We were up and out by 9:00 and headed to Osuna by way of Toledo. Toledo is a beautiful medieval town of Don Quixote fame. We had a great morning just wandering through the narrow little streets. The Alcazar is closed for renovations so didn’t get in to see it, but we toured the cathedral and another cool church. The kids spent their time in the cathedral shining small flashlights into nooks and crannies, “looking for bodies” We never should have mentioned that there were crypts beneath the church! They also got a kick out of the Capilla de la Corazon Sagrada (roughly translated to Chapel of Sacred Heart) They asked if it was “our chapel, from our school?” Very cute. We also climbed up a bell tower to get some great views of Toledo and after having to coax 3 of the 5 kids to make the climb, they all now seem to want to find more towers to ascend. Possibly the highlight of the day was watching the 5 children employ their Spanish language skills. After merciless pestering for ice cream it was agreed that they could get ice cream provided they ordered it themselves. They must have spent 10 minutes as a group looking at the sign, practicing pronunciation, and steeling their nerves for the big moment! (Mrs. Belz and Mrs. Helm would have been proud!) The ice cream purchase was so entertaining it will probably be the model for dessert for the rest of the trip!
The afternoon was so enjoyable that it slipped away quickly and it was 4:00 by the time we left Toledo. Osuna was a 4 hour drive south and the time flew by as we let the kids swap cars (and entertainment partners!) halfway. The most harmonious seating thus far seems to be Abby and Claire in one car and Jackie, Caroline and CJ in the other, (we would like the 4 adults in a 3rd car, but that just isn’t possible!) The final approach to our house was nerve wracking as the streets are barely wide enough for a car. Mirrors needed to be pulled in and the pouring rain was certainly not helping the white knuckle aspect of the drive, but with Fiona (the GPS) leading the way and Karen making the tight turns, we arrived in one piece. The house is GREAT! This is a 16th century home with an interior courtyard, high ceilings, and 400 years of uneven flooring. Despite having plenty of bedrooms to go around, the kids quickly decided they would dedicate one room to their “playroom” and another room as a sleeping dormitory. The layout is really neat, you have to actually go outside upstairs to get from the kids rooms to the adult rooms. The house is built around a central courtyard and has a huge well equipped kitchen and a yard for the kids to play in. We’ve decided we want to live here…permanently!
The afternoon was so enjoyable that it slipped away quickly and it was 4:00 by the time we left Toledo. Osuna was a 4 hour drive south and the time flew by as we let the kids swap cars (and entertainment partners!) halfway. The most harmonious seating thus far seems to be Abby and Claire in one car and Jackie, Caroline and CJ in the other, (we would like the 4 adults in a 3rd car, but that just isn’t possible!) The final approach to our house was nerve wracking as the streets are barely wide enough for a car. Mirrors needed to be pulled in and the pouring rain was certainly not helping the white knuckle aspect of the drive, but with Fiona (the GPS) leading the way and Karen making the tight turns, we arrived in one piece. The house is GREAT! This is a 16th century home with an interior courtyard, high ceilings, and 400 years of uneven flooring. Despite having plenty of bedrooms to go around, the kids quickly decided they would dedicate one room to their “playroom” and another room as a sleeping dormitory. The layout is really neat, you have to actually go outside upstairs to get from the kids rooms to the adult rooms. The house is built around a central courtyard and has a huge well equipped kitchen and a yard for the kids to play in. We’ve decided we want to live here…permanently!
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