Tourists in Porto

Trying to navigate a new city from behind the wheel of a car is not always easy (or enjoyable). It is difficult to read road signs, look at a map and listen to the GPS.  So today we decided to head out for an open-top bus tour and be "tourists" in our own town.  That way we could all enjoy the view, see the sites and learn where things are.  We had a lot of fun, so here is a look at all we saw.

Vacation in Madrid - Our last adventure

The last thing we did before leaving Madrid was attend a real bullfight.  Our friend recieved some free tickets and we did want to pass up the "cultural" experience.  Bullfighting in Spain is a bit different than in Portugal because in Spain the bull is actually killed in the ring.  Throughout the course of the night there are 3-4 bulls that fight, but we only stayed for one - just to say we had seen a real bullfight.  It was interesting, but I don't think we will be going back anytime soon.

Vacation in Madrid - Part 6 Touring With Jeannete and Esther

We spent our last 2 days with 2 of the sweetest young ladies I know ( and a few of their friends).  They both live in Madrid and were able to give us a great tour of the city (the Offical J tour) and nearby Toledo.  We had a great time, but it was HOT - over 100 most days! 

Vacation in Madrid - Part 5 Warner Brother's Park

After our company meeting we stayed in Madrid a few days for vacation and to visit with friends.  Since leaving the States one thing we have missed is Dollywood. We loved the rides and shows.  When we found out that Madrid had a theme park, it became a "must do" on our list of things to do.  We are not sure if theme parks are not real popular in Spain, but there were NO LINES.  We did not wait more than 5-10 minutes for anything.  It was great.

Vacation in Madrid 4 - Real Madrid

While we were in meetings, there was a wonderful group of volunteers from the States that came and loved on our kids.  The grade school kids had VBS and Ethan loved the western theme.  The youth had an Amazing Race competition around Madrid and visited the Real Madrid soccer stadium.  For those of you who don't follow international futebol (soccer), one of the world's best players is Cristiano Ronaldo.  He is Portuguese and plays for Real Madrid.  Needless to say, Micah was SO EXCITED to visit the stadium.  He took the camera and made these pictures.

Vacation in Madrid- Part 3 - Great Day with Friends

One afternoon during our meeting we had some free time so we hit the town.  It was fun exploring the city with our friends.  We found Taco Bell and TGIFridays!  It is amazing what you miss when you don't have it.  Who would have thought we would miss Taco Bell.

Vacation in Madrid - Part 2 the Meeting & World Cup 2010

Our main purpose in traveling to Madrid was our annual company meeting.  It was a great 3 days of preaching and worship (in English) and a great time of fellowship and encouragement with friends and colleagues from all over.  The kids always love this time because while we were in meetings there was a group from FBC Hendersonville, TN that came to do VBS and love on our kids.  They were completely spoiled.  (Notice that both the boys were in classes with all girls.)

Our first night in Madrid was CRAZY!  For any of you who follow soccer, we were in Spain for the finals of the World Cup and SPAIN WON!  I don't think anyone in the city slept that night.  Everywhere we went there were people crowded around televisions and flags flying.  We would rather it had been Portugal playing for the championship, but it was fun watching Madrid explode when Spain won.

Vacation in Madrid Part 1 - The joy of the journey!

A week after moving into our new apartment in Porto, we headed to Madrid, Spain for a company meeting and a few days of vacation.  We were excited about the trip, but not excited about the 6 hour drive through the interior of Portugal and Spain.  Fortunately our friend Craig traveled with us. 

About 45 minutes outside of Madrid on a stretch of road like this

This happened......

Thankfully we were on a toll road and there were little phone boxes scattered on the side of the highway.  We called and within 15 minutes a road assistance truck showed up, the gentleman changed the tire and we were back on the way.  (As you can see, the extra tire was under the back and everything had to be unloaded. UGH!)

More photos to come..........

Finally!

We have finally made it to Porto and are settled in (almost - after 3 trips to Ikea to try and buy get blinds for our 9 living room windows).  We have even already had our first overnight guest:)  Starting over is never easy, but we are so excited see what lies ahead of us here.  We will be heading to Madrid, Spain next week for a meeting and short family vacation.  We will try to post pictures of our new apartment when we get back.  (We have an extra bedroom, so come see us.)