Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug. - John Lithgow This quote seems to summarize so much of life for me — and I know every year I will feel more that way. Jay and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last weekend with a short trip to Santander and Bilbao. I can't believe we have already been [...]

Two Saturdays ago we made our second attempt at a day trip to El Escorial. It was worth the wait. The morning weather was sunny and 70°F — perfect for a hike. And it was a festival weekend in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which meant free entry into El Escorial and a $20 savings for us. After an hour bus ride into the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains outside of Madrid we arrived in the small [...]

Madrid proudly boasts more trees per capita than any other capital in the world. Only Tokyo has more trees, and they have three times the population. This fact makes Madrid a great place for me since I love city parks. I love the contrast; being surrounded by large buildings and bustling life one minute and then being lost in the middle of lush green trees, grass and flowers the next minute. And the [...]