Our first stop was the rock of Gibraltar. It was a pretty impressive sight, rising out of the earth as we drove toward it.
We waited in a loooooong line to take the cable car up to the top of the rock.
Hayden discovered a funny new trick as we were waiting for our cable car. She made me and Steve pose for a picture in front of the cable car (much like the one of her above) and then as we were posing, she took a selfie instead! This trick as been repeated several times since then. Just look at how happy she is as she anticipates revealing her joke to us!
Once at the top, we were so high up the we were actually IN the clouds that were passing through. Hayden and I have always talked about what we think clouds feel like and now we know! It's essentially just a cool, light mist!
The Rock of Gibraltar is technically part of Great Britain and is covered by a nature preserve that is home to a large number of monkeys (macaques). The monkeys were very comfortable around people and we got some pretty good photos with them! The monkeys even jumped on a number of tourists and rifled through their bags looking for food! When I walked near them I was careful to tuck my bag under my coat so that I didn't get jumped on also!
After leaving Gibraltar, we drove to our 'vacation from our vacation'. We splurged on an amazing suite at a seaside resort in Marbella. It was a beautiful suite with a full kitchen, laundry machines, a number of separate rooms, and multiple patios off of the rooms. It was so nice to settle in to the place for a few days and take a break form all of the running around from landmark to landmark. We relaxed, ate well, swam a lot, and generally enjoyed a few day break from the trip!
We also made another trip to another McDonald's for breakfast one morning!
After leaving Marbella, we drove from town to town along the southern coast. We drove up into the hill town of Mija for an afternoon and it felt like we were in a different country entirely - it reminded me a great deal of Greece with all of the white-washed walls everywhere.
The views of the sea from the hilltops were gorgeous!
We stopped for the most amazing homemade ice cream and chocolates and Steve was happy to chat with a fellow Milwaukee Bucks fan!
Our last stop along the Sun Coast was Malaga - a massive port town and the birth place of Pablo Picasso. Below is a photo of Hayden pointing out some of the cured ham we saw hanging in a grocery store there. The number of cured pork parts hanging in grocery stores and markets in Spain is staggering! In every town we stayed in, we tried to purchase some healthy breakfast and snack options from local grocery stores to minimize the number of meals out in restaurants - I just can't handle eating restaurant food 100% of the time! It's a pretty common travel habit for us and I often think about how so much of the world would be stunned to see the massive, organized, and immaculately clean grocery stores we frequent here in the US on a weekly basis!
Some more fun photos with Hayden in our hotel...
The next morning we did a bit of shopping. I loved that so many streets in Spain managed to create shade from the hot summer sun with canopies like the ones in the photo below.
We made our way to the Pablo Picasso museum. It was one of the other highlights of the trip for me beyond the flamenco dancing. I was more than a little overwhelmed by all of the options in the Prado art museum in Madrid. It was a huge relief to experience a more focused exhibition and to spend time really immersing ourselves in one of Spain's greatest treasures. Steve and I wanted Hayden to take a few things away from our trip: Picasso, flamenco, and Gaudi. I think we were successful in that - Hayden still talks about all of them!
After the museum, we took a long walk along the sea shore.
We sat and had a beer break at a beach restaurant and I regret not tasting any of the freshly grilled seafood!
After our time in Malaga, we were back on the road to Granada. Steve did all the driving!
Hayden did all the napping!
When we got to Granada, we dropped off our rental car and took a taxi to our hotel. Granada had a really eclectic vibe. It was the most 'moorish' of the cities we visited, with the Arabic influences apparent in the architecture, food options, and products in the shops. Hayden really loved our hotel in Granada because she had her very own lofted space up above where Steve and I slept!
We cleaned up and then went out for dinner at a nicer restaurant recommended by our taxi driver. We ordered something on the menu that was listed as a 'local delicacy'. Luckily, the waiter explained to us that it was really lamb brains in time for us to change our order!!! We bummed around the winding streets on our way back to our hotel.
The next morning we made the long, steep walk up to the Alhambra, an arabic fortress and palace with amazing gardens. This site eventually was a palace of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and this is the location where they gave Christopher Columbus their endorsement of his expedition!
We took a little beer break mid-way through our visit and rested while Hayden took countless photos of the cats living in the ruins.
The architecture and detailed tile, wood, and paster work was unbelievable.
We walked back to our hotel for a little rest and then made our way to the top of another hill to get a great view of the Alhambra from a park. We later enjoyed more views of the Alhambra while having a snack at the place with the big umbrellas just over my right shoulder.
The next day we took a train back to Madrid where we essentially waited for our flight home. We stayed at a hotel near the airport rather than in the center of town and walked over to a nearby mall for a little shopping and for dinner before bed. The mall had a huge kiosk of all things pickled and Hayden and I both wished our malls had the same!
Back in our hotel we rested up for the long day of travel. We were all tired and were looking forward to being home!
A couple of last shots while waiting for the bus to the airport the next morning!
Our travels home were relatively easy and uneventful. Our jet lag on the way home was pretty bad - Hayden woke up and was ready for the day at 3 am the next morning! It took us about a solid week to get back to a normal sleeping schedule and to feel completely rested.
All in all, our trip was an overwhelming success. I was a little worried about how Hayden would do in all of it and she was amazing. I honestly don't think she ever complained once and we really dragged her all across the country! More than just not complaining, I think she actually got quite a bit out of the trip. She still talks about Gaudi and Picasso, Flamenco, and tapas! And Steve and I were able to 'scratch that itch' that we get to explore our broader world and experience some of its wonders for ourselves. And, most importantly, we all benefitted beyond words from the continuous 15 days of family fun, adventure, exploration, and relaxation. We cannot wait to plan the next one!!!
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