Barcelona, Spain

During half-term, we decided to head south in search of some sun and fun. Barcelona was our destination. We found a really cool apartment in the l'eixample district. We had a really cool set-up with 2 bedrooms and a loft where Marshall and John slept. The architecture was amazing and every corner offered up new sites. This shot is from Montjuic. There is an amazing castle/fort on the top of the hill and it overlooks the harbor. During the civil war in spain, if you landed in the prison here, you were more than likely never seen again. This shot is from one of the walls of the castle. Barcelona experienced a great redevelopment as part of the 1992 Olympics. After we took the funicular and then a cable car to the peak of Montjuic, we toured and then began a trek down the hill. This walked covered some of the coolest parks and playgrounds we have uncovered. There were slides built into the mountain side. We came upon a ropes course about half way down the hill. They had a zipline that chewed up a nice chunk of time. Mom and Dad even found a nice little cafe where we could sneak off for a drink while the kids played. Tibadabo was another treat. We had both just read a book called Shadow in the Wind and it speaks of Tibadabo. You take a tram to the top and there is an amazing church and wrapped all around it is an amusement park. Of course, game over when the kids saw that. Just picture the view from all the rides looking out over Barcelona and the harbour.

We took a day trip to Montserat which is a monestary that is about and hour and a half trainride outside of Barcelona. You take a very high cablecar ride to the top and you can explore the grounds or take hikes around the miles of trails that lead up into the mountains. We spent an entire day up in the hills. Weather was most excellent.

Of course, Barcelona visits are not complete without a whole dose of Gaudi. We took in the major sites like La Familia Sagrada, Park Guell, and the block known as the Quarry. We posted a bunch of pictures on Vivian's facebook page. This is a great place to check them out. The Gothic district is the old city center and there are excellent remains from the Roman times. Friday night was a celebration weekend and there were rock bands set to perform in squares all over the district. Of course, we melted down before we got to enjoy the late night of celebration but it was still cool to see it all getting started.

The Honey Monster

There is a particular literary character that has been an adopted member of our family from time to time. He tends to show up in the mail from America and asks us to take him to places where we can capture photos to send back with him to the states. He goes by the name of Flat Stanley and thanks to Lilly and Cousin Hannah, we have had some good times with Flat Stanley. John arrived home this week with the a UK version known as Honey Monster. He comes home with a journal and our job is to take him on an adventure, snap photos, and then John is tasked with a creative writing exercise to document the whole escapade.

We figured it was time to hop down to London to see if we could drum up some trouble so here is John

and Mr. Monster on the Tube heading into

London.

We decided to get a little political

exposure on this trip so we stopped into Hollywood to see Gov. Schwarzenegger. Of course, based on California politics, he had to change into Terminator mode just to survive. We also nipped into a matinee to catch Grease. Probably also worth pointing out Maggie's hair that is left

over from the Friday night birthday makeover at the salon in Newmarket. Lily turned 12 and everyone got fancy locks.

SoHo seemed to be hopping so we added a picture of Monster with the Chinese lanterns that were hanging. We added shots of him with Big Ben and the London

Eye but the crown jewel was when we got

to Covent Garden. It tends to be loaded with street performers and this time was not different. As we were heading home, we came across a juggler with a unicycle. Of course we were drawn in and before you know it, Dad and John were both in the show. The kicker was that John made five pounds for helping out. We'll try to get the video up on facebook.

Cambridge

Dad decided to take a mental health day as the autumn season is getting more and more hectic. Kids were thrown on the bus and John was walked up the High Street to Cheveley Primary School and we were off to Cambridge to do what grown ups would do.

We took a tour of King's College. If you ever stay up on Christmas Eve, you can catch Carols at King's. It is evidently heard around the world. The chapel is exceptional and King Henry VIII completed the chapel and along with Anne Boleyn gave the organ and it is one of the coolest ones

we have seen on our journeys.

Probably the most fun for the day was

seeing what appeared to be the first year students on campus. They were

all in their gowns and

it took us both back to college. One

aspect that was an interesting topic for discussion was around what a diverse set of dorm mates you would have it you came here to school. There were truly people from all around the world. In case you are wondering, this

is from King's campus and the tall bloke is wearing a kilt.

The picture with Vivian looking out over the courtyard is what looks to be a dormatory block. Just imagine spending your university days here. Just to the right is the River Cam and behind us is a large green you see in the top picture. Quite an amazing experience for a 19 year old. As Vivian

is missing her 20 yr. Furman reunion this year, today really brought back some memories.

It is awe inspiring to think of the impact Cambridge has had on the world when you consider the learning and teaching that has roots based here. We visited Emanuelle College where John Harvard studied. He later came to America and founded some small University up north. Sir Isaac Newton was a fellow here and there is even a tree that is

a cutting from his famous apple tree. CS Lewis was at Oxford but finished his career as a fellow at Cambridge. For Uncle Mackay, we thought we would show you what being a fellow

allows you do to. Basically, you get the best parking space for your bicycle.

If you every wonder what the punters on the River Cam do before their shift starts, now you know. They hang out at the backs (what people call the space behind the colleges) and enjoy some time with their friends before their shift starts.

Mom's 10K for Cancer

It was a beautiful autumn Sunday. Mom and a bunch of her mates (that's what we call them) ran in a 10K race at the Ickworth House. It was a charity event to raise money for cancer research. Here are four of the girls after the race. Vivian was able to dedicate her race to someone and she ran for her cousin Sherry that has been an inspiration to us all as she has shared her journey through her treatments with us all. She is a true champion.

The house and the grounds are excellent. It is only about 10 miles from our village and we have

visited several times. It is a magnificent tour and

the family still lives in part of the manor. I can link back to our past visit and you can get a feel for the site. Here is a site of the private chapel that is on the back side of the estate. It will give you a feel for the running course and also some of the elevation that the runners had to navigate.

All in all, we are proud of mom and she hit the

time she was aiming. We can also add that she had some quality time in the hot tub to take the the tiredness away.

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