On Wednesday, we headed south to explore another special little city. Toledo was full of beautiful alleyways, restaurants & cathedrals on every corner, breathtaking views of the city, and even a zipline! This was also my favorite day, ha!
Monday, April 7, 2025
Spain Day 6 - Tuesday
We dressed in as many layers as we could on Tuesday morning, as we were headed on another train for a day up North in Segovia. The temperatures hovered between 35-50 all day, but the crisp air and bright sunshine only added to this special little city. The aqueduct, built in the first century, was our first stop! Followed by some incredible cathedrals and castles. It was my favorite day! It even ended with fresh crepes topped with gelato, yum!
Spain Day 5 - Monday
We woke early today to pack up and make our way to the high speed train station. We took a very speedy three hour trip across the Spanish countryside and were wowed by the beautiful landscape and countless vineyards. 
Hadley navigated us into a quaint little area of Madrid where we had lunch at very authentic family owned restaurant. You might get chips & salsa in the United States upon entering some Mexican restaurants. The welcome dish here was a plate of warmed potatoes, ham & blood sausage!
Having found next to nothing for vegetables in Barcelona, we were thrilled with their giant platter of pink heirloom tomatoes drenched in olive oil & sea salt!!
With our bellies full, Hadley lead us to a secret door that you could order cookies from sequestered nuns!
We then made our way to an old convent that had been turned into apartments for our stay in Madrid.
Where we washed & dried our clothes like most Spainards do - out our window and all over the kitchen, hehe.
Spain Day 4 - Sunday
Sunday dawned bright and sunny, but because we were along the coast somehow it was also cool and humid. We began the day (with cappuccinos & treats) at the Museum of the History of Catalonia. It was very well done and interesting to learn more about their background.
Spain Day 3 - Saturday
We all felt a little bit more like ourselves Saturday morning, given a little sleep lying down in an actual bed! We began with cappuccinos and pastries in our own little apartment before beginning our 'Gaudi' day. We began by navigating the Metro for the first time, which Hadley made seem like a piece of cake with her app! Somehow she knew that as we emerged from this particular metro stop to slowly turn and look up. It was thee most awe inspiring Cathedral you have ever seen. And, it only got better from inside!
We took in several other Gaudi creations though out the city, and finished the afternoon with several hundred flights of steps to reach Park Guell.
We finished out the evening at a tapas bar near our apartment, and had the best service!
Spain Days 1 & 2
Our first 'real' day of our Spanish adventure began with staying awake for 32 hours 😂 We awoke by 6ish on Thursday morning and made our way to the Minneapolis airport for an easy flight into DC, a decent layover perfect for catching dinner and a little March Madness, and then a 9 hour overnight flight into Barcelona Friday morning. It was not our favorite part of the trip to say the least, but despite not really being able to sleep on the plane, we hit the ground running!
We took in Mercado de Boqueria, their local market, to try out a few foods. Then wound our way through the streets shopping, drinking our first cappuccinos, eating gelato, and appreciating the outisde of the Barcelona Cathedral. We were thankful for our umbrellas! By the time we grabbed a few groceries and headed to our rental apartment, we had a hard time staying awake until 7pm!
Spain 2025
About two years ago, we approached Hadley with the idea of a senior spring break trip. The proposal was that we would give her a budget, and then she would not only choose the location but PLAN the trip! She spent quite a while going back and forth on the location, but then settled on Spain. She has been in the throes of planning for almost a year now! And on March 20th, we flew across the Atlantic for the first time as a family!
Over her year of planning, there was a lot of checking in with Kyle & me on price points and options, but big picture wise, it was ALL her! She gave us the final presentation about a week out, and a digital copy of her 10 day itinerary. It was impressive to say the least.
From the moment we landed in Barcelona she was our leader! From the shuttle service gentleman holding up a 'Hadley Anderson' sign at the airport, to the hidden rooftop restaurant overlooking all of Toledo, to the subway/metro app she had already mastered on her phone guiding us through two Metropolitan cities, it was amazing!! Needless to say, we are no longer anxious about her to attending college 8 hours away this fall! This girl can handle it ❤️
Oh, and she stayed $100 under budget.
Posts of each day of our epic Spain adventure to follow...
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