Leroy and his Exersaucer

Leroy loves his exer-saucer.

Ronda

While down on the Costa del Sol, we decided to take a day trip inland to one of Spain's famous white cities, Ronda. The home of modern day bull fighting, banditos, and some of the most breathtaking views I have seen in my life.

Pictures with statues and things like Francisco Romeo, the first man to unite both noble and peasant bullfighting into what is now the modern sport, both legitimizing it, and bringing it to the fore of the entertainment of his day. The face hole pictures are out in front of the bandito museum (only 3 Euros, totally worth it if you have the time). The bottom center is a mannequin of a traditional bandito with funny hat, bandana, huge mutton chops, and gators, also found in the bandito museum.

These are all pictures from a beautiful old house that was converted into an archeological museum. the left two pictures are from the backyard patio, and the others are from the interior courtyard. I thought the woodwork was wonderful.

These are pictures of, around, and from the "new" bridge, built from the 1750's to the 1790's.

Marbella Beach

Pictures from the beautiful beach in Marbella (it's known for it's great beach.)

It's a shower! Literally!

Credit: Michelle Crapo

 

I decided that it would be a fun thing to go play in the surf so I rolled my pants up and went out. I got wet a couple times and the top picture, I'm actually jumping off a rock just as a wave crashed into it. I'm pretty sure the wave still got me though.

Amusement Park

When our friend Christian came to town we went to the amusement park that I had mentioned in our ZooQuarium post. Christian and I had a great time going on all of the spinny rides and roller coasters, while Michelle patiently enjoyed watching us. She did enjoy the ride where you drop straight down (akin to the Puyallup Fair's Tower of Terror) and the roller coasters where you don't go upside down. Also, as it was a cool November Saturday, there were almost no lines and we got to ride many of the rides multiple times. Our collective favorite was a roller coaster that also allowed free 360 degree spinning on each of the cars (they went one at a time) so you don't change to direction you faced as you turned corners, or you started twisting while going straight. It was called the Tarantula, but was broken for the second half of the day, and we only got to ride it once.

This displays our beautiful windblown hair after such rides as the spinning chairs on chains 150 ft in the air. Also, we randomly found the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile, but there was no one inside giving out free whistles.

They had all of the classic rides, one, that launches you up in the air while allowing you to flip forward and backward, the ring of fire, the pirate ship, the free fall tower, nausea inducing teacup style spinning rides, airplanes you ride in while going up and down, and an assortment of roller coasters, both the looping and non-looping kind.

Michelle has a poor stomach for spinning rides and there was one that spun you in a circle as it launched you up the sides of a half-circle. Christian and I both thought it was pretty great and just to see if her stomach still couldn't handle it, Michelle tried it once at the end of the day. She couldn't. She didn't throw up or anything, but was very glad we were headed home.

I am really excited to go back, but don't want to go alone as that creepy, lonely, older guy that hangs around the amusement park by himself and doesn't really speak much Spanish.

Real Madrid

Also, during the week that Christian and his girlfriend Stephanie came to visit, we went to a Real Madrid Soccer Match. (It's pronounced Ree-al, meaning royal in Spanish). It was against the Dinamo Football Club from Zagreb Croatia. We all loved Bernabeu Stadium, because even the worst cheap seats (ours) had a great view of the game. Madrid beat 'em good.

This is a picture of Michelle and I desperately trying to keep our eyes open for the picture, despite the flash. I think it just came of a bit creepy

This is the teams warming up before the game as fans filed in.

Christian and Stephanie excited for the game.

A couple of pictures of the four of us after the game.

This is what it looked like cramming into the metro after the game. I love the two guys on the right side totally hamming it up!

After the game, the security held the Dinamo fans (they were all kept in one section) until after most of the stadium had cleared in order to try and prevent riots and violence. They even had to expel one guy in the Dinamo section halfway through the game for some reason.

Madrid with Christian

These are some pictures from around Madrid. Most of them were taken when we were showing our friend Christian around.

This is the interior of the H&M on Gran Via in Madrid. I think they converted a hotel. Talk about classy casual wear.

This is a picture Christian took of Hollis in front of Bernabeu Stadium, where the Real Madrid soccer team plays.

 

This is us in front of the northern facade of the Madrid Cathedral. Completed in the 1990's, it is the newest cathedral I've ever been to.

 

This is the courtyard in front of the royal palace. We haven't gone a tour yet, but I hear it is fantastic. It is directly across from the cathedral as viewed in the picture above.

Not actually a picture of Hollis, he was the excuse to take a picture of the Spanish guys in the the cafe window.

And there are lots of motorbikes that just get parked wherever.  This one was pretty cool.

'Cause frowning while posing with a cool scooter makes the picture even better.

This is what it looks like when they tear down a building in Spain. Almost every city block here is solid buildings, even though each building is owned and built by different people or groups. When they demolish a building, they spray a orange foam sealant on the surrounding walls until a new building goes in. Sometimes buildings stand like this for a very long time.

Hollis and Christian (former roommates and kind of/almost related) in front of the gates of the Royal Palace.

 

Snaking on the train ride home. We were pretty beat.

At the Bernabeu shop, we came across these beauties. They are some of the lightest soccer cleats in the world. Literally what the pros wear. They weighed about as much as half of a small/medium sized apple.

ZooQuarium

I don't know who decided to put an aquarium in the middle of the Madrid zoo, but they were a genius. Not only do we get to enjoy both land and water animals, I get to call it a ZooQuarium!
Michelle and I each bought a season's pass to the zoo, that also includes most of the amusement parks, water parks, and zoos in Spain. So we immediately went to the Zooquarium, and then a couple weeks later, to the local amusement park. Also awesome. Here is a collage of some of our favorite pictures:

A stunning pose of Hollis and a bear; Michelle and the flamingos; self portrait of Michelle and Hollis posing as lemurs; the bears giving Hollis the cold shoulder, and both of us with a porcupine. 

It was chilly and few of the animals were up and about, but it didn't stop these lemurs from being adorable!

These bears were being all photogenic for the camera and not hiding like the stupid tiger was.

PostScript Editor's Note (May 2012): Since Michelle has been pregnant, she has been endowed with the super-sniffer and we have yet to go back to the ZooQuarium.

Awesome park we found

This is footage from a park between the school Michelle works at and the church we attend. I don't quite remember the time of day, or why there were no children there, but this is one of the funnest parks I've been to.

They have a zip line that is bowed. I'm not exactly sure of the design purpose, but to get from one side to the other is a quite a work out as you have to swing your legs up to propel yourself onto the platform on the other side. Here are a few attempts.

Michelle's fail #1

Michelle finally makes it. More or less.

Hollis showing off

This park also has a teeter-totter that is a bow with the ends pointing down with seats attached to them and the center mounted on a giant spring. It also allows for full 360 degree spin. it is awesome. You can bounce each other, spin around, and lean side to side all at the same time. Michelle doesn't like it all that much though. If It was guaranteed that no children would be on it, and no cops would stop me, I would exercise there daily. It's just so fun!

EQ Frisbee Night

Some guys in our ward got together to play ultimate frisbee, but only four of them showed up, so they played frisbee golf instead. On this hole, they had to throw the frisbees over the backstop and make it land on home plate. Notice the yellow disc in midair.

I caught this toss on camera.

To end this hole, you had to throw the firsbee down the slide.

And it took a while, but we finally got a "diving catch" on camera.

I wasn't playing, but I started taking pictures because that was fun too.

I made this for Hollis

Disney has this cartoon maker and so one day I was at home when Hollis was at work and I made this for him.

Thor Bjørn is the name that Hollis keeps telling me that he is going to name one of our sons. It means "Thunder Bear."

A little note to Hollis

I saw this license plate on a car the other day, and I just had to text it to Hollis.

A perfect note to him!