Summer In Spain - Day 6

Stop 16 -  Mar Menor Beach: We started the day off at the Mar Menor beach which is situated on a unique sea lagoon off a narrow peninsula. The water was calm with only about 2 feet of water making it the BEST beach we've ever seen for kids. Truthfully, our kids probably could have played at this beach the entire 9 days if we would've let them. Soon after arriving at the beach, we discovered a small shop where we rented a stand up paddle board. We took turns taking the kids out on the water which they absolutely loved. It was especially nice for us since the water was so shallow, the kids could easily stand up in the water if they happened to fall.

Stop 17 - Alhambra Palace: Sadly, we had a busy day planned so we had to cut our time at the beach short and start on our journey to Granada. Upon arriving in the city, we headed to the Alhambra Palace where we explored its decoratively designed halls and gardens. The palace was one of the most unique, detailed buildings we've ever seen (and we've seen quite a few crazy buildings in our time in Ireland). The kids especially enjoyed running through the halls, gazing at the goldfish in the ponds, and stepping over the many streams running through the floors of the palace.

Stop 18 - Albayzin District: After exploring the Alhambra, we dropped our gear off at the hotel and walked over to the Albayzin District to grab some dinner. The district is the old Arab quarter facing the Alhambra and is a collection of narrow, winding streets populated with vendors and small shops. It was cool seeing streets filled with the colorful stalls and the mix of the Spanish and Arabic cultures.

Read more...

Summer In Spain - Day 5

Stop 11 - Villajoyosa: We started our day off heading to Villajoyosa, a cute little coastal town known for their many chocolate manufacturers. The town was absolutely beautiful with narrow roads winding down to the beach and colorful fisherman's houses lining the boardwalk. We stopped and had lunch at a little cafe along the beach and enjoyed the smells and sounds of the ocean.

Stop 12 - Valor Chocolate Factory: With Villajoyosa being one of the major ports for cocoa beans from Africa, the small town at one time had over 30 chocolate manufacturers. These days it has only 3 factories but is still known to be the "Chocolate City" in Spain. Consequently, we figured that no trip to Villajoyosa would be complete without a chocolate factory tour. The largest of the 3 manufacturer's, Valor Chocolate, offers free tours throughout the day. We didn't make it in time for the English version of the tour so we did our best to understand what they were saying in Spanish. We were a bit surprised by how provocative Valor's ads were but really enjoyed getting to learn about their chocolate making process. And of course, the best part was the free samples at the end!

Stop 13 - Laguna Salada de Torrevieja: Just weeks before our trip I stumbled upon a picture of Laguna Salada de Torrevieja. When I realized that it was along our route to Cartegena, I knew we had to make a stop. The lake is actually pink due to a particular species of algae that resides in it. Maeli thought it was amazing and dubbed it, "Lake Pinkalicious." 

Stop 14 - Roman Theatre at Cartegena: You might think that a huge Roman theater in a city would be easy to find...but it wasn't. Although it's massive, the theater is nestled in the center of the city, surrounded by modern buildings. We were literally standing 100 feet from the entrance and had to ask someone where it was. We are always amazed to see how structures from so long ago can withstand the test of time so well. The kids loved walking up and down the stairs and Maeli graced us with a performance of "Let It Go" from center stage.

Stop 15 - Cartegena: We finished off the day with dinner at a corner cafe on the streets of Cartegena. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me personally. Getting to sit outside in perfect weather, in a beautiful city with my favorite people in the world truly made me thankful for this opportunity we have to make all of these special memories as a family. 

Read more...

Summer In Spain - Day 4

Stop 7 - Cariñena, Aragón Region: The next morning we got up and started our journey towards Valencia. On our way, we drove through the beautiful Cariñena, Aragón wine country.

Stop 8 - Gulliver's Park: Once we arrived in Valencia, our first stop was at Gulliver's Park - a giant figure of Gulliver from Gulliver's Travels made into a playground for kids. Although it was a bit hot outside, the kids had a blast climbing up the giant and sliding down his body and hair. A few of us may have gotten burnt going down the slides but it was well worth the pain.

Stop 9 - The House of Cats: After reading about the House of Cats online, we knew we had to add it to our "to do" list. On our way to the house we stopped at a little corner store and picked up a carton of milk. When we arrived at the house, the kids were excited to see that it was a tiny house their size. The detail on the house was amazing! With it's own little balcony and fountain, the cats have a beautiful private entrance to their house. The kids enjoyed pouring milk into the little fountain and peeking in through the door.

Stop 10 - Cullera Beach: We figured that the perfect way to end the day would be at one of Spain's best beaches. The weather was great, the beach was gorgeous, and the kids were able to run free in the water. When I asked Maeli later if she liked sleeping on her towel on the beach, she corrected me and said "We weren't sleeping, we were relaxing."

Read more...