January 2018

In January we escaped the cold of the UK for a week and headed to sunny southern Spain. Coincidently we were there for Three Kings Day, celebrated on January 6. The three kings are known more commonly as the three wise men in America - they brought gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh to the baby Jesus. It was nice to see Spain so festive during their holiday time, it felt a bit like Christmas had been extended.

We were also very lucky with the weather. Our first stop was Malaga, Spain on the southern coast. It was unseasonably warm during our short stay - sunshine and a beach felt like paradise compared to the cold weather we came from. Malaga reminded us a lot of San Diego - a beautiful city by the water with a large harbor and even a few cruise ships.

We climbed up to the Alcazaba one day, a steep climb with beautiful views along the way. The Alcazaba was a Moorish citadel built in the early 11th century.

bougainvillea as beautiful as San Deigo 

Christmas tree made of Iberian ham

After a couple days in Malaga we drove inland towards Seville with a short stop in Rhonda on the way. Rhonda is famous for its large bridge seen in the third photo below. The views were amazing and we were lucky with another sunny day.

On to Seville where we stayed at another Marriott hotel. This was the first time we had ever been in an elevator for a car. The parking garage was beneath the hotel and the only way to enter was to actually put the car into a large elevator.

There was much festivity in Seville for Three Kings Day. Below you see the ring cakes that are found all over the city. They are decorated to look like a crown that a king would wear.

One night we were walking around to find a restaurant and we stumbled upon a parade! The streets were very crowded so we made our way into a nearby McDonald's and found a great spot by a window to watch the parade. A parade, cheeseburgers, and balloons - a good night for the kids.

The central plaza in Seville was decorated with enormous Christmas tree ornaments covered in lights. They were large enough to walk through which we did. What a fun experience.

The streets were also decorated with lights, beautiful night for a walk.

We found Seville to be a very charming city - not too big and not too small. As with many European cities, we ventured out to find the cathedral and a palace. 

city plaza in Seville by the cathdral

Fountain in the city plaza

One of the most interesting things we found in Seville was this statue which is a monument to Christopher Columbus in the cathedral. The four figures of the statue are holding the tomb of Columbus. Even though Columbus was Italian it was the Spanish crown that sent him on his voyages.

The palace in Seville is called the Real Alcázar and was built on the site of a Muslim fortress for the Christian king Peter of Castile. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as their Seville residence. It is a beautiful palace and the grounds are impeccably maintained.

the palace maze

The initials of this palace were the same as Rachel's initials!

peacock wandering the grounds of the palace

Upon returning to school after Christmas break Carson's school bestowed upon him the honour of House Captain. Carson was very proud to receive the red pin that accompanies this honour which he wears proudly to school for the whole term. His house name is Stafford and their colour is red. 

In late January we drove to Thetford to visit my cousin's son Steven and his family. They live close to the Lakenheath US Military base so we had a chance to shop at the large Exchange and Commissary while there. Being on the base was like being back in America for a day!

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