Madrid & Miami Platja, Spain | August 15th-20th, 2019
Ben and I have talked a lot about how great of an opportunity this is for us to be traveling around and learning so much about different places and different cultures. In fact, we were so grateful and excited for this trip that we just couldn’t help but share it with our families! Therefore, we will be spending the next two weeks with the Riley family! Both of my parents, Todd and Kris, as well as my sisters, Cassie and Savannah will be joining us. They have been anticipating the trip with excitement and we have been eagerly awaiting familiar faces! But before we went to meet up with them, there was one more city we visited along our route. You can’t go to Spain without seeing Madrid, right?
I wish we could have spent more time here, but the part we got to see was well worth our time. We actually got lost in the city at first, which was hectic but fascinating at the same time. It is crazy how from one city to the next there can be so many differences in architecture and style. Madrid has a very unique look to it and we had plenty to view as we squeezed through the small, busy streets. After some time, we found the Palacio Rael de Madrid and the Catedral de la Almudena. The size and beauty of this cathedral makes it impossible to miss and then when you see the royal palace across from it, you are struck with enchantment.
The inside of these two structures is even more spectacular! Like I said before, it is so interesting seeing the different cultural designs in each city; and also each cathedral! This one appeared to be a mixture of styles and had bright colored ceilings. It looked like a castle to me when I first saw it!
The Royal Palace is the largest in Europe and it still contains much of its original design, furniture, and artifacts. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. We weren’t allowed to take pictures through most of the inside, so that is why I don’t have many. We learned a little bit about the Spanish royal family and about the designers of the palace. Much to my surprise, the royal family chose not to live in this grand palace, but instead chose a smaller, more modest palace on the outskirts of Madrid. Pretty interesting.
To end our visit, we went to the only LDS Temple in Spain. It was a quaint temple, but served its purpose all the same. We were able to do baptisms for the dead and spend some time in the peaceful beauty of the building. Our batteries were recharged and we were excited to head toward Miami Platja to meet up with the Riley clan!
Ben and I checked into the Airbnb early so we could get everything set for them since their flight didn’t get in until 10:30PM. The place was super cute with a wonderful view, right across the street from the beach! We bought groceries and took full advantage of the hot shower and washing machine haha. The place was still an hour drive from the airport, so they didn’t end up getting in until midnight. Everyone was grumpy and hungry, but once we fed them, we chatted happily until about 4AM!
That whole weekend was full of relaxation as the town was small and family friendly; so everyone was able to unwind and enjoy the beautiful ocean views. We got a taste of the culture at a local restaurant and spent lots of time drinking, swimming, and lounging on the beach.
Some excitement came our way when we ventured down the coast a bit more and found an ocean amusement park! It was pretty much a floating obstacle course with monkey bars, climbing walls, and trampolines. It was a blast! We now know how the contestants on the show Wipeout! feel, for we had our fair share of falls haha. Sav had an epic bellyflop, Cass got a bloody nose, and Ben and I hit the floaty and water hard trying to race each other through the course! It was hilarious and hurtful all at the same time.
Although Miami Platja left us with some bruises, we thought it was a great place to begin the journey and we were all very excited for our next destination…. Barcelona!
Vaughan_Ventures 