C is for Cathedrals and Compromise #atozchallenge

  Mezquita de Córdoba

You cannot spend time in Europe without educating yourself on the history of the area, and visiting in many cases numerous cathedrals.  What was interesting in particular about this trip versus other areas that I have traveled was that in Spain the Moors ruled the Iberian peninsula from the year 700 until 1492 (a date easy for any school child to remember as in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue).  As a result there are still any number of what are now Christian Cathedrals that were converted from former Mosques.  Though the majority of mosques were destroyed, the beauty and architectural diversity of these hybrids preserved both forms of worship.

Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo

Sagrada Família

With Cathedrals also came Compromise.  We were on a tour, which was wonderful, and we were happy with the fact that it was pretty 50/50.  Equal parts guided tours with the group and free time.  However, in true teenage form, the kids were less appreciative of the planned tours.  Tours now versus 20 years ago when I last toured include devices called whispers.  They are little boxes worn around your neck with an ear piece so that you can easily listen to your guide.  The kids rebelled by not using theirs and moodily huffing through the Cathedrals.

However, glimpses of interest materialized as they snapped photos with there phones and over dinner conversation one evening Sidney expanded on the conversation based on what she had heard from the tour.  So though there was forced compromise that they were not always particularly happy about, they still learned about the Cathedrals even if through osmosis.

Wordless Wednesday~ Vacation

What a Difference Two Days Makes (Colorado Chronicles)

It's hard to believe that it has already been a week since we left for Colorado.  Last Saturday, after the final garden tour attendees had driven away, we finished packing the car, loaded up, and headed West caravaning with friends.  We cut the sixteen hour trip into two day busy days.  I mentioned how much I love a car trip.  There is something about seeing the country up close, the experience of a slice of life from every area, and with this trip, the wonderful camaraderie of two families in the long hours together, that make even the fatigue of driving feel oh so worth while. 

Our first stop was a family favorite, and a little better than half way to Des Moines, our evenings stopping point.  Iowa 80 is the "Worlds Largest Truck Stop" and it does not disappoint.  The kids could run around and jump in and play in the huge cabs that were in the show room.  This was followed what was  a mediocre supper, but nourishment none the less.  We didn't arrive at our hotel in Des Moines until close to midnight.  We were fortunate to get two of the last three hotel rooms in town what with it being the opening weekend of the State Fair and the little fact that the Straw Pole had just finished hours before.

Now you would think that two advanced degreed, technologically pretty advanced families could figure out how to self check into this hotel whose lobby had now closed.  Well let's call it extreme fatigue that we didn't see the coded lock boxes (that contained our room keys) as we walked in and proceeded to wake up the night manger who explained this simple fact over the phone.  Yet, I couldn't get the darned box open.  I only needed to put in the first three letters of our last name....well that's easy since our last name has all of three letters.  Well after three attempts at my three letters it locked me out for four minutes.  The problem was solved once we determined that they had spelled our name wrong...you know the three letter name.  That four minutes felt more like thirty, but once it finally finished it's absurd countdown, it freed our hostage room keys, so we could finally lay our exhausted heads down. We were only able to pour our half asleep children into their respective beds,after we located sheets for the pull out beds they would be sleeping in and got said beds made!   I did mention slice of life, didn't I?

After long hours, fun chatty stops, a huge downpour, an after dark arrival that had us searching winding mountain dirt roads for our sweet rustic cabin, we ended our trip and began our vacation.  When the light of day once again kissed our world, this is what we saw.  What a difference two days makes!

Chasing Summer

This is one of our stone crop plants, that blooms deep pink in the Fall~ it's blushing!

As the last couple of mornings have had that tell tale crispness of an approaching fall, and the sun is a little lazy in making it's morning appearance, we head West.  Our family along with a few friends are road tripping to the mountains of Colorado this week on an epic journey that is sure to bring wonderful new experiences and a deeper bonding of family and friends.

I'm not sure what the Internet situation, or lack there of will be while we're there, so if I am quiet for a little while, know I will return as soon as I finish chasing summer.