Briggs head to Spain!

 Wow it’s been 6 years since we’ve written on this blog! So much has happened. More on that later. 

The kids got home from Camp YJ Wednesday August 12,2026. And they only had 2 days of downtime and laundry before we packed up and headed off to Spain! 

Our flight was 10:30pm Friday August 14, 2026. We got to the airport early enough to grab dinner and then head over and board the flight. The flight was pretty empty so JP had a whole row to himself. So Juliet shared a row with him while Naomi and I shared a row. We attempted to lean on each other and try to get some sleep. It was a long flight - 6.5 hours, the girls longest flight and first over seas flight!  We finally landed at 11:30 am Spain time. We were excited but running on little sleep. We got our bags, eSIM cards and a taxi to uncle Matt and Daniella’s apartment. 

We dropped our stuff off and headed out on the town to acclimate to the time change. We wandered the streets in the direction of San Miguel market place. It’s like Quincy market, but with Spanish/European foods. We go empanadas, quiche, oysters. Then we headed to plaza Mayor. Mostly because mom heard you could buy hand made shoes - espadrilles - there! The plaza was huge. It started drizzling. We walked around the plaza and then headed to the shoe stores. But apparently in August everyone goes on vacation and closes their shops! So the two oldest shoe stores were closed! There was a new store across the street that had a clearance sale and Juliet found a pair of r in her size, but Naomi and I did not. So we gave up on the shoes and decide to go get some chocolate with churros. It was pretty great. 

Then headed back to the apartment to rest as the jet lag was catching up with us. On the way back Danielle looked up and found a shoe store right by the apartment! So Naomi, Daniella and I went there while the rest of the group headed up to the apartment. The shoe store was closed but as we were lamenting about it being closed, the woman opened the doors! It was meant to be. So Naomi and I went in and tried on a few pair! We got the traditional espadrille style. Then we headed back to the apartment to rest. Daniella made grilled cheese and tomato soup and we went to bed around 8:30. 

We slept 12 hours! 

Sunday August 16, 2026 - Madrid

We got up and had Spanish omelets and yogurt for breakfast. Then we all headed out to the Spanish palace - Palacio Real Madrid. We got there and the tickets didn’t work. I bought tickets ahead of time and well, it wasn’t an official site so it seems that we had been scammed. Ugh. Luckily they had tickets and we were able to get in. The place was beautiful. We had spring for the audio guide which helped us learn about the history of the place and what each room was used for. We saw the throne room, an huge crown bigger than Juliet’s face (her words) and scepter, lots of amazing wall paper and cool sets of silverware and flatware. After we went into the armory and saw all kinds of knights armor and swords. 

Then we headed to lunch at the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world - Botín. Their specialty is roast sucking pig. I think Naomi was so discussed with the fact that it came out looking like a pig. She didn’t want to eat her food which was an omelet with asparagus. I felt terrible. And honestly the pig, it was just ok. 

Then we headed back to the apartment to have a siesta! JP and I napped for two hours! Daniella occupied the kids with her amazing art skills and taught them how to water color, or maybe reminded them how to and shared her paints with them. 🥰

Then we headed to a flamenco performance. Which was wonderful. It was way loud and I wish I had my ear plugs like I wear for concerts! After we had dinner near by and then went back to the apartment and took turns taking quick showers so we wouldn’t run out of hot water! This reminded Matt and JP of showering in bat harbor when you and to pay $1 for the hot water but cold water was free! (And they would tell stories about this the following evening)

Monday August 17, 2026 - Madrid

We slept in. We woke up at 10 and woke the kids up at 11 to start our day! We must have needed the sleep. Once we got our act together we headed out to the Balloon Museum on our own as Matt didn’t seem interested in the museum and Daniella had to work today. The balloon museum is an interactive museum dedicated to all things inflatable. We spent 2 hours exploring the exhibits, playing in the ball pit or the  balloon tornado and just acting like kids. It was great fun albeit not very Spanish….

After we had lunch at a cute little restaurant on the river, cafe del rio, and then walked through a park on our way to get cookies made by nuns in a monetary. They only took cash so we finally changed money from dollars to euros. We got to the monetary and well, even nuns take vacation… so no cookies unto September 1st. By this time Daniella was done with work and Matt and her headed out to meet us. We met up at the Mercado de la Cebada. And it turns out almost every vendor was on vacation. Except the disc golf and gelato guys. So Matt got some discs and then we all got gelato. 

After that we wandered the streets shopping a bit. Naomi loves vintage clothing stores. So we found a few of those. She got some souvenirs in these shops. We got some art prints for the bar -  vermouth and sangria watercolor prints. Then we headed to the Reina Sofia museum as it’s free each night from 7-9pm. I really was excited to go here to see Pablo Picasso Guernica painting. It is such a large painting, and overwhelming mostly because of the crowds of people around it. Juliet and I squeezed in towards the middle and finally got to the front. I asked her to tell me what she saw and we talked about the the painting together. Then we let others in and we headed out to look around the rest of the museum. Some of the world were from Dali or Warhol but there were lots of contemporary artists that I hadn’t heard of. Sometimes contemporary art is hard to understand so we did our best to enjoy what we were looking at before they kicked us out at 9:00. We did a bit more souvenir shopping on our way to get a taxi back to Matt’s. Then headed home. 

Tuesday August 18, 2026 - Toledo 

This was our first excursion outside Madrid. We got up early and took a taxi to the train station and headed to Toledo. It was a 30 minute train ride. I had booked a Jewish history tour a head of time so when we got off the train our tour guide was waiting for us. His name was Fernando and he was amazing. He first told us about the train station then he had a taxi waiting outside for us and took us on a panoramic tour around the city using the cab like a hop in hop off bus. We stopped at several key sport to take photos and hear about the city. First was the main gate, then a panoramic view of the city, then at one of the two bridges and finally at the beginning of our walking tour. We walked though the streets, he pointed out the markings on the ground that denoted the Jewish quarter - tiles of menorahs, chai and Hebrew letters in the shape of Spain that said sapha meaning Sephardic. We went into one synagogue that was designed in the moorish style as was all the rage back then. Then it was taken over by the church as part of the expulsion of the Jews. 

Side note: we didn’t eat breakfast this morning fearing we’d miss the train so by this point we were all hungry and needed caffeine so we stoped at a little cafe to grab a croissant, water and coffee. Mom noticed a Jewish jewelry store next door so she popped in there and bought the girls a pair of star of David earrings hand made by a local artist.

We tried to get into the Sephardic museum (right next to the cafe) but it was closed for siesta and so we skipped that (we went back later in the afternoon after the tour was over) and headed to the church of saint Thomas where el Greco had a famous masterpiece. 

Then we stopped at a store that made marzipan since the 1800s and they had the tallest statue made out of marzipan. It had the guiness book of world record certificate next to it. It was a statue of don Quixote! We got several flavors of marzipan to taste. Turns out the kids love it! 

With our sweet tooth sated, we headed to the cathedral Primada de Toledo. We walked though the cathedral for about an hour. One of the key things Fernando wanted to point out was the Hebrew word for G-d on the ceiling in the room where the clergy got ready - the sacristy- with a giant fresco surrounding it. 

Then we walked through the streets a bit more and Fernando left us at a restaurant he recommended that had vegetarian options. It was a pizza joint 🤣. They had other stuff too. He recommended the burrito with venison which was a local dish. It was pretty good! 

Then we split up and Matt and Daniella went to the Mosque and we headed to the zip line! Nothing like flying over the river on a zip line on a full stomach!! By the way it was 102 degrees out… it was hot. Juliet, Naomi and I flew over the river while dad filmed. Best 20 seconds of the day! 

After the adrenaline rush we went back to the Sephardic museum where Matt and Daniella met up with us. I’m glad we did this museum without Fernando because there was lots of good information and displays of artifacts. Some of which were things we still use today -like menorahs, sedar plates, etc. 

Then we slowly wandered through the streets towards the train station and then back to Madrid. Once back in Madrid we made dinner at the house, shakshuka, and sat around the table telling stories. Matt and JP told stories of Bar Harbor: having to pay for hot water, boat rides around Somes Sound, and camping. Then we all took quick showers and headed to bed k linger we’re going to get yo early and explore another town again the next day!

August 19, 2026 - Segovia

Today we got up and ate breakfast. We learned from our mistake yesterday. Then we headed to catch our train to Segovia! 

Once the train stopped we took a taxi to the Alcazar, the fortress on the far end of town. This castle was supposedly one of the ones that inspired Walt Disney in his designs for Cinderella’s castle in Orlando. It was gorgeous. Something right out of a fairy tale. We went in and explored the castle using the audio guide to help us. Queen Isabella was crowned in Segovia and stayed in this castle. The tour went through the main floor which had bedrooms and the armory and a beautiful terrace with a well in the middle! Then we climbed up 150 stairs to the top of the main tower and had amazing views of the city. 

After the castle we went and found lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, La Almuzara. Most of us got salad and Naomi got a dish she didn’t like so she ended up eating my salad. 

Then we wandered the streets a bit. Juliet found a candy store and used some of her spending money there. Naomi and JP and Daniella found the best ice cream store in Segovia, chipén, right near the aqueduct. Juliet and I opted not to get ice cream, instead we did a photo shoot in front of the aqueduct. After ice cream we went and found the devil statue - who was taking a selfie! Then we wandered over to the top of the aqueduct before heading to the cathedral. I found an art store along the way and bought a print of the aqueduct that is similar to a print I have at home that I got in Seattle when we visited Matt there in 2018!

We left the cathedral and headed to the taxi stand but there were no taxis. So we took the bus instead and we were cutting it close as the bus arrived only 3 minutes before our train was supposed to leave. So we ran into the station and it turns out the train was running late. So we made it on to the train. 

We took the subway back towards the apartment and on the way we walked by Milwaukee Burgers and so we stopped in there for a taste of home! It was strange seeing all the American stuff but it was a good burger! After we went to 99 cheesecake for dessert, even though we were all stuffed! But we had a piece that we shared. Then headed home and drew straws to see who got to shower first! 

After we all showered I said I wish I was recording all the stuff we were doing and I brought up this blog to the kids. They had no idea I had it so we started working on a post about what we have done so far!! And now it’s late and everyone else went to sleep leaving me to finish this post!!