And we're back! We had such a lovely time in Spain, and now it feels great to be home again. Spain was just what we needed: a break from the dark winter. We got so much sunshine and warmth (except in Granada), and I felt an infusion of energy. I got so much exercise walking everywhere and climbing lots of stairs, and I have to say that it generally invigorated me, rather than depleted me. That said, by dinnertime every night I was done. James would take the kids out for evening stroll while I laid on the couch, waiting for bedtime. I picked up a little cold on the way back to Sweden, so now I'm back to being completely exhausted and mostly useless around the house.
So, here are some pictures, if you want to see!
A couple days, we took the local bus from our town to a town called Frigiliana in the mountains, where we enjoyed stunning views, narrow streets, and churros con chocolate.
We took a three-day excursion to Granada, too, primarily to see the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had to climb about a billion stairs to get there, and it was cold and windy at the top—but it was totally worth it. I didn't get many pictures there because it we were mostly running after the kids, and when we were in the gorgeous part, I was holding August's hand the whole time.
Our hotel/apartment (which was AMAZING, by the way) was located right on a scenic street in the Paseo de los tristes, and we had views up the hill to the historic Albayzin district and to the Alhambra itself. We spent one morning at the Parque de las Ciencias, a wonderful science museum in the city. We could have stayed all day (and gone back again!), but for the need for naps for little ones.
In spite of all the doing, though, some of the best moments—the, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is" moments—were spent close to our rental in Nerja, watching the kids play at the beach playgrounds or throwing rocks into the sea.
The trip really was everything I needed to get through these last few weeks of pregnancy (about 4-5 weeks left!). Now that we're home, we're trying to get back into work before baby comes—and getting ready for baby to come! We've set up the crib, started pulling out blankets and clothes, etc. It's so hard to imagine that we'll have a new little one with us, changing our lives entirely, in such a short time.
If you're in the mood to daydream away, here are some pics from our sailing trip on Sweden's west coast last summer, and sailing closer to home in the Stockholm archipelago. I posted pictures of trip to Spain on Instagram daily, so check that out too.
Most photos by me, some by James.
J. // afeathery*nest
Gorgeous pics! Looks like a wonderful vacation and just what you all needed!
Jodi
Thanks J! It really was.
Laura
It strikes me that when your kids are grown, these photos will really mean a lot to them. You really capture the mood of the moment- but more importantly you do things worth remembering. What a wonderful family legacy you're creating!
Jodi
Thanks Laura!