio Santiago Bernabeau, the stadium of the famous Real Madrid football team, which is considered the best soccer club in the world. We toured the entire stadium, seeing it from the highest seats and from the players seats, exploring the locker rooms and the press rooms. It was an amazing experience for us all!







After our tour, we had lunch near the stadium, and had a great meal of pintxos (sandwiches).



After lunch, Cristina had to go to work. We headed downtown to explore as a family. We started at Plaza de Colon, an expansive square named after Christopher Columus. The square has the largest Spanish flag in the country and three monumental slabs designed to symbolize the ships that made the voyage to America in 1942.





We also went to Museo Arquelogico Nacional, which just recently reopened after a 3 year renovation. It is a beautiful museum with famous finds such as the Lady of Eiche, the ashes of the dead, and Roman mosaic floors. The kids got in trouble for climbing the statues outside!



We then headed back to Old Madrid to meet Trisha's friend Jose from UCLA. Before meeting Jose, we had a couple of adventures including trying Torrijas, which are slices of milk-soaked bread that have been fried and laced with cinnamon and sugar. They are only available right before Easter. We had our torrijas at the famous Mallorquina. Yummy!



We then went on a hunt to see the most famous guitar shop in all of Spain. Our hunt ended at the shop of Jose Ramirez, who has made guitars for Eric Clapton and many more.



We met Jose and his new puppy, Curra, near his home in the La Plaza de La Villa and went on a tapas and cervezas crawl, which included stops near the Palacio Real, Gran Via, and Chueca.



We then met up with Cristina's family. And they treated us to a special night of Flamenco at the famous Corral de la Moreria. The dancers, guitar players, and singers were amazing. The show didn't start until 10 pm. Canyon made it until the end (amazed at how many steps these dancers must get in) while Presley hung on til about midnight. A truly amazing experience. Cristina's mama (our Spanish grandma) took the kids home while we went late into the evening around Madrid. Wow!

Spain Day 5 - Arrival in Madrid!

We awoke this morning by 7:30 am to catch the RENFE (high speed train) to Madrid. What a great way to get around Europe! Fast, easy, and fun!


When we arrived in Madrid, Cristina's brother picked us up at the famous Estacion de Atocha train station, which houses a beautfiul botanical garden inside the train station. We dropped our luggage off at Jose's home and headed downtown for our first adventure! How special to spend time with Cristina and her family in her hometown!



Our first stop was Puerta del Sol, the center of the city, where 10 streets radiate from the center. We stopped by the "symbol of the city", a bronze bear climbing an arbutus tree.



We then headed to Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square, which is so large it could house 50,000 people.



Our first Madrid meal was at La Campana for "bocadillo de calamares". The kids absolutely devoured their squid sandwiches!!! So yummy!



And then the city exploration began! After Plaza Mayor, our next stop was Mercado de San Miguel, a high end market for food and drink meant to be eaten onsite. Sandra treated us to a glass of Rioja, Spain's classiest wine, which hails from Sandra's home town. The kids enjoyed some treats of churros and chocolate and chocolate easter eggs. A fun treat!



We walked by the Catedral de La Almudena, the most famous church in Madrid.



We then headed to Palacio Real, Madrid's famous Royal Palace. Because of the long queues outside, we enjoyed the palace from the outside. It's truly impressive!



After the Palacio Real, we headed to Museo Del Prado, which houses one of the world's finest art collections. We enjoyed a run in the rain to get there. And besides losing Ron and Canyon for an hour, we were able to experience the collection as a family. It was fun to explore the most famous paintings like Las Meninas (by Diego Velazaquez) and The Third of May 1808 (by Goya). But our most exciting find was the Maja Naked and the Maja Clothed (by Goya). When Cristina came to the US, she encouraged us to try a puzzle with the Maja Clothed image. It was by far the most difficult puzzle we have ever completed and it took us 5 months to complete. So it feels like we know this painting very well as a family! We were excited to take a picture outside by the sculpture commemorating the artist and these paintings.





However, our biggest highlight of the evening was enjoying dinner with Cristina's family. They treated us to all of the Spanish specialties like Tortilla, Spanish Olives, Bread, Serrano Ham, Manchego Cheese, Octupus, and a vegetable spread. And they spoiled us with gifts while we watched the Real Madrid defeat German Dortmund team. A special night with our Spanish family!

Spain - Day 4 - Our last day in Barcelona

Our last day in Barcelona did not disappoint. The Pergandes have tried to start each day a bit earlier than the last and on our last day, we were out of the house by 10:00, ready for exploration and adventure. We started with a trip to Montjuic, the mountainous park that houses the 1992 Olympic Stadium and the Montjuic Castle. We started with the Olympic Stadium and Palau Sant Jordi (which was hosting a children's school event) before hiking our way to the Montjuic Castle.




Had to get at least one picture in of Canyon doing a photo bomb. He has been "bombing" all the pictures he is not in for the entire trip. Didn't want this memory to elude us!



After exploring the castle grounds, we took the Montjuic cable cars down to the bottom. Fun trip for the kids.



And then we headed to Barconeletta, a more traditional beachside neighborhood, just outside the city. We headed to Can Ganassa for a "menu del dia" and some cava. The kids loved our waiter and learned some new tricks that they can bring back to the states.



After lunch, we made a brief stop at the beach for some running in the sand and enjoying the beach sculptures before heading back to our apartment.



Can't come to Barcelona without stopping by the iconic Barcelona Catherdal...



And a highlight of our trip was experiencing a champions football (playoffs - Barcelona vs. Atlético de Madrid), which also included the kids first Metro ride. What an experience -- 100,000 fans cheering for their team. Amazing game that ended in a 1-1 tie.... We will miss you Barcelona! Now off to Madrid!!