Espana

Segovia:





madrid:

TOP TEN Things To Do In/Around Madrid SharOB Style:

10. Bull Fight. In Spanish stlye bull fighting they kill the bull in the ring after a series of tactics to weaken the bull. Definately good to go to once, but how many times can you see a bull get killed.

9. Eat Paella. But do not go to Museo de Hamon to have it, instead have...Bocadillos Mixto (Ham and cheese sandwiches, they sell so much that they have the pig legs hanging all over the restuarante). Spain is known for there ham and fresh bread...and this place has arguably the best bocadillos.

8. Eat Espada Chips...gotta support the family name. The ESPADA company also sells sunflower seeds (we are not only restricted to one plaza/metro stop...we are past and present!!).

7. Visit Toledo...but make sure you do not go when it is pouring rain... : (

6. Prado Museum, which unlike many other renown museums it can be done in one day and it is free every night!!

5. Visit Segovia...and make sure you stay for the sunset (which is after 9pm in April)

4. Drink Sangria...as Shar would say "in Spain, it flows like water".

3. Flamenco Show...you just have to see it live to fully appreciate it.

2. Eat Churros con Chocolate...simply delicious. Make sure you drink the remaining chocolate!!

1. Go to a Getafe vs. Bayern Munich UEFA second leg quarterfinal game...that ends 3-3 after double overtime!!!!!

Portugal

PORTUGAL is beautiful...Porto is a picturesque town that has a river to the south and the Atlantic to the west. This makes it a great place to have some seafood (which was awesome by the way). But also due to its climate near the river, location to vineyards, and accesiblity to ship the grapes Porto makes some of the best wines in the world. However, they are not just wines, they are Port wines and have a very unique fabrication process. The antique boats in the picture above were used to ship the wines down to the city to be fermented. The city has developed around these two things; fishing and Port wine and any tourist, or local, should experience both.


We were able to meet up in Lisbon which we both equally loved (although Ob was a little jealous of the Metro station and Placa named Saldanha). We had the most perfect hostel in the most amazing location. And most importantly (for Ob), we were able to go to another soccer game - Sporting vs. Braga which Sporting won 2-0!! We did not get the best weather in Lisbon, but we still made the most of our time. We saw Castelo de Sao Jorge, Monastery of Jeronimos which had the most amazing cloisters, and we took a day trip to the historic castle/fairytale town of Sintra.

London/France

I carried on in London and the purpose of this leg of the trip was to see a futbol match. Being, that Shar had to go back home, I spent this London weekend watching as many matches as possible.... : )

I also had the oppourtunity to go to a match, Tottenham Hotspurs vs. Newcastle United. The game was intense and Newcastle wound up winning 3-1. Then I took the Eurostar to Paris and spent a couple days there seeing all the sites. I went to a bunch of churches, the pictures are above. They are Saint Chappell, Notre Dame in Paris, and Chartres Cathedral, respectively. The rest of the pics are self-explanatory. Enjoy...Portugal to come soon. Once again, thanks for all the comments. It is nice to hear from fellow americans....go Red Bulls!!!

Japan Toilets

Ob left one of the most important pictures out of the Japan post - the toilet. I know I could not shut up about it when I went home last week and I cannot wait to invest in one when I am older or even better - Dad, you should get one for the house. Anyways, here is a visual. You can see the buttons to the left of the seat that control the temperature and pressure of the dual bidet built into the toilet. You can also heat the seat. The most important/efficient feature is the sink on top of the tank. When you flush, the water that refills the tank comes out of the faucet, so you can wash your hands. That same water is used for the next flush.

P.S. - We want to give a shout out to our most loyal reader - Happy Birthday Dad/Mr. Saldanha!!! This post is for you.

P.P.S. -Roc, they dont get better than this...good luck trying to find a card with one of these toilets...lol

Japan

Japan is AMAZING!!! Emili you are amazing, too!! Our time in Japan was great, mainly due to Emili's help-God bless you. I mean I spent the perfect Easter: went to Church and go to play soccer!!! We got to see a lot of Japanese history; temples, pagodas, shrines, and more temples. We also got experienc an authentic night in a traditional Ryokan, drink some proper mancha tea, drink some sake, plum, and orange wine, eat tons of sushi, Emili would constantly get us lost and then find our way, and finally got see the CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!

Getting around Japan was a breeze, we mainly rode trains. The trains are very comfortable and always on time and with Emili giving us all the train times and numbers we really got to sit back and take everything in. We went to the Hakone region and went in a onsen, japanese hot bath, and got to see Mt. Fuji. One day in Kyoto we rented bikes and rode around to all the historical sites. We also got to spend the day at Obaiba Island, which is a part of Tokyo where they let modern architects go wild and they fused a state of the art corporate area with shopping, fun parks, restaurantes, and other attractions.

It amazes me how at one point we all, humans, looked the same...but now there are so many distinct cultures and customs. Like how asians refrain from affection and physical contact, EXCEPT if your on a train during rush hour...man be ready to get squished.

In any case, i really enjoy learning how each culture differs-there is so much that can be learned. I want to encourage any believer to maintain a circle of friends with believers and non believers. Too much of either causes a void. That its for now...I miss you shar

enjoy the pics

oB

Please take a moment out to pray for Sharlene and her family. Her grandfather, 'Papa' recently went to be with the Lord. I am sure she would also appreciate some form of sympathy/support, if you can.