casacollins

We have had a lot of visitors this spring! How come we don't get this many in Chicago? One of our neighbors here in Spain asked, "What is there in Chicago?" With a strong sense of pride for the home team we rattled off a zillion great things to see and do in our great city. Then we realized that when we've had visitors here in Andalucia we have never run out of place to go and things to see. Maybe it's the whole "new and different is better" phenomenon. I don't think so. Andalucia is a region that is chock full o' so many different places that offer so much history and insight into the people here.

Our March guests were Mark's brother, Steve,his wife, Patti, and kids, Faith, Claire and Sarah. After a few days in Granada we headed to Sevilla, Spain's "most romantic city". Okay, 6 kids and 2 couples in a house in the middle of a busy city doesn't exactly evoke romance, but it sure was wonderful. The city is filled with parks and beautiful, old architecture. Buildings representing all of the countries of the spanish speaking world are represented here. We did manage to squeeze in a horse-drawn carriage ride with me and 4 of the kiddies! And who doesn't love traveling around with their cousins? We don't need romance, we need adventure! This first photo is outside the entrance to the Alcazar (Castle/Fortress). Somehow, my sister Priscilla and I missed this last year during our visit. Unbelievable! Built in the 900s a.d. and has been occupied by both Muslims and Catholics over the past 11 centuries. It rivals the Alhambra in its beautiful decoration and elaborate architecture. Of course, we loved it and spent one whole afternoon wandering around the various palaces and gardens while playing hide and seek and looking for various details highlighted in our audio tour. What fascinated Wynne the most, however, was the dance (Pretty Girl) cousin Sarah taught her in the Palacio de Don Pedro.






Another thrill of having kids visit is some serious playtime. The Collins cousins played cards non-stop while they were together. They played in cafes (Photo #2). They played at restaurants. They played in palaces. They even played on our car's hood! We've been learning a lot this year and the value of a good card game has taught us how to keep our kids happy doing their own thing while we contemplate various ceramic glazes and which restaurant we should take over for dinner! We especially love the card game Kent. Any other fans out there?


'



Photo #3 is probably one the best photos Mark and I have taken this year. My hair isn't gray, our eyes are all open, I don't look fat (I think) and Mark has a beard! We have all had a chance to try new things since we've been in Spain. Mark never had a beard and says he always wanted to try one. Once we got our Spanish i.d. cards and didn't have to look "clean cut" or non-terrorist like at the border, he decided to give it a whirl and see what he could cultivate on his chin. He had the beard for about a month, which was fun, but enough in this southern heat. (He also thought it made him look a little older than his youthful 42). So it's gone now, but so glad he had a chance to try something he's wanted to do for a long time.






This photo is the two Collins families in a wedding hall in the Alcazar in Sevilla. Not too shabby for a wedding hall, eh? It was actually used in 1995 for the wedding of the daughter of King Juan Carlos I after a ceremony at the Sevilla Cathedral. The Alcazar is still a royal palace and has certain room used by the royal family on their visits to Sevilla. The sunken gardens, elaborate tapestries, walls of paintings, and incredible tilework are a tribute to restoration of historic buildings. This place is in such great shape and is totally inspiring. When we go home I'm going to redo all our tile, plant an amazing garden, learn how to weave and build a hall just for Mark's paintings. In due time, right? Okay, maybe on a smaller scale.




This last photo shows some of the detail of the tilework. They left no corner undecorated. We must have 200 digital photos of details from inside the Alhambra and the Alcazar. The photos of course don't do them justice, but once you're surrounded by all these tiles, plasterwork and carvings you can't help but be in awe. I'm thinking they didn't have trade unions back then. Let's just hope the worker-guys were happy to have jobs.

After Sevilla we went on to Jerez where we toured a sherry bodega. Jerez is famous for it's wonderful sherries and it's Andalusian horses. Didn't see any horses this time. Some things will just have to wait for another trip.

All in all, this trip to Sevilla was fascinating. So relieved to "talk" (in Spanish) our way out of a silly, little ticket (our first) on the highway, we arrived in the 3rd biggest city in Spain to spend 3 fun days in a house in the center of the old Jewish quarter. We rented the house rather than hotel rooms since there were 10 of us and we could easily hang out together in one big space--and it was half the cost of a hotel! (Google: self-catering apartments) We saw so much and spent some serious quality time with our family. Yay! A great time was had by all!

I've fallen behind in my blogging. This one is from February when our friends, Brian and Michelle Gratch hauled their 4 kids across the pond for a "European vacation". You'll see in the photos that we're all in our winter jackets. Winter is definitely cold in Granada, but never THAT cold and really only lasts a few months. We had frost a few times and it snowed only once. Not too shabby.

This blog is dedicated to a 10 year-old friend who came all the way to Spain to have his appendix taken out. He taught us all about strength and stamina. He showed bravery and courage. He was a real trooper whose thresholds were put to the test and never failed. Simon Gratch showed up in Granada with his parents and three siblings in tow only to spend 4 days in bed in our house and then a few more days in the beautiful Spanish countryside feeling so sick before he was diagnosed as needing an appendectomy in Sevilla! Thanks to a good health care system and some wonderful people, Simon's surgery went well and they were able to bring him back home safely. Way to go, Simon! This is Simon and his dad, Brian.














The 2nd photo is our friend, Tony, trying to hunt down a restaurant in the Albaycin (old Moorish/Arab neighborhood) that could seat 12 people for lunch (Spanish dinner). Many of the restrants here have nice patios and big tables to seat large parties. On weekends, tons of people often flood the restaurants in parties of 10 or more. Eating out here can be really inexpensive and families seem to always eat their mid-day dinner together. Lots of restaurants look like they're set up for a wedding because of all the big tables set up in anticipation of the families coming to eat. Pretty cool how the family is such a significant part of the culture here.













The third photo (courtesy of Wynne!) is some gypsy musicians playing flamenco music at this "mirador" overlooking the Alhambra Palace and Fortress. The songs are often emotional and sad stories about love and loss. Not that I understand a word that they're saying, but that's what I've been told! The gypsies seem to be more of an ethnic group rather than lifestyle where they travel around in wagons, etc. There is a significant "gitano" (gypsy) population in Granada. Many of them are known for their talent with flamenco music and dancing. Granadinos are very, very proud of their culture--especially the flamenco. This lookout is a favorite, especially for tourists and local types selling handmade jewelry. It's like Christmas for Wynne who adores all things shiny and appreciates a good tune when she hears one!














Photo #4 is a regular stop, along with the mirador, on our tour of the Albaycin. This is Casa de Pasteles, a cafe/bakery, that serves up a mean "cafe con leche" (espresso with warm milk) for a dollar that beats the pants off any Starbucks creation. I'm not sure if it's the hordes of people you have to penetrate to get to the counter or the cigarette smoke that makes this place so charming. I suspect it's the pastry case and the company we keep. Here you can see our party of 12 took up nearly the whole counter. The littlest Gratches and Wynne had to jockey for their stools while the big kids (Alina Lozano White, Helen Gratch, Lydia and Reed were good sports and inhaled their treats wherever they could find room. No matter how chaotic the place is, one is always rewarded with something yummy (made with olive oil?) and delicious memories.













The last photo during the Gratches visit is all the kiddy-os outside the monastery at a nearby town, Moclin. We like this one especially for Helen's expressive pose and the fact that Simon was with us. Monasteries have become a dime a dozen for us here. Along with fortresses, castle ruins and cathedrals they have dominated our destinations ten times more than any place like shopping malls, Chuckie Cheese or a Six Flags Amusement park. Somehow, even though we have seen dozens of these types of places they are still fascinating and fun for the kids. They love climbing up the towers and running around the broken rooms imagining what it would be like to live in a castle or fight in a war. Nevermind the whole "hardships of life back then". Thankfully their imaginations and Spain's respect for these historic relics give us all a thrill!

We have been here many months now and remain clueless about a lot of political issues. However, we can still appreciate good grafitti when we see it. Not sure who Peito is, but I think he's dead. May he rest in Peace. Lots of grafitti here. Some political, some social, some simply a way for idle teens to "express themselves".






The 2nd photo is a glimpse into Spain's future. Land is relatively inexpensive here and developers are snatching up farms as fast as they can. In the meantime, shepherds are still roaming. Goats, sheep, and horses can still be seen grazing (albeit right next to the highway). The Spanish would do well to resist the temptation of fast cash and preserve their beautiful countryside with some serious zoning and a zoning board that enforces codes! This photo was taken on our way to school where 10,000 new homes and 2 big golf courses are said to be going up in the next 5 years.







The 3rd picture is a picture of how two "developers" built one on top of the other. At the Alhambra Palace complex there is evidence of the different architectural styles of the Moors and the Catholics. Look at the building in the background. That was built by the Moors. When the Catholics took over Al Andalus (Andalucia) and Spain in 1492 they became the new owners of the exquisite Moorish architectural gem, the Alhambra. Soon enough King Charles V built his own palace right in the middle of every building on the compound--fortunately his palace is aesthetically pleasing. When the Catholics took over the mosques they were not as thoughtful. In Cordoba, the Catholics occupied the city and therefore the biggest mosque in Europe. They built a cathedral smack in the middle of the mosque (see previous blog about Cordoba for photo). When the ruler of that region saw what the enthusiastic architects had done to the former mosque he declared it a travesty, however, the construction was done and he chose to leave it rather than rebuild. If only they had some sort of zoning codes back then, right? Ha!







This 4th photo is our wonderful neighbors, The Swales (Bill, Pam, Carter and Billy), who came to visit in the end of February. They were not prisoners at the Alcazaba (Fortress) of the Alhambra, as you can see by their smiling faces. Billy and Reed were used to seeing each other every day for the past 9 years and this year has reminded us all to cherish that good fortune of proximity. The kids(and parents!) all fell back in with each other immediately and it was as if we had never been away. That sure feels good.








Our 5th photo is to document amazing serendipity. This is us in Granada with our neighbors, Pam and Bill, and another family, the Minas, who moved from Grant Street eight or nine years ago. The Minas lived in South Africa and Prague before moving to Madrid last summer. They learned from another Evanston familia that we were in Granada. They were doing a little tour of Granada and sent us an email to see if we could get together. So here we are all these Grant St. neighbors in Granada so many thousands of miles away from the place that originally introduced us. Pretty cool. Great to see everyone. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see the Minas again before we head home. We're looking forward to being back on Grant Street too.












Before the Swales headed home we all spent a stormy and fun day in Marbella. It is a unique town that caters so much to tourists from England and other European countries that almost all the staff in the hotels, restaurants and shops speak English. Really uncommon in Andalucia. It's on the coast and has some great hotels and beaches. Here is a shot of our kids getting ready for a unique beach experience. Fortunately, the stormy weather prevented everyone else from partaking, but the kids had fun anyway! I like that there are certain words in English that just don't translate in to Spanish so you have to just use the English word.