It's Raining Teeth!

We have exciting news to share with ya'll: Antonio lost his first tooth on Christmas Eve!! Well, technically speaking, it was yanked out by Fede but it was at Antonio's pleading. The tooth was quite loose and when Fede yanked it out with dental floss Antonio didn't even wince.  And....today he lost another one! So he has a SUPER hole in his mouth now, of which he is exceptionally proud. As some of you may know, in Spain (as well as other parts of the world) the Tooth Fairy delegates her job to "El Raton Perez" (Perez the Mouse) and he left Antonio 3 euros for his first tooth...let's hope the Mouse can cough up another similar sum for tonight's tooth too! Otherwise Antonio is going to be sorely disappointed. He's convinced that he's going to get rich off of this poor little mouse....

Yesterday we went to the Planetarium, which was a great experience. The kids (as well as parents) loved it.

Today our outing was to the Teleferico (Hanging Cable Car) Ride. From this vantage point one can see Madrid from the West looking towards the East. It's a really neat view of the Royal Palace, the Cathedral Almudena, the Manzanares River, and the Casa de Campo (Green park area) of Madrid.

At the end of the cable ride we found a terrific park as well as scenic views of the city. Here are the kids below on the slide (take a good look at the look of panic on Francisco's face! it's priceless! Don't worry he didn't get hurt).

We are had a good time taking turns on the playground equipment!!

The weather continues to be superb. Chilly in the mornings but with the sun by midday it's great. We managed to take the good camera with us today we snapped some terrific pics of the kids.....and us!

That's it for now. I will tell you about our outing to the Plaza Mayor and show ya'll a pic of the World's oldest restaurant soon!

Merry Christmas!!!

Hello everyone!

So here we are, Christmas Eve and the excitement can definitely felt. The kids had dinner and are watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (remember, that version from the 1970s?) and just waiting to go to bed. The adults will dine once they go to sleep, with a little peace, quiet and plenty of wine :). For the first time ever, we are having fish for Christmas (this is typical in Spain). Much has happend since our last post, mainly involving our School Christmas celebrations and the preparations for our special visitors!!

On Wednesday we welcomed our family from London: Fede's sister, Valentina, her husband, Miguel, and their two kids Tomas and Eva (4, 2 respectively). As one can imagine, our kids were thrilled to have new playmates, especially their cousins who they hadn't seen in 3 years!

But before they arrived, first we began the Christmas decorations. Perhaps the most original of these being our Paper Fireplace, one accessory that was absolutely essential for a smooth arrival by Santa (this was particularly important for cousin Tomas who is eagerly awaiting Father Christmas). Our kids pretty much know where the presents come from, but we're asking them to play along and they're enjoying it more this way.

As can be seen to the right, here is our new Fireplace! Made purely of paper, complete with colored paper stockings with the kids' names! (Hopefully the fireplace will stay for the remainder of our time in Spain...it looks very nice!!). We might even get some marshmallows to roast :)))

We went to Ikea to get a few more matresses and stuff for our visitors and the kids had a blast playing with their white train in the living room for several days. Below is our little Shepherdess Alejandra ready to participate in her school's play of the First Christmas. Her acting was wonderful, as can be imagined.

 

Below are pictures from the NaviBus ride, the kids at home, Antonio's Christmas Play (their class narrated the play). We also found a mural of Maya the Bee in the Metro and the kids went wild, so we took a picture.

The King Francisco upon his trusty Steed Antonio!

They arrived with silly glasses and the kids have been wearing them ever since. All of them are practically the same age and so they all partake in the same games, as you can see below.

We've gone on several outings with them, including the "Navi bus" (the Christmas Bus) that takes one through the lighted streets of Madrid at night to see all of the decorations. We also went to a delicious Brasilian Restaurant and then today we had a picnic/park outing at Retiro Park. The weather has rather suddenly turned mild and sunny (50-60 degrees?) and this has made for perfect weather! (A much milder Christmas than I anticipated).

We've done a lot of walking through the streets and just hanging out with all the kids.

Here are the three boys, having a grand ol' time at the Estanque at Retiro Park this afternoon.

Ok it's almost time to put the five kids to bed, but before that we need to go sprinkle Reindeer Dust outside, set the cookies and milk for Santa and read the story "The Night Before Christmas". To those who have sent us Christmas cards (photos) thank you SO much!! We were delighted to receive them in the mail!! We want to end by wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas from us!!!!



Cheers from Madrid!
-The Martinez Family



El Escorial

Last Saturday we decided to visit San Lorenzo de El Escorial. An hour's train ride from Madrid to the Northwest, this is the site of a Royal Monastery. That is, it is a monastery, a historical residence of the Kings of Spain, and a museum. All of the royalty of Spain is buried here and it is definitely worth visiting --yes, even in December, with dreadful cold, fog, and drizzle! I imagine that in the Spring it must be so beautiful...like in the picture below which was not taken by us, but gives you a better idea of what it looks like:



Here is another one off google, that I just love:

Here we are (left) walking through the streets --it was SO cold!

We quickly made our way to the monastery because the weather was almost unbearable.

Once inside, we first saw the typical rooms of tapestries (never been a big fan, although I realize they must have taken so long to make!). Then we saw various rooms of religious art, lots of little rooms, hallways, stairwells (we felt like we were in a laborynth) and neat courtyards.

We also saw the bed and room where Philip II died. He was really the one who built El Escorial. The bed is all faded and tattered, but still retains some of the royal elegance of those times. This made me reflect on the fact that now a days we, thanks to modernity, live better than the kings of the 16th century. I mean, central heating, electricity, antibiotics, cell phones, airplanes, internet! hahaha....can't say I envy even the kings of Spain :)

El Escorial though is different from Toledo. The Monastery is the place to visit in Escorial, but the rest of the town is not as picturesque as Toledo, in my opinion. For sure, the pantheon of the kings is the best room in the place: built completely of marble (green/deep red colors) one walks down a narrow stair corridor and it opens up to this majestic room with a dome. There before you are some thirty tombs each in their niche carved into the wall, all uniform in style only differing in the names "Felipe II, Rex" one says; another "Isabella, Regina". One is left in a state of awe in this room, perhaps because it is a palpable example of the concentration of history, power, and legacy found there. In a sense, the identity of Spain was forged by these figures and here they are all buried, a piece of the past. By the way, we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the Monastery, but below is another pic I found online of the Pantheon of the Kings:

 

The Basilica, along with the pantheons to the Kings and the Infantes, was awesome. The basilica has one feature that stands out in my mind: the enormous dome is completely bare. This is rather rare (at least I've never seen one). Normally they are filled with frescos and artwork, but not this one: it was made of solid stone with a few windows and I loved the simplicity of it. The dome and the enormous columns of the main naive contrasted exquisitely with the very ornate and tasteful altarpiece and imposing stairs leading up to the altar. Again, courtesy of the internet, here are some pics I found of the interior of the basilica:

The pictures below are inside the monastery, in the courtyard with the facade of the Basilica in the background.

Last, but certainly not least, we made our way up the stairs to the Library. We almost forewent this room because we were all kind of tired and cold, and a little sick of hauling our mega-stroller up and down stairs, but I'm glad we decided to make one last effort to see it. I've never seen a Library that really captures the Renaissance like this one:

After the library, it was down the long hill to the train station and by 4pm we were on our way home to Madrid again.

It's hard to believe that Christmas is just a week away!!! The kids are so excited and this weekend we hope to get a few decorations to get us in the spirit too. Antonio and Alejandra have learned several Christmas Carols at school and they happily croon their little tunes around the apartment. It's super cute!! The next post will include a link to a youtube video with them strutting their carols!!

The Twelve days of Christmas...

Being that we are now 12 days away from Christmas, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on these first two months in Madrid (yes, as of Dec 12th it's been two months since we arrived) and also the larger journey that began so long ago in order to arrive here. Without further ado, I present:

 The 12 months of the Martinez Family

In the 1st month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "I want to get my M-B-A"

In the 2nd month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Look for a 2 bedroom place in Madrid, 'cause I want to get that M-B-A.."

In the 3rd month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "We'll have to take three 3 kids, squeeze them in a 2 bedroom place, so that I can get my M-B-A"

In the 4th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Only 4 suitcases will be allowed, 3 kids in tow, squeezed into 2 rooms, all for one wonderful M-B-A"

In the 5th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "We need 5 stu-dent visas!" (=approx 5 billion pieces of paperwork)

In the 6th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Six times we'll move*, how's the paperwork coming along for the 5 student visas? Can you please buy another suitcase? Good thing Francisco doesn't pay for a plane ticket yet, have you found an apartment? Gosh, I really want that M-B-A!"
[*from the time we left our home on Auburn Grove to the time we arrived in Spain, we called 6 different places home on three different continents]

In the 7th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Get ready for a 7 hour flight (NY-Madrid) with Francisco, 6 moves we'll make, 5 student visas to get, 4 suitcases to pack, 3 kids to entertain, 2 bedrom place to get, and 1 lovely M-B-A."

In the 8th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "You'll have to walk 8 times to and from the kids' school each day, 7 hour flight, 6 moves we'll make, 5 visas, 4 suitcases, 3 kids, 2 bedroms, 1 darn MBA."

In the 9th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Get ready for a 9 homeless days in Madrid while we look for an apartment! 8 times to and from school, 7 hour flight, 6 moves, 5 student visas, 4 suitcase, 3 kids, 2 bedroom apartment, and 1 MBA."

In the 10th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "The Spanish dine at ten!"

In the 11th month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "11 days we won't have internet, there's no way we can dine at 10, we will wander 9 days through Madrid, 8 trips to school, 7 hour flight, 6 moves, 5 visas, 4 suitcases, 3 kids, 2 bedroom place and 1 MBA"

And in the 12 month of 2011, my hubby said to me, "Look how far we've come in 12 months: We have internet, dinner's always at 6:30, found a great place to live, the 8 walks to school are good exercise, the flight wasn't so long, 6 moves were exciting! 5 visas are done and stamped, 4 suitcases with room to spare, 3 kids gets us a discount in Spain! We got a place with 3 bedrooms not 2, And I am going to ACE that M-B-Aaaaaayyyy!!!!



Wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday Season!!
-The Martinez Bunch of Adventurers! (MBA -hahaha)

Toledo

One of the bridges that gives access to Toledo

Finally. Finally, I get my act together in order to showcase our trip to Toledo with the Tellez Family. So, this trip actually happend in the beginning of November, but I let time slip by and only now am I formatting the pictures and uploading them to the blog. Nevertheless, I think it was worth the wait, because Toledo is an outstanding little place.

A view of Toledo from the Zocotrain

Located 30 minutes by train outside of Madrid, Toledo is a city trapped in time. In the15th-16th centuries it was arguably the most important city in Spain, and one of the most important in Europe. It is flanked on three sides by a river and it sits atop a little hill, which made it an ideal fortress city. When we arrived we were immediately struck by these stone walls around the city, magnificently built and withstanding the test of time. It is quintessentially Spain: it is exactly what you expect to see when you travel to Spain.

Aboard the Zocotrain with Katie and Sherri

One of the first things we did when we met up with Juan, Katie, Tina and Sherri was to take a little tourist train ride "Zocotrain" through and around Toledo. From there we met up with a great tour guide who gave us really interesting tidbits.

The town is known for its swords and superior craftsmen. This was made patent by the numerous shops devoted to this. The whole place is so beautiful, so picturesque, clean little cobblestone streets that transport you 500 years back.

The beautiful little strees, the Cathedral in the background. (Below left, the Cathedral's main entrance: the main door that can be seen in the background is only used by the Pope...so the last time it was opened was 25 yrs ago when Pope JPII visited!!; below right: random beautiful door)

Being a history major, perhaps I just have a deep appreciation for the past and an admiration for all that the human race has accomplished throughout the centuries. One example of this, and the best example in Toledo, is the Cathedral. Absolutely spectacular. It is enormous and brilliantly elaborated. From the outside it definitely is the centerpoint of the city and looks imposing, but it's when you walk in that you are completely blown away by the magnificence. Any visitor to Toledo must see this work of art and all of the treasures within, such as the Monstrance below which is actually used in the Procession of Corpus Cristi throughout the city once a year. It is made of solid gold and silver, weighing 400 lbs)

Seeing the Cathedral and other buildings in Toledo, gives you an idea of it's past importance. This was "the city" in Spain, the place where the Royal Monarchs wanted to be buried, the place where trade with the East met and most importantly, a great example of the coexistence of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. All three religions found their place in Toledo and everyone practiced real tolerance.

It was one of the Spanish Kings who (on a whim it seems) decided to move the center of Spain to Madrid. With this move to Madrid, Toledo ceased to be important and thus has remained trapped in time -- perhaps to our great good, because we can in some way relive life the way it must have been in teh 16th century.

Above: picture of a typical Spaniard; below: us with the tour guide outside the Cathedral.

Walking through the streets of Toledo.

 I absolutely loved Toledo and hope we can go back in the Spring, when the weather promises to be better!
We also saw a beautiful synagogue and the Royal Monastery of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella -which is not to be missed!

The Birthday Streak

Hello family and friends!

So, we've just finished up the birthday streak that began with Martha's birthday on November 13th, then Francisco turned 2 on November 18th; Alejandra followed on the 30th turning four and then Fede brought in the caboose on December 2nd!!

And Christmas is still to come!!

The day of Ale's birthday I excitedly picked up the kids from school and told them that they would be helping me make Ale's cake. They very diligently helped me hand mix the batter, eggs, butter, dust the pan, and finally it was time to start preheating the oven. About a minute after we turned the oven on, the electricity went out in the apartment! I called Fede (who was out studying) and he told me to go ask our doorman (Reyes) for help. Reyes is a class act --a real gentleman who has already helped us out of other binds (like when we locked ourselves out!), so he gladly came up.

Turns out, it was the oven that was causing the problem. Every time we turned it on, the breaker would flip and out would go the lights. Poor Reyes, he took the whole oven out, unscrewed, tightend everything to no avail..finally Fede came home and still nothing. By this point, we needed to move to a Plan B because it was already well-past dinner time and I had not made dinner or baked the cake!

So I ran to the store and bought a little cake, stuck some candy on it and a candle....(sigh)...a far cry from my fondant creations in Houston I dare say, but to Ale it was still a birthday cake and she was happy!

And what happened to the cake batter you may wonder? I certainly did not throw it out ("waste not, want not!"). Instead, I funneled it into an empty milk bottle and took it across town with me to my friend's apartment (Leah) who very graciously baked it for me and so Alejandra's original cake became Fede's birthday cake! haha.

I know what you're thinking, the cakes look the same...but I promise, this one is the homemade cake! For dinner, I tried for the second time to make Paella and I have to conclude that I do not possess the gift of making good Paella...from now on, I'm just going to buy it from some place.

Aside from the excitement of birthdays, I have another (almost equally) exciting tidbit: I found a way to dry clothes without the awful stiffness that characterized all of my laundry! Yes, I have a newfound appreciation for fabric softener (or at least the abuse of it, because I'm pretty sure I'm not following the directions right).  I did an experiment on Monday: I washed 5 towels, 3 I took out of the washer like usual and put them to dry on the rack; two I soaked in a good concentration of water to fabric softener for 15 minutes in the kitchen sink, then I simply drained the water (no thorough rinse or anything) and put it in the spin cycle and then put it on the drying rack. To my utter amazement and almost delerious joy, I found that the treated towels were SOFT. I mean, like no stiffness at ALL!

I knew it. I mean, all this time, I kept telling myself that if the Spaniards managed to do their laundry without a dryer, why in heaven's name was I so desperately in need of my American dryer?  So fabric softener is indeed the key here and I'm sticking to it, goodbye high electricity bills and appliances, I'm going Old World!

Yesterday I got a call from the kids' school while I was grocery shopping, turned out that a 3 yr old kid poked Antonio in the eye! It was an accident but poor Antonio's eye started to swell and he was crying, perhaps a little hysterical, so I ended up picking him up from school early. I still can't make sense of it because he says that the little kid that poked his eye is named "Tom Thumb" --could this be? Then I found out from the kid's teacher that he's Asian....which makes me wonder if his name is "Tom-tom" or something and Antonio just thinks it's like the storybook? After all, this is coming from a kid who called his previous school (St Elizabeth Ann Seton) "Sally and Seton"!

This brings me to another interesting aspect of life in Madrid: there is a pretty sizeable Chinese population here! I know! Who'd a thunk? Turns out that the Chinese have a monopoly on all of the "dollar stores" here. Many blocks (ours included) have a "Chino" on the corner, which is one of these Chinese-owned and run shops. They carry everything from cheap toys, tupperware, school supplies, clothes (yes, made in China), to picture frames, hardware, plants, and most household items. They are not a euro though... but it is fascinating to hear Chinese people speaking in Spanish! (coming from the U.S. it's kind of a hard concept to grasp, since I'm used to hearing them speak in English). But this population has done really well in Spain, especially because they are of the few places who are open for business on Sundays!

The weather was great today, rather mild compared to the cold and wind that we've had all week. This evening we took a nice walk down Serrano street, which is one of the glitzy commercial streets of Madrid. Everything was decked out for the Holidays and a rather lovely sight to behold. It also happend to be "Constitution Day" today --which I suppose is like our 4th of July in the sense that it's the Nation's feast day, so the kids didn't have school and everyone was out and about. It's great to just see so many people out walking.

As you can see, I am ending the post with this picture of Francisco. He is wearing Antonio's rubber boots...in fact, he always seems to be wearing them. The things are huge on him and he looks ridiculous stomping around, always on the verge of toppling, in them. We haven't found any boots his size but I'm hoping they'll appear soon.

Anyway, it's getting late so I better wrap this up. Hope everyone is well!