Hanging with Emilio and Martin

You never know who's going to show up in Burgos. We went to go say hi to our friends who run the Velada hotel, which is this little hotel on this tiny pedestrian street. It used to be part of a castle at one point in time. But anyway, they said they were completely full for the week which is always good. They said the movie people were here with the actors and the director, etc. So we asked who they were thinking that they were a spanish crew. But, oh no they weren't. It was Martin Sheen who is making a movie about the Camino de Santiago. His son, Emilio Estevez, is the director. We saw Emilio in the car, but with a full beard I couldn't be sure he was the Mighty Ducks coach or not. And then here came Martin going through the little lobby to the car and then back through to the banquet room looking for a sandwich he could give Emilio, and then back to the car. Once the car left, we were the only ones there along with our friends and so we started talking to Martin. We got video to prove it.

Today they were shooting a scene near the cathedral and so we went over after our Spanish class to check it out and there was everyone. I had to actually ask him if he was Emilio and then I told him how my kids grew up watching The Mighty Ducks and how much they loved those movies. I even repeated our favorite line that says, "He ate ice cream with the enemy". Whitney you'd be proud. It took him a second to remember saying that line.

It was kind of cool because no one else knew who he was and he was just hanging out. I got a picture with him. And then later in the afternoon, on our way to seminary, we took Weston by the shoot and we talked to him again. Weston got a picture with him. Wait till we go by again with Madison. Jessica knows the other actors in it, but I have no clue. So I don't think we'll be taking pics of them.

Do I really want to be an extra? I don't think so. I'm too impatient to film the same scene 20 times. I don't know how they do it.

Pictures from Toledo

Red Tape

I've decided it's next to impossible to study here just because of all the stupid rules and paperwork necessary to make everything "official". They are really into it"being official" and love stamps and seals, etc. They insist we needed Madi's 8th grade transcripts and when we tell them that 8th grade isn't official here, they can't understand. OCJH refused to give us anything before 9th grade. But the offficails here say that Madi has to have the 3 previous years transcripts. What the heck! Do they think she fell from the sky and just landed in 9th grade with straight A's? You can come to study as a 12th grader, because then you'd have your 3 years of transcripts. It's retarded to say the least and not a soul in any government building speaks a word of English. Maybe that's where they employ all the slow learners. So right now, Pachi (Madi's host dad), has petitioned the govt for an exception and we'll hear in 3 weeks. Crazy stuff. We thought everything was going to be fine before we got here, but every time we pay for more paperwork, they come up with something else. Are we on Candid Camera or something? Maybe we're in some kind of study to see how much we can take before going bizerk. Now I know why they have metal detectors in their buildings.

The Madrid Temple

We went to a session at the Madrid temple and Weston did baptisms. People here tell us that this was President Hinkley's favorite temple. After being inside, I can see why. The final room is spectacular with an olivie green dome ceiling and is covered with a gold relief (3D) of flowers and vines and is incredibly gorgeous. It knocks you over. We had a great experience in the temple.

And then we went to the zoo and aquarium. It was kind of cold and overcast and we pretty much and the whole place to ourselves. It's huge! McKenzie, we saw 2 pandas. No lines, no crowds, no other people. All the show were cancelled, which would have been fun, but that was the trade-off. The chimps and the baboons put on their own shows for us. They were hilarious. And in the aquarium there was a shart tank that you could right up next to and see the sharks swimming right above your head. You could see every sharp pointy tooth they had just inches from you. It was so gross and so thrilling at the same time. We had a good time even when we had to walk back through the rain to the metro.

Which one do you think is ours? One of the kids at Maristas (the school Madi attends) said she didn't really like the inside of the White House when she visited. She said it was just like a house; kind of plain. I had to laugh. They are used to palaces and grandiose buildings because that is what they are surrounded by.

Madrid

We had to take Margrett to the Madrid airport so we made a whole trip out of it. Madrid is about 2 hours south of us. We left on Monday so she could have a day there before flying to New York where she was going to meet Candace for a few days before flying home. We took another On and Off City Tour bus like we did in Barcelona and saw all around the historic area of the city which is pretty amazing. Lots and lots of palaces and other beautiful buildings. Cory saw a crazy patchwork of a suit coat that really caught his eye so we got off on another stop and tracked down the store. Luckily, he couldn't buy it because it was just an example of the different colors customers could order. Mom, it was like the rugby "uglies" you brought back for him from New Zealand. The man was adament about not selling it and I feel fortunate because it cost 500 E. You thought the red jacket was loud. This was even more eyecatching.

It was hard to say goodbye to Margrett and see her go off on her own all by herself through that enormous airport. We had a lot of fun while she was here.

I dragged the boys to the Prado National Museum. It's supposed to have the world's largest collection of paintings (8600) with 2000 on display at once. A lot of religious art and no impressionist art. Although I don't particularly enjoy the religious art, I do understand that these artists loved the saviour and painted him in the best way they knew how. Their level of devotion can be seen through their works and I can appreciate that. The roman sculptures were impressive. Weston hated them cuz they're all naked, but I've never seen so many in one place. They were amazing! He wants to know what the difference is between this art and porn. Good question actually. Although we were completely dead on our feet, I'm glad we went. There were several masterpieces shown that you study in art history and here we got to see them in person. I feel very lucky to be here.

A Run to Forget

I have to post this, but fair warning, if you aren't a runner you won't appreciate it. Yesterday I got early so I could run before we left for Madrid. I was up and I was feeling good and although I couldn't go to the bathroom, I thought I'd be O.K. So off I went. Burgos is so quiet at 7am and I was loving it. It's been awhile since I've run in the dark and I was thinking that this was the best time of day and I was running fast. The city workers and I exchanged Buenos Dias and all was going well until mile 4 1/2 and that's when it all went south. I'll just say this. I'm glad I had tights on (first time wearing them) and I'm glad it was pitch black and I'm glad the streets were pretty empty, although there were a few people out by now. Why the heck doesn't a city have porta potties or any public restrooms anywhere? No wonder their forest looks like a huge toilet with paper lying around everywhere. What else can you do? My problem was that I was back in the city by that time, so that wasn't an option. It was bad and that's all I'm going to say. Real bad. I can only think of one other time that was worse. And I don't want to remember. Can anyone relate?

Shopping in Burgos

Well, it was only a matter of time that Margrett got me to go shopping. I actually didn't even know where the shops were. It's not like they have box stores with big neon lights. But we stumbled onto them last Saturday and it turned out to be a very fun day. Cory left pretty early on and that left the 2 of us to take all the time we wanted. The clothes here are all super stylish and you should see how the women dress to even go shopping. There were times where I'd just watch the people because it was like they all stepped out of a fashion magazine. I felt like I had dressed up because I wasn't in my running shoes (thank goodness for that one), but these people were amazing. Skinny jeans and boots are a must, as well as a closet full of scarves in every pattern and color. No one goes anywhere without a scarf. They also don't skimp on coats. I know Burgos is supposed to be an icebox, so it goes without saying that they have a closet full of different coats.

I probably wouldn't have bought anything because of the prices, but it was like I was being egged on to do something dangerous or something. It was like Margrett was daring me to do something outrageous and so I couldn't not rise to the challenge. So I came home with 2 very good purchases. We had a great time together, too. We even stopped in at a little cafe to have hot chocolate and crouissants, which were amazing. The hot chocolate isn't exactly what we are used to in the states. It was so rich and thick. More like dipping sauce for the crouissants. Oh, life is good.

Archeological Dig

I guess I'm not really that interested in archeology because I thought the biggest sight for preneanderthal period in the world wasn't all that interesting. I would never have the patience to kneel there day after day using a paintbrush to dig out part of a bone. I'd get a shovel and take a big shovel full and dump it to the side and then paw through it to see if there was anything. It's a good thing this world is made up of all sorts of people.

Take Cory for example. He thinks once his mom leaves we are going to go Spanish only. That should be interesting since I can't understand anything he says so far. I'm getting better when I read something or when our teacher slowly says stuff, but if someone is trying to tell me something and I don't get a word, I'm lost. Put it this way, I'm not dreaming in Spanish yet.

Smut and Gossip

I should take the time to write a bit more since Cory and Weston are at seminary. They tend to hog the computer and you can tell them I said that. I know we'll be watching the BYU football game later tonight and so this is my chance.

Whitney said more people would comment on my blog if I spiced it up a bit with some juicy stuff. So here goes. Oh, wait, I don't know of any. My friend, Lisa, has the lead in that department. I'm O.K., though, because she never reads this anyway. You guys will have to send me some stuff I can use.

I know who my true friends are because they are the ones who write to me anyway they can. I'm not picky. It could be email, facebook, comments, real mail. Whatever.

Well, that's all.

For the First Time

We had some big firsts this week. We had our first English guided tour since being here and it was awesome. We were in Portugal and visited a palace/chateau and the only way to see it was with a guide. A live breathing person whom you could ask questions. It was wonderful.

The other first was that I've never seen an entire country's hotel rooms completely booked for a weekend. There was a national holiday that had something to do with their Saints this past weekend. We went to Salamanca (Vantage Point has a scene at the Plaza Mayor and it was spectacular) on Friday night with a reservation and figured we'd get the next night's lodgings later. Ooops! Had to go to Portugal instead. Not a bad idea, though. Portugal was great. It was warm, it was green as Weston would point out, it was less expensive, and it reminded me a lot of Brazil. I guess that makes sense.

Another first, was that today we visited our first Monastery here in Burgos with Margrett. And we got to drive a car to our Spanish class today. That was a big one. And since we have the car until Friday, we get to drive Weston to school and back. He's happy about that one.

Also, I don't want to brag or anything, but I didn't get lost on my runs this weekend. I am pretty proud about that one, especially in Villa Real, Portugal where there isn't a straight street in the whole town.

It's been a very fun week.

Mishap at Cruz Roja

Right as Cory locked our bikes together he realized we had left the key with Margrett back at the house. Oops! Big oops because the bus system going to our house isn't all the great I knew it'd take at least 1 1/2 hours to go to our piso and back. And I decided not to change out my pedals so I had my bike shoes which aren't too practical to walk in. So I stayed with our bikes and Cory and Weston to the bus back and forth. Yes, I said Weston. He moaned his way out of school today and so we made him go to class with us. I sat on a wall outside and studied Spanish. I think I got the good end of the deal because it was time well spent. At the end, a couple came up to me and started talking. They actually enjoyed talking with me and I wasn't embarrassed to muddle my way through. If my kids aren't there to make me feel bad, I just keep on speaking. It's a challenge and I like challenges. What I don't know is if they understand the meaning of what I'm trying to say. Who knows.

Cory's Birthday

He turned 51 years old yesterday. Wow! It's a bit harder to do the usual baking of cakes and frying of scones for breakfast around here. But yesterday I finally found yeast! No one bakes around here because they just get everything at the bakery. That explains why when the spanish boys come to our house and see 25 lb sacks of flour and sugar they are amazed. Those things only come in one size here and that's in 1 kg packages. But now I have all the ingredients to make pancakes and scones. I'm excited. We just bought a mouse cake at the grocery store and it wasn't all that good. I can make a cake now, too, just without frosting since I haven't found powdered sugar. Or we'll just stick with the bakery ourselves!

Madison came over last night after seminary and it sure was good to have her here. We miss not being with her more and once we leave it is going to be painful for all of us. Weston isn't crazy about being with just the 2 of us. I don't understand why since we are so great. That's why he was so excited to have Grandma come I guess.

Traveling in France

We just got back from a trip to southern France. We spent one night in Perpignan and one in Torbes. We saw a lot of country, went to a few flea markets, saw castles, churches, got wet in the Mediterranean, ate a lot of French pastries and went through the Pyrenees. We drove on some famous routes through the Pyrenees which have some grueling climbs. You can appreciate the Tour of France a little more when you are on the same roads they ride on. But we had Margrett instead of our bikes. It was a trade-off, though. Without her we wouldn't have known about the town of Lourdes and Bernadette. Bernadette saw visions of Mary 19 times within a 2 month period. Now there is church built there and the grotto where she saw the visions is now a shrine. People come from all over the world to visit this grotto where there is a spring that supposedly has healing waters. People fill all types of water containers full of this spring water and take it home with them. It is silent all around this area and there are very faithful and religious people who travel to Lourdes to touch and kiss the stones at the grotto and get the water. If you google Bernadette you can read all about her. She was just 14 years old when all this happened and she never denied it even though she was persecuted for her story. Eventually, though, she had a following and people believed her. Enough so that there is a huge pilgrimage to this town of 15,000 people. Over 5 million people come each year and there are more hotels (270) in this town than in any other French city except Paris.

We drove a long ways. I'm discovering European countries aren't all that small. It's funny that I thought it felt like home when we re-entered Spain. All the writing looked so familiar again compared to all that French stuff. On the other hand we had not spoken Spanish in a week and I think I've lost some. And when you don't have much to begin with, that's a problem. In France I found myself asking if they knew English and if they said no, then I asked if they knew Spanish. Like that would help me much. But the question came out before I could really analyze what I was saying. However, they knew neither, so we were back to sign language. Whatever works.

Barcelona

I had a really great art history class in college, but I'm a bit embarrassed that I had never heard of Gaudi before. Well, Gaudi and Barcelona go hand in hand. And for the past 2 days we've seen a lot of both. Yesterday we saw the Sagrada Familia which is a temple of sorts that Gaudi started in 1884 and is still being built according to his designs. The interior is supposed to be finished by the end of next year and the outside is projected to be completed by 2030. It's pretty impressive with all of the details and carvings and stonework. We would refer to it as a huge catholic cathedral, but they call it Sagrada Familia meaning the sacred family and is dedicated to Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

Today we took an on and off city hopper bus all over the city and it was fun as well. We saw the famous Park Guell that has the mosaic iguana that everyone is familiar with. He really has this whimsical kind of folk art style that is so different than the traditional Roman architecture that is so common here. It is quite interesting to see. It has a very "happy" look.

Of course, if I didn't mention the food, my blog wouldn't be complete. Today we just stumbled into this all- you-can -eat sushi buffet. The restaurant had a conveyor belt that sent small plates of food up through the length of the restaurant. All of the tables were set up next to this conveyor belt and you could remove a plate that looked good and eat it. The food was in constant motion and you could pick and choose to eat whatever you wanted. It was delicious and amazing at the same time. We had a great time stacking up the many many empty plates at the end of the table. Then when we couldn't eat more, there was a dessert bar. You had to actually stand up and walk over to that. We don't know how a place like this could make any money. It sure didn't with us eating there. Weston wants to go back tomorrow!!