Adventures in Spain, Part II

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Our daughter has been in Spain now for almost two months, and that is just hard to believe that her time there is almost halfway over! She has already finished her midterm examinations! Where does the time fly off too... a rhetorical question I know, because no one I know has the answer!

Twenty-three years ago today, in the very early morning hours of St. Patrick's Day, our precious daughter was brought into this world, and the world has been a better place because of her {smiles}.  We are missing her very much as she celebrates her birthday halfway around the world, and so I thought it would be a good time to share with you some of the memories she has made while studying in Spain. 


This is inside the university campus where she is studying, in the main courtyard. 

Inside the la Catedral de Granada, one of the most magnificent cathedrals in Spain. 

A closer look at the magnificence of this building!

The outdoor courtyard area of the Palace Alhambra. 

Inside Alhambra looking out into the courtyard. Such incredible architecture!

She traveled to the city of Toledo, Spain, and this is a gorgeous view overlooking the city.  

Another view of Toledo, Spain.

And one more... the sunset views were just stunning to see!

Crossing one of the many bridges in the city of Toledo. 

La Catedral de Toledo is one of the largest cathedrals in Spain.

A view of the magnificence inside La Catedral de Toledo. 

Gold statutes inside the cathedral. 


El Palacio Real (Royal Palace of Madrid) where the royal family hosts official events.  The palace was incredibly opulent, she tells us, but inside they were not allowed to take pictures of it!

A picture of the Royal family of Spain. 

She toured the capital city of Spain, Madrid, on a bicycle!  With the group they rode bicycles through much of the city
for several hours! What a great way to explore! 

A marketplace in Madrid

This beautiful peacock graced the grounds of the park they visited in Madrid. 

She has gone on several hikes around Granada, and this is a picture of a hike she took that had
views overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains. 

She tells us that cats are everywhere in Spain, and they are quite beautiful souls! 

A monument in a park braced on either side by two beautiful orange trees. 

On another hike, they climbed through a canyon, and it was quite a challenging hike.  In places, they had to crawl! 

Crossing this wooden swinging bridge through the canyon. 

What an interesting hike this must have been, much hard work went into creating this trail through the canyons. 

A view of the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range in the warm afternoon light. 

A sunset view of the city of Granada

Here she visits an Arabic teahouse called El Banuelo.  

She ordered te pakistani (Pakistani tea) which she really enjoyed and a Baklava, all very delicious. 

She has also gone to visit the Rock of Gibraltar. Here is a picture of the entrance at the base of the Rock 

She says she nearly got blown away by the high winds at the Europa cliff point with
the view of the Trinity lighthouse.  Beautiful view! 

What a gorgeous color the water is! 

She got to see the monkeys who live on the Rock of Gibraltar, and it is a quite well-known fact that these cute little monkeys are trained pickpockets, so they were warned beforehand to not touch the monkeys or turn their back to them, and to hold their belongings close! 

Back in Granada, she happened upon a spontaneous flamenco dancer,
dancing in the street entertaining the crowd who gathered to watch.   





This is La Plaza de Espana in the town of Sevilla. Again, here you can
see a crowd gathered to watch a flamenco dancer. 

A sunset view of the Plaza de Espana, Sevilla. 

Touring Cordoba, Spain. Such an incredibly beautiful stone bridge!

Walking through the streets of Cordoba, she captured these beautiful pots lining the walls of the homes. 

Being a gardener myself, I just have to ask, how do these plants get watered?
 I don't know the answer, but I do wonder! Aren't they beautiful! 
So I will stop there for now... she has recently traveled to Portugal and also the country of Morocco! I will have to do another "Adventure in Spain" post and share those beautiful pictures with you :)

But to bring us all back to reality... this is what it looks like in my world now that we have finished traveling in the sunshine in Spain....

Frosty mornings with warm sunshine and plentiful snow. 
Our morning walks take us past this beautiful view every morning.  


When one looks at this picture, how can you not love winter?
And I do, I love winter dearly... but I am ready for Spring... it is time  {smiles}

Just this morning I captured this wild rose bush decked out in its organdy white gown of hoar frost...
but it won't be long now before buds burst forth and wild roses bloom once again. 
We are all ready and waiting :) 


 I took the dogs on a snowshoe through the woods this afternoon.  The days of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing around our home no doubt are drawing to a close for this season, and I want to enjoy it while I can. 

Enjoying our time in the woods, the dogs are always on high alert, which makes them great companions.
However, their "high alert" stance almost always involves a deer, lol!
Our weather forecast for this upcoming week says that we are to reach highs of 60s on Wednesday which is also the first day of Spring... I do hope for once they aren't wrong! We are all looking forward to the warm sunshine forecast for this coming week, and already we have seen the temps rising during the day with the warm sunshine and have seen a lot of the snow melt, but it has a long way to go yet.  Spring seems to be a bit finicky in her arrival, so one just never quite knows for sure. 
But for now, we are just very grateful for the sunshine in the forecast! 

I hope you enjoyed your "armchair travels" to a land where springtime has been in full swing for some time now, and we look forward to the day coming soon when we shall enjoy it here too :)

How is Spring looking in your world? 

41 comments

  1. What a wonderful tour indeed. Your daughter is blessed to be able to study in such a stunning place, a real feast for the eyes. I loved the opulence and grandeur of the cathedral. Although we have no snow here the storms bring damaging winds so I am hopeful that Spring is just around the corner.

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  2. That was fascinating. One often thinks of Spain as being full of holiday homes and it is easy to forget the beauty of the historical parts. Granada must be a very special place to visit. Such a wonderful experience for your daughter.

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  3. I never realized how beautiful Spain was! I would love to visit there some day. I might speak with a travel agent this week. LOL! I need a new and exciting adventure in my life. Your snow is beautiful but I am ready for spring.

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  4. Happy Birthday to your precious daughter, Marilyn! Oh, what a marvelous time she is having in Spain, and her photos are amazing. I did feel like I was on vacation looking at them this morning.
    Yes, spring, I hope you will be here soon!
    Blessings!

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  5. My Gosh! What fantastic pictures. Spain is quite beautiful...and so interesting. Happy Birthday to your sweet girl-aren't our daughters precious to us?
    No spring here yet- freezing temps and ice floe blockage has created flooding all around our state. UGH-
    Have a sweet St. Pat's Day- xo Diana

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  6. Oh Marilyn...what a delightful trip you have taken me to ☺️ Spain is pretty important to us Latin Americans. Happy birthday to your lovely daughter 💕blessings to you 💚💚

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  7. thank you for your beautiful series of photos.
    have a great weekend

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  8. Your daughter is seeing some incredible sights. Thanks for sharing them. Yes,winter is beautiful and I also like it, but at this time of year,I am ready for spring and warmer weather.We also are being promised warmer temperatures this coming week, but we will just wait and see. The forecasters have been wrong before, a time or two. LOL

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  9. I love Baklava and so many things about today's post. The Cathedral is amazing and the scenery also.
    Happy birthday to your daughter. We're celebrating our youngest granddaughter's 16th birthday today. Another St Patrick's baby.

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  10. Marilyn, what a pretty post. Our grandson's girl friend studied in Spain last year and he was able to go over for a visit while she was there. We didn't get to see the beautiful photos like you did so thanks for sharing..What a great opportunity for these young kids..Happy Sunday..Judy and thanks for your kind visit.

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  11. Slow and steady progress to spring, Marilyn.

    Beautiful photos!

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  12. Happy Birthday to your dear daughter so far away from home. What beautiful sights she is seeing and documenting. Amazing. The sunshine we've been enjoying has been so encouraging...Yes? Soon we will be a muddy mess. Hope you have a wonderful week with Spring starting right in the middle of it! Blessings.

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  13. Happy Birthday to your daughter! You must miss her- she is so far away and in a completely different beautiful world. My daughter‘s birthday is this week and mine is too and we are off to a different part of Canada where it looks like it is still in the grip of ice and snow. Spring was slow coming to the island and just last week the snow finally melted. In twenty years I‘ve never seen it around for so long. I got my seeds ordered as I‘m sure you do too and looking forwards to the time on my knee‘s enjoying planting and the sweet aroma of earth.

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  14. Such a fabulous opportunity for your daughter to soak in all that Spain has to offer. Glorious photos she has taken. I believe she has the same innate ability, just like you, to capture beautiful photos...moments in time. Happy Birthday to your sweet daughter. Now about Spring visiting you and melting your wintry landscape.....surely it has to be soon.

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  15. Oh my! The memories your daughter is making will stay with her the rest of her life. Such beautiful places she is visiting. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I am really looking for that 60° mark on Wednesday too. We have certainly enjoyed the blue skies and warmer temperatures this weekend. I’m sure you have too.
    Blessings always, Betsy

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  16. Oh my goodness, these photos of Spain brought back so many memories of our 3+ years of living there while DH was serving in the US Navy, 70-73. I could just feel being back there, and it all made me miss my dear husband even more than I already do. Those cities were all special to us. We never made it to Gibraltar though.

    It was a wonderful experience for us and it is a wonderful experience for your daughter. She will never forget her time there.

    Have a great week of 'spring'.

    FlowerLady

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  17. Wow!!! Gorgeous photos, especially the streets of Cordoba, and the Cathedral, and the Palace....they are all amazing! Such a grand adventure for your girl, one she will always remember. So glad you shared some of it with us. :-) Have a fabulous week in the snow! haha Spring will be here soon....

    {{hugs}}

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  18. Absolutely beautiful photos! I have enjoyed this trip so much through the pictures. I cannot even begin to imagine going to such a grand place! Oh my! Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  19. Oh, it is wonderful to travel right along with your dear daughter through her adventures! What an amazing experience this is for her, and it is wonderful that you share it with all of us here. May God continue to bless her and keep her safe and comfort you as you miss her at home, too. And, if she should happen to read this, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Hope your day was amazing! God bless you, dear friend.

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  20. Oh my Marilyn... your daughter has taken just fantastic photos that capture so much of Spain that I didn't realize was there. All of the cathedrals and the GOLD! Wow is all I could say, over and over again! I didn't realize Spain had so many cathedrals and palaces and such grand architecture.. what a lesson for me! I'm glad your daughter is having a great time and so glad she is capturing so much on camera. Like one other gal said, she has a real ability to capture just the right light. The photo of where she took a hike and it's overlooking the Sierra Nevada mountains, is such awesome! also the one of the sunset in Granada with the golden skies and buildings.. so many wonderful photos! Spring here is very slow in coming too. We still have snow in alot of places, but I can actually see some grass now in our yard! Saturday it was 55 degrees and sunny which was wonderful. I went on a little drive to a nice little town about 30 miles away and enjoyed the snow covered vistas and mountains, but the towns are looking more like Spring. No flowers popping up yet though! I'm ready!

    Your photos are gorgeous.. the one of the hoar frost on the rose bush is so pretty. We've had that frost once here in Madras in the past 3-1/2 years that we've lived here. It seems to be quite rare to get the just right conditions for it. I bet you are itching to see some grass peeking up? And talking walks along the warm earthen trails through the woods? Sigh.. I sure would be! Take care and have a great week! Hugs.. Marilyn

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  21. Your daughter’s photography is amazing! I really enjoyed seeing some of the sights of Spain through her eyes. Years ago now, my niece visited some of the same places; however, her photos needed some work. Ha! You are a lover of winter so I am grinning that even you are saying that you are ready for spring. The temps are in the 30s here, which makes for an easy melt. The temps in the 40s of the weekend resulted in flooded streets and a flooded basement so I’m okay with slowing the melting down.

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  22. What a fun post Marilyn, THANK YOU for sharing. :-) Are the cats friendly or more like feral cats that are all around in Spain?

    We have 50 degrees in our forecast. :-) I did start some seeds. I am getting excited to get in the garden. I am doing a garden journal the way you shared, I just love your idea.
    Carla

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  23. Absolutely stunning architecture☺

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  24. It's just beautiful Marilyn...and not a bad place to spend your birthday!!

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  25. Happy birthday to you daughter that I know you are missing! What gorgeous photos that your darling girl took , Marilyn! Spain looks like such an incredible place to visit and to attend classes.
    Happy first day of Spring tomorrow!

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  26. I am so amazed at these lovely pictures from Spain...I had no idea of the beauty!! What a wonderful adventure for your daughter! She may never want to come back home! But then again, where you live is also very beautiful, and home is where the heart is. Thank you for taking us along on this journey. I truly enjoyed it!!

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  27. Gorgeous pictures! Those cathedrals are absolutely stunning! I love the architecture. It's officially spring here in Seattle and we're breaking records with our warm temps. Today it got up to 70 degrees! I do love your snow pictures though!

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  28. Old world architecture is amazing. Looks like you had a nice trip and got some much needed sunshine. - Margy

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  29. Those pictures are absolutely breathtaking. It is so beautiful there. Hope your daughter had a happy birthday. How neat that she is studying in Spain. She sounds very special. I hope your weather report was right and you got temperatures in the 60's. That would feel almost warm after all that snow! Marilyn, I've just got to thank you for leaving the sweetest comment on my 'chicken' post. I love and appreciate what you said about chickens being expensive pets but rewarding us with eggs. From now on, I will think about our chickens that way. Love, Henny

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  30. Marilyn, what gorgeous pictures and unforgettable experiences! Thanks for sharing; I feel as if I've just had a mini-vacation!

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  31. Oh the landscape in Spain is so lovely! It's wonderful to remember our children and the time that has gone by with them. What a treasure!
    Has it started to melt there? We have gotten a heat wave up here and most of our snow has gone. It's been incredible! The river is gurgling under the ice and breaking out in places. Love the sound. I love that you have such great companions while you're out in the woods. We always take our dog Sophie...for the bears are waking up.

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  32. Spain is so pretty. She will never forget the time she has spent there.

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  33. One of our twin daughters studied in Granada for a semester . . . she loved it! Looks like your daughter is having the time of her life. Warning . . . once they get the travel bug, you may not see much of them haha! My girls have traveled the world and continue to do so working as Adventure Guides - they're going to be 27 and show no signs of 'settling' down!

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  34. Oh dear Marilyn how can i thank you enough for this beautiful beautiful beautiful virtual trip to Spain!

    Europe is always in my thoughts like a fantasy land where i believe i will visit one day sooner or later because i desperately want to take a close look of world's one of the oldest and most fascinating civilization !

    Happy birthday to your precious daughter who made world worth living for you my dear friend!

    May she see many more joys and adventures of life with her parents ahead ,amen!

    She is seems such a wonderful explorer and what an amazing photographer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i bet she inherited these skills from her lovely mom :)

    these glorious sights of Spain made my day enchanting !

    each view is CAPTIVATING! and brilliantly captured

    how great to explore city by bicycle

    reading about monkeys made me laugh and reminded the incident when once a monkey snatched away ice creme from my hands so quickly ,i was little girl and started to cry lol

    hiking must be so interesting yet little risky .hope she is in the hand of Lord always!

    your snow melting will bring the spring to you surrounding so soon hopefully !

    enjoy the blessings my friend!
    Hugs!

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  35. You are so brave to cross the frightening bridge.

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  36. Wow, what beautiful photos your daughter has taken! The cathedral is so magnificent! I had to go back for a second look! It appears she is having the time of her life!!! Time does fly!!! I agree, winter is beautiful and in the late fall I am always excited to hear about the first arrival of snow but I have to say that this year I am so over it! I need spring! We keep getting a bit of a tease, all the snow melts and then it snows again! Hope it is now gone for good. Looking forward to leaves budding and little green signs of spring shooting up from the ground!! Hope you have a lovely week my friend! Hugs, Linda

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  37. Beautiful photos of Spain!! I have a certain percentage of my dna from Spain...maybe someday!! Thanks for sharing Marilyn! Indeed Winter is lovely but I agree with you also that we are ready for Spring!!

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  38. Marilyn, such breathtaking travel adventures! That courtyard filled with mazes - wow! I've not been to Spain but my ancestors were from there. xo

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  39. A birthday your daughter won't forget, especially with such beautiful pictures to remind her!
    Time does go by quickly!
    Hope it was sunny for your First Day of Spring!

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  40. I so enjoyed my armchair travel this evening (it's 11.10pm as I type).

    Fabulous photographs from your daughter, the Cathedral is breathtakingly beautiful … as are her many other pictures shared.

    What a contrast to see her sun and your snow.

    Enjoy these last few days of March.
    My good wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  41. Sweet Marilyn, beautiful photo's. I would love to travel there. I hope spring fills your life with warmth, sunny days, sweet song birds.....and tea parties in the garden. (((Hugs)))

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