Sweet Baby

I had my first ultrasound on April 11th, during my 19th week. My due date has changed numerous times and the latest is September 1st. Looks like he/she has my nose!

Spain Day 5--Granada

The Alhambra (Red Castle/Fortress) is a Moorish network of lavishly decorated palaces and irrigated gardens completed during the 1300's.The Nasrid Palaces are the most impressive. M. C. Escher visited in 1922 and the Moorish use of symmetry in the Alhambra tiles inspired some of his work. This is in the Mexuar, which was later converted into a chapel. Patio del Cuarto DoradoPatio de Comares--so peacefulSalón de ComaresPatio de los Leones (under construction)--we were able to see the 12 marble lions in another area where they had just been restoredSala de AbencerrajesView of GranadaI love wisteria!My poor sister fadingFascinating irrigation systemPalacio de Carlos V begun in 1527AlcazabaView of the Sierra Nevada mountainsGeneralife, a soothing arrangement of pathways, patios, pools, fountains, topiary gardens, tall trees, and flowers. After walking through here, Jeff had a lot of ideas for our future backyard. It was so peaceful and serene through this area; I could have spent another day here.Escalera del Agua--water flows along the shaded staircaseWe ended the day in Granada at a churreria. It took us the entire week to figure out that "churros y hot chocolate" are served at 5pm, no earlier and no later. This is the time when the city and plazas wake up after siesta. The chocolate is thick like fondue and not sweet--perfect for dipping churros! Yum!If you are still reading this, you made it to the end of our trip! Did you feel like you were there? Sorry, I don't want to forget the things I learned and the feelings I had in Spain. It was a wonderful trip with Jeff and my sister and her husband. We were excited to come home to the kids and our new kitchen. Pics to come...

Spain Day 4--Córdoba

The city of Córdoba was the capital of the Islamic community of al-Andalus for three centuries, so the Great Mosque or Mezquita was of great importance and of Moorish architecture. The building was begun around the year 600 as a Christian church, but after the Islamic conquest, it was refashioned as a mosque beginning in 784. Over the next two centuries, the mosque was expanded and underwent numerous changes due to the rapid growth of the community. Here is the Mezquita from across the Roman bridge.
Material from Roman and Visigothic ruins was incorporated into the structure.An original doorwayThe inside is breathtaking...the columns, the arches.The mihrab or prayer niche (indicates the direction Muslims should face when praying, towards Mecca).In the 16th century, the King of Spain gave permission for the center of the Mezquita to be ripped out to allow construction of a Renaissance cathedral, which he later regretted. Amazing this is in the same building!Throughout the Mezquita are both Islamic and Christian religious symbols.
The minaret (tower) from the courtyard of oranges.Outside the Mezquita we found a bar that serves the best tortilla de patata (potato omelette) in town. Yummy!Flower Alley in the Judería (Jewish District), a charming labyrinth of narrow streets with flowers dripping from window boxes. The Mezquita minaret is framed between the alley walls.
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a castle built in the 13th century on Roman and Arab ruins.This artifact dates back to the 2nd century.The fortress gardens are full of fish ponds, fountains, orange trees, and flowers. Beautiful!We finished the day with dinner and a flamenco show.We stayed at the Marriott in Estepona on the coast of the Mediterranean.

Spain Day 3--Gibraltar, Ronda, Puerto Banús

Gibraltar, a British territory, is a fascinating place, located at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. On a clear day, Morocco is visible across the Strait of Gibraltar, but not on the day we visited. We drove to the Rock and took a tour of the sites on the rock. Before the tour, we walked through the Botanic Gardens.The people of Gibraltar speak English, Spanish, and a mix of the two, slipping back and forth from one to the other, often in mid-sentence. A few times I had difficulty understanding our guide and I offended him when I thought he pointed to the Spanish Naval Base. He quickly corrected me and said it was a British Naval Base. Duh! I could definitely sense his British/Gibraltarian pride throughout the tour.

We stopped at the Apes' Den, which is filled with Europe's only wild primates, the Barbary apes. Legend says the apes came over from Africa through tunnels in the Rock. Here's a mama ape picking at something in the fur of her little one. St. Michael's Cave, a network of limestone caves created by rainwater seeping through the limestone gradually dissolving the rock. In the past, people thought the cave was a possible subterranean link with Africa.During WWII, the cave was set up as an emergency military hospital, but it was never used as one. This auditorium seats 100 and is used for concerts, plays, and beauty pageants.Upper Rock with views of the eastern side and coast
We also toured the Great Siege Tunnels, a complex defense system hewn out of the Rock by the British during the siege of 1779-83 to provide gun emplacements.After our tour, we walked down Main Street in Gibraltar and browsed the shops and ate delicious fish and chips. Yum!

Later that day we went to Ronda, a pueblo blanco (white village) in the countryside.The bridge connecting Old Ronda to newer RondaWe visited the bullring in Ronda, built in 1785.On our way home from Ronda, we stopped at Puerto Banús for ice cream and to check out the boutique shops and luxurious marina. It was built in 1970 for the super rich and their expensive yachts. It has berths for 915 boats, including those of the King of Saudi Arabia and several of the world's wealthiest individuals. Amy bought a Louis Vuitton here, knock-off of course!