Sep 17, 2010

Brett and I joke with each other that our 20 week European Adventure was ‘epic’ – and on all accounts, it really was. It totaled 140 days of travel. We weren’t on the go continuously (thank goodness!) and we didn’t see every inch of the land or site at each location either. But, we definitely tested my packing and organization...

Jun 7, 2010

Spain was a delightful surprise. I anticipated the delicious food, friendly people and fantastic sites; but had not planned on the abundant fútbol/soccer experiences we were able to have, the unique traditions comprising the bull fight we attended nor the absolutely brilliant weather with which we were graced. Spain has an interesting past, a diverse...

Jun 6, 2010

Home of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, the Santiago Bernabeú Stadium was completed in 1947. Santiago Bernabeú Yeste, the man after whom the stadium was named, was active with Real Madrid for more than 65 years as a player, manager and spent 35 years as the president of the club. He was a pioneer in Spanish football, and was one of the catalysts for the...

Jun 5, 2010

Bullfighting is a tradition that can be traced back to the Roman deity Mithras, who was worshiped between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. One historical theory is that the Roman Empire introduced bullfighting to Spain as one of the many human against animal forms of entertainment, along with typical gladiatorial contests that were popular in the early centuries...

Jun 4, 2010

The most popular art museum in all of Spain, the Museo del Prado is visited by 2.8 million visitors annually. The Prado has 7,800 paintings in its collection, but only (only!) 1,300 of them are on display because there isn’t enough space to hang all of them. Why make a visit to the Prado? Three artists come to mind: Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya and El...