Finding our Stride - el Prado and Spanish Life

I woke up feeling much more prepared today. After doing a little research on how to tackle museums with children, I bought tickets to the Prado in advance, made sure we were out the door as close to opening time as possible, and had a scavenger hunt waiting for Keller when we arrived. It all worked like a charm.

A snapshot of some of Keller's scavenger hunt finds. 

Keller had a blast searching through the galleries for Velázquez, Goya’s, and more. Some of my favorite comments of his are included as captions with the relevant works of art below.

"I think that one is called the upside down Jesus."
The Apparition of the Apostle St Peter to St Peter Nolasco

"Mom, I found the naked lady!"
The Naked Maja

"Why is that a monster eating a baby that looks like an ice cream cone?
He looks like the Bloodgottler from the BFG."
Saturn Devouring his child

After the Prado we strolled down Paseo del Prado to check out the fountains where Madrid’s biggest soccer teams celebrate victories (Fuente de Neptuno - Atletico and Cibeles – Real). Since we pull for neither of these teams, I did not feel compelled to cross the busy street and let the kids take a dip for themselves. Instead we opted for a smaller splash garden just off the road and then headed to Puerta del Sol for a quick picture and then into El Retiro park for a play. It always amazes me how quickly kids can mix and mingle. Lochlan, in particular, made herself at home. These types of moments are exactly what I was hoping for when I planned this trip; there’s just no way to beat immersing yourself in a community and interacting with the locals.

Lochlan's happy place.

The obligatory photo at Puerto del Sol.

Loch Loch jumping right in with the kids at the park.

For dinner we headed to an area of town recommend by a friend called La Latina. And what a great recommendation this was! It is close to everything but just far enough off the beaten path to be away from the tourists. We spent the evening bar hopping our way down the quaint little street. As Keller and Lochlan chased pigeons in the plaza nearby, we enjoyed mojitos, tapas, wine, and dessert. It was indulgent and delightful.

One of the stops along our gastronomy tour.

I had forgotten about these meat shops.
Keller, by the way, is now claiming to be a vegetarian.

Salud mojitos.

Loch enamored with the birds.

Keller terrifying the birds.

Tomorrow we are off to Granada. Madrid, once again you have been absolutely wonderful to me! Until next time…

P.S. You know it's been a good day when your kid's feet look like this. And I washed them before his nap! So this is just a half-a-day's work. 

Spanish tattoos.

Mom travel notes:

- Check to see if where you are going allows backpacks. It’s so much easier to re-arrange your “war chest” ahead of time and opt for a smaller bag than it is to pull things you think you might need out on-site and store the rest in a locker.

- Bring a double stroller to Europe – even if you think your older child will have no problem walking! Over the past 48 hours I have stacked, carried, and dragged a second child through the streets of Madrid. Finally, I gave in. Keller and I dropped the (single) BOB at the hotel we will be staying at on our way home and bought a double pram. Mike, I know you will cringe over this. Sorry in advance! The good news is that I don’t think we will need to rent a car. So I kind of saw it as a wash. :)

The schlepping in action.

Reina Sofa, el Mercado de San Miguel, & El Rey Leon

We slept in a bit this morning before heading over to the Reina Sofia. While there, we made it to two traveling exhibitions. The first was a selection from Wifredo Lam’s work, which I loved. His style was modern meets tribal and seemed to be inspired by global issues. The second was called Campo Cerrado and it was a collection that told the story of Spanish art during the complex and controversial 1940’s. I could have spent hours in this exhibit, but it required a lot of attention and there was just no way to do it with two small kiddos in tow. My visit in this gallery was brief, but if you happen to be in Madrid anytime soon, both of these are worth the look!

Joan, Saca, and Keller outside the Reina Sofia.

We also made it to several Dalí pieces and Saca and Joan made it to the Picassos, which I saw last time I was here. By the time we hit our “Picasso point” Keller and Lochlan had hit their breaking points, so the three of us headed out in search of a café while the girls kept looking.

Although the Reina Sofia building itself and the art displayed there are spectacular, my highlight from our visit had to be Lochlan dribbling her Swiss soccer ball through the halls. (Note: she dribbled through the halls, not the galleries themselves! Still questionable museum behavior, no doubt, but what do you do when a 12-month-old starts shouting “out” and “ball” over and over. And let’s not forget, the Reina Sofia used to be a hospital. In some ways, I feel like its original architects would be quite proud to know that a little American girl is learning to walk, and dribble, in their grand hallways.)   

She shoots…

And she scores!

Post museum meant siesta time, so while the gals went shopping my duo went down for a much-needed rest. I am quickly realizing that their schedules are going to have to change in Spain. It is impossible to eat dinner at 5:00pm when the restaurants don’t open until 8:00pm. When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do, right? I guess I will worry about the aftermath of 10pm bedtimes once we return home.

After naps and shopping we headed back towards Plaza Mayor to the Mercado de San Miguel. The place was bustling with people from all over the world. It is a fantastic spot to grab a bite and a drink, but bring cash; most of the vendors do not accept credit cards. Also watch for pick pockets and people selling their wares. One guy kept trying to put a bracelet on Keller’s wrist. The look of confusion on Keller’s sweet little face… I could just see his mind racing, trying to process what was going on. “Who is this strange man? Why is he giving me a present? I like presents. But my mom clearly doesn’t seem to like this man. Now my mom is yelling at me to come with her and get away from him. What in the world is going on?!?!”

A quick photo outside the main market entrance.

What beats a mango sangria with a side of olives?

At the el Martín fish company stall.

Speaking of living like the Spaniards, Joan and I took Keller to the late showing of El Rey Leon at the Teatro Lope De Vega. (Thank you Saca for watching Loch.) This was Joan’s first time seeing the musical and even though she does not speak a lick of Spanish, she thought it was spectacular – and it was! I have seen the show three times now and I am telling you this was the best. And my little dude did not miss a beat. He bounced up and down in his chair at the start of the show, clapping his hands, and squealing, “This is so exciting! This is so exciting!”

Waiting for the show to begin.

Making friends and starting to speak a little spanish.

Looking back on our first full day in a Spanish city, here are a few reflections from a mom traveling with littlies. I'm sure there are many more to be learned in the coming days. 

- Bring a bike lock so you can lock your stroller/pram downstairs and avoid lugging it up and down (in our case 4 flights of) stairs ten times a day. No elevators in this apartment.

- Check to see if you need to weigh your produce before you spend 20 minutes waiting in line to check out at the corner grocery. (I should have remembered this from shopping in Switzerland!)

- Inserting a quick park visit between adult activities works wonders.

- There's a lot you can do with a pack of diapers… including rigging up a computer cord and adaptor. :)

My jerry-rigged adaptor and cord - only a mom could do this!

Hola Madrid

We made it – but barely! Lochlan has not taken to flying like her brother and she screamed (bloody murder) for 5 1/2 hours of the 8 hour, RED EYE flight. (As a side note, I consider myself a near expert when it comes to flying with kids. I pack the right things to bring on the plane, know the right set-up once you board, and have tons of tricks around what to do when a kid gets cranky at 30K+ feet. BUT NOTHING WAS WORKING!) The screaming was so bad and so relentless four different passengers came up to offer their assistance. One prayed for her, two offered to hold her, and one suggested we put her hands and feet in a bowl of warm water. Lochlan went bonkers when the water bowl came out, but I just sat there with a near-death grip on the child, holding her while this sweet stranger drizzled warm water on her feet. By the time Lochlan finally dozed off, I looked like I had been peeing in my pants the entire flight. But I did not care. She slept for an hour and then woke up like nothing had ever happened. (Insert Expletive!)

The culprit, looking so entertained and happy. If only this had not been a red eye flight!

Nonetheless, we are here and as soon as our taxi pulled out of the airport and onto the streets of Madrid, the flight from hell was somehow worthwhile. Our apartment is adorable and in a great location. Keller is obsessed with the keys (never realized we were depriving him of such joy by having digital locks and keyless car entry), and he thinks the building looks like Paddington Bear’s apartment in London because of the staircase. We are surrounded by cute cafes and are only a couple minutes walk from the Reina Sofia, the Prado, and fantastic parks.

In the taxi on the way to the apartment.

I have two great friends along for this part of the trip: Joan Wellman, a dear friend who has traveled the world with me in years past through Dustin’s GreenHouse, and Sarah Catherine Lucas (aka Saca), our sometimes Nanny and Lochlan’s Godmother. Since we were all in the same row on the flight over, no one got any sleep (thank you Lochlan). After a short cat-nap, we spent yesterday afternoon wandering around in a bit (okay, a lot) of a delirious haze. We did make it to Plaza Mayor for an early dinner. We peeped into the Torre de Oro (one of Madrid’s shrines to bull fighting), and the girls tried their first paella. It was fun to see the street performers, tourists, students, and locals passing through. It has been 13 years since I was here last. As we sat there sipping sangria and watching life unfold it felt like nothing had changed. Then I looked down and watched as our two beautiful children took in the same sights and sounds, and my heart was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

An early dinner in Plaza Mayor

Someone has taken a liking to the bread, he grabbed an entire loaf. 

We look better than we feel (and smell).

My Spanish is coming back slowly. Saca and I have had fun trying to remember random vocabulary words, like elevator (ascensor) and ice (hielo). It is so good for Keller to see me / us trying to navigate a new language. I’m hoping he will follow suit in a couple days.

Buenos Noches.

The Bucys Take Spain

I woke up at 4am this morning thinking oh shit, what in the world have I done!?!? Monday, I leave for Spain with my kiddos in tow - Keller is “three and three quarters” as he will proudly tell you and Lochlan just turned one. We are headed to Granada, Spain to study Spanish and hopefully play some soccer. If you look up Granada, the reviews will tell you two things (1) it’s not a great place to go if you are hoping to mix and mingle with English speaking folk, and (2) it’s hardly the most kid friendly city in Spain. Why did I fall in love with this city while studying abroad over a decade ago!?!?

That night, when I woke up in cold sweats, I called the airline to see how much it would cost to cut our trip short. I almost told the agent to do it. But I didn’t, at least not yet…

So here we go. If you want to follow this crazy adventure, this is where you can do it. If our kids remember me as nothing else, hopefully they will know I was the somewhat crazy, ambitious mom who wanted to expose them to everything beautiful, challenging, and adventurous this world has to offer (and that their amazing dad supported these dreams every step of the way). 

Please pray for safe travels!

New Love For Old Delhi

Today we explored Old Delhi. A tour that included the Jama Masjid mosque, a wholesale spice market, and a beautiful Sikh temple. 

The adventure started at the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the city. More than 25,000 people come to this mosque to pray every Friday and their places are marked by sequential squares on the mosque floor. All women must wear a gown, which we were given just before entering, and no one is allowed to wear shoes. Had we been there for prayer, the women in our group would have been directed towards to wings, under the covered "walkways" you see in some of the pictures below. The open center is reserved for men, and inside is reserved for important political and religious leaders. 

This particular mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan, the same Mughal leader who built the Taj Mahal. He would pray in the balcony of the building, at the back of the plaza, seen in the picture below.

After leaving the Jama Masjid, we jumped on rickshaws and headed out into Old Delhi, toward a 400 year old wholesale spice market. I've included a video to give you a general idea of what it's like to ride through the streets here. Absolutely nuts!

The last stop of the day was at a Sikh temple, where we had to remove our socks and shoes and cover our heads with a small yellow scarf. As you enter the temple, you wash your feet in a small pool of water. There is music, chanting, and all kinds of color, gold in particular. Inside the temple, there are no signs of a God or religious figure, Sikhs believe the focus should be on the faith of the people you are praying with. The only "idol" of importance for them is their holy book, which rests on pillows beneath a solid gold awning. 

What I found most impressive about the Sikhs is that they will feed anyone who walks in their door, for free. This particular temple serves over 800 kilos of food a day! (All vegetarian) Everyone working to prepare this food is volunteer. They come together, across all aspects of life, and contribute to the wellbeing of society around them. I was moved by how well Sikh followers seem to live their faith. The experience was both beautiful and humbling.