It has been three years since I have hugged my sister. It has been four years since Bryan has seen Kelly and Jamie. It has been way too long- and the wait is finally over!
Like the rest of the family, Kelly and Jamie were able to "save" a European place for us to visit together. They chose to "knock out Spain," and asked for us to save Madrid and Barcelona for their visit so we could travel all over the country together! Bryan and I took that request and ran with it while the rest of the Kimble gang decided to make this a full reunion. Over the next two weeks, the seven of us visited ELEVEN towns across Spain! There will be no rest for the weary!
So while Hugo and Reynolds helped us finish setting up Christmas at our house, Kelly, Jamie, Mom, and Dad hopped on planes and began their multi-flight journey to Sevilla, Spain!
Sunday, November 24: Family Arrival & Sevilla
After a long night of flying and a delayed flight out of Madrid, the Kimbles and Davises made it to Sevilla Airport to lots of hugs and smiles! They may have been exhausted, but we weren't wasting the afternoon: toss that luggage in the trunk and get ready for a down-and-dirty tour of one of Andalucia's major cities: Sevilla!
Royal Alcázar of Seville
We started with tickets to visit the Royal Alcazar of Sevilla. This citadel was built in the 10th century by the Moors during their occupation of Spain and is decorated with beautifully patterned tiles and Islamic archways! Bryan and I were reminded of the larger Alhambra in Granada, Spain with the Alcazar's design and layout. Our group enjoyed taking pictures of all the open spaces and stunning architecture!
Murillo Gardens: Jardines de Murillo
Located on the grounds of the Alcazar, the Murillo Gardens were a nice area to get lost wandering around the maze of green space! Mom especially loved chasing around the peacocks with her camera!
Plaza de España
With the Alcazar fully explored, we took a detour over to Plaza de España to show Kelly and Jamie the famous place we had visited in January with Mom and Dad! They were just as mesmerized by the beautiful scenery as everyone else we have taken here!
Catedral de Sevilla
By this point, we could tell the energy levels of our guests were wearing down, but we still had one "experience" left! As we scanned our tickets at the Sevilla Cathedral, we were told "to climb the tower first if we planned on enjoying the city from above." Of course, we couldn't turn that down!
About halfway up La Giralda, every one of us was regretting this choice! 47 levels of spiral ramp climbing was exhausting! At the top, we brushed shoulders with all of the other tourists trying to see the view before the cathedral closed. The views were great but the fresh air after that high climb was the best!
After the steep climb back down, we did a quick walk through the world's largest Gothic cathedral. After Kelly and Jamie's big Italy trip last year and our trip with Mom and Dad to Rome, everyone has grown accustomed to seeing impressive churches. (We do see the blessing in that statement!)
This cathedral is special as it's the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. He may have pillaged and killed his way across the Americas, but the Spanish are proud to say they are the country that funded Columbus' explorations. However you feel about the man, the statue over his grave is impressive!
Amorino Gelato
At this point I thought our group was going to fall over in the city square, so we needed a pick-me-up and FAST! Thank goodness there was a gelato shop on our way to the car!
We made it home around 7 pm to the best greeting committee a person could want: Hugo and Reynolds! I mean, you can't tell me these puppies don't love the Kimble women!
Monday, November 25: Vejer de la Frontera & Flamenco
After a good night's rest, our gang was ready to travel an hour away to visit a traditional Spanish white town. These white towns are sprinkled all over southern Spain and are famous for their white walls and hillside locations with picture-perfect settings.
Vejer de la Frontera
After enjoying our first visit to Vejer with Sabrina and Caleb, I knew this would be the perfect place to visit a second time! I planned a little better and made sure we arrived with plenty of time to walk around the city and visit the shops before 2 pm when the entire place shuts down for siesta hours!
Kelly and Jamie found some Christmas presents to take home, while Mom and I enjoyed shopping for local art!
El Jardín del Califa
By 2 pm, we had worked up quite an appetite. While the shops closed up for the afternoon, we headed to El Jardín del Califa for a delicious Moroccan lunch! The cave dining room was the perfect setting for a scrumptious lunch of lamb, chicken, and beef entrees!
Viveros El Lago
On our way home, we swung by Viveros for souvenir shopping: Spanish pottery and traditional name signs!
Rota Base
We drove through base for a quick tour and made a stop by the hospital, where Bryan showed everyone around his office and the dental clinic!
Tabanco El Pasaje
But that's not all folks! We still had an evening filled with Spanish experiences!
With Bryan off work, we had a few hours of rest before heading north 30 minutes to Jerez to see a traditional flamenco show. After visiting Tabanco El Pasaje with Ryan during his previous trip, I knew this place would be a hit with the rest of the Kimble group!
With traditional tapas, sherry, and an amazing performance, our group was enamored with the singer, dancer, and guitarist who performed flamenco where it began: in tiny taverns here in Jerez. The stage may have been only 5 feet wide, but the dancing and singing filled up the entire room!
Margarita La Fresca Jerez
You may notice a pattern. Our group left the flamenco show and couldn't pass up another gelato stop! With ice cream in hand, we headed to the car to end another late night of touring southern Spain!
Tuesday, November 26: Cadiz & Kamala
I promised everyone we would take it easier today and I think I kept my word! We drove to the neighboring town of Cadiz to show Kelly and Jamie around one of our favorite places near our home!
Cadiz may sound familiar, and that is because we take every single person who visits us to this ocean-front town! The Johnsons, Sabrina and Caleb, Mom and Dad, Ryan, and Stego have all experienced this place and it's always a fan favorite!
TKO Tacos Cádiz
We started our visit by eating at my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant in Spain: TKO Taco (previously called Tiki Taco.) The tacos hit the spot and the Margs were perfect. I love this place!
Empanadas Malvón
I told everyone not to eat too much at the Mexican restaurant because we were getting another small morsel at Malvon: empanadas. (I do see the irony in visiting a Spanish town and eating my way through the Central/South American cuisines. I can't help it. It's delicious!)
Plaza de San Juan de Dios
Nearby the Empanada shop is the open air market in Plaza de San Juan de Dios. Kelly and Jamie enjoyed looking at all the booths and seeing the local creativity in the jewelry, notebooks, leatherworks and other crafts.
Throughout our tour of Cadiz, we stopped by several other Cadiz highlights including:
Teatro Romano de Cádiz: the Roman theater along the water. This place was found when the city tried to build new apartments...they started digging and realized there were Roman ruins under there!
Catedral de Cádiz: we walked by this one instead of paying the €10 entry fee. We love churches, but they start to look very similar after you have visited countless others!
Mercado Central de Abastos de Cádiz: the market was closing up when we arrived, but Kelly and Jamie got the gist. This market holds booths that sell fresh fish, produce, tapas, and of course, there's Captain Cookie. I bet you can guess which booth we bought from. (Hint: Bryan said we weren't allowed to return home without at least one cookie for him!)
La Caleta: The James Bond Beach! If you don't know what I'm talking about, go read one of the other 5 blogs where we visited this beach. One of the James Bond movies was filmed here; Halle Berry comes out of the bay to meet Pierce Brosnan at a beach bar right here!
On our way home, we stopped by the local grocery store, Mercadona, for a few things! Kelly was obsessed with the fresh orange juice machine, while Mom made Dad pose with the famous jamon legs that are sold for the holiday gifting season!
With Bryan home from a long day at work, we enjoyed an afternoon of games!
Restaurante Kammala
Then it was dinnertime! We took everyone to our favorite restaurant: Kammala! This meal was filled with laughter, amazing food, wonderful service and we even bumped into our friends Aidan and RJ!
Just look at Jamie and Mom's faces when they brought out our desserts; this meal was beyond memorable! I freaking love Kammala!
Wednesday, November 27: Rota & an Early Thanksgiving
Our final day in Rota began with a tour of our home! Kelly and Jamie enjoyed the face flowerpots covering the downtown area and Mom and Dad enjoyed pointing out places we visited during their last time in Rota.
After taking pictures at the Rota sign, we popped into a local spot for a drink and to soak in some rays along the water!
Rota Golf Club
The girls headed home to pack and prep for the next leg of our trip, while the boys met Bryan after work at the Rota Golf Course for a round of 9 holes! When Dad visits, Bryan cashes in on the free golf lesson! Just look at those boys' faces; they had a ball!
We ended the day with an early Thanksgiving Dinner at home! Bryan cooked the turkey on the grill, Dad made mashed potatoes, Jamie and Kelly shared the famous Davis corn pudding, while Mom made sure everyone had a drink in hand while they cooked!
Our good friends, Meghan and Peyton Seago, came over to eat with us! I was so happy my family got to meet our closest friends in Rota! I will say we paid them in leftovers to say good things about us! ;)
You may notice we had absolutely no down time during their time in Rota. Just know, this constant running and going from sun up to sun down continues for another ten days...and I wonder why people say they need a vacation after traveling with us!
'til next time!
--Katie