Our first visitor

Wednesday September 28th 2011
The boys' grandpa, my father arrived on September 28th and stayed for a week. During the day he would visit the museums in Madrid while the boys and I were at school and then we spent the evenings and weekend together.
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The boys helping Grandpa find the correct door

Supper at our favorite inexpensive restaurant (everything 1 euro on a Wednesday) and invited the Butlers (our American friends who were staying in Madrid for three months) to come too.

Waiting to collect the food

Enjoying the french fries and montaditos (sandwiches made with French bread)




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Wot no montaditos yet?

Montadito with chocolate and jam

 Then our second visitors when the Butlers came over after the restaurant.

The Menkens' home

Friday September 30th 2011
Friday night we went to Corte Ingles (a large department store) in Pozuelo to look for a printer.

Distracted while shopping for a printer 30-09-2011

El Barrial train station near the Corte Ingles 30-09-2011

Saturday October 1st 2011
Grandpa went to his first live soccer match of his grandsons.

Team before the uniform arrived 01-Oct-2011

Pablo (tallest) is one year older than H & C and two years older than Billy -all on the same team

Dessert is ice cream and M&Ms

 Sunday October 2nd 2011
We travelled to Toledo  by train for the day. The boys really enjoyed seeing all the weapons and tried to convince me to buy a small souvenir, but I was not budging on that request.

The Alcázar former imperial residence now the National Military Museum

The boys and grandpa outside the Bisagra Gate (16th century) with coat of arms of Emperor Charles V

Charles with Emperor Charles V

 

Toledo has been a sword-making and steel-working center since approx. 500BC. Hannibal made Rome aware of the weapons when he used them during the Punic Wars. Soon thereafter Toledo became a standard source of weaponry for Roman Legions. Harry who's named after Hannibal was pleased to read about him. But all the boys loved visiting the souvenir shops filled with weapons and armour.

Toledo is full of shops like this and the boys couldn't stay out of them

Both big and little

Wot more armor!

Puerta del Sol (12th century) built to reinforce the wall.

McDonald's just happened to be next door so we could all have what we wanted.

Alley to one of the Cathedral entrances

Inside the Cathedral

Walking back to the train to take us to Madrid

With their secret recipe and their history of accidently coming across how to keep food for longer(much needed after the King Alfonso VIII's battle v. The Moors in 1212) Toldedo is also famous for its finest Marzipan. Unfortunately we did not try it. We could have used some with all the walking we did - up to the town from the station, around it and back.

Tuesday October 4th 2011
Grandpa celebrated his 75th birthday with us.

October 4 2011 Grandpa's 75th Birthday!