Madrid and HOME!

Here are some photos from our trip to Madrid. Ladies, feel free to e-mail me some of your favorite photos from the trip & I'll post them here.

All piled in to the train station en route to Barcelona!

Waiting on the train....

Just hanging out at the palace

Madrid's Royal Palace

Just holding down the fort

Enjoying tapas and churros

A view from our hotel

Our last sunset in Europe!

Barcelona: 1 - Mercy Girls: 0

Today we visited some of the most popular sites in Barcelona! We stopped at Parque Guell and the Sagrada Familia to admire the work of Gaudi. Pictures from these sites are below:

 Trusted chaperones!

 After a guided tour through the city, we enjoyed Spain's main dish paella.

The weather in Barcelona was fabulous until it started raining. We had to walk several blocks, so the girls got creative and made the most of it....

An

We were all troopers, even Mama Led!

Our prayers are with you, Mr. Napper

My travelers and I would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Marty Napper - a former Mercy educator who impacted countless lives. While it is difficult to be away from our Mercy family, we are taking care of each other during this time of loss. We each took a moment to pray for Mr. Napper and his family at the Cathedral in Pisa. Marty Napper was a man who taught our students so much about the world that we felt that it was only fitting to honor him as we traveled the globe. 

Ciao, Italia! Hola, Espana!

After a an overnight ferry & one bout of seasickness (don't worry, it was just me & I survived!), we've arrived in Barcelona. Tomorrow we will be taking a tour of the city and spending our free time exploring the markets and beaches of Barcelona. Tomorrow evening, we will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch the EuroCup finals between Spain and Italy in Spain! We're having a great time & look forward to exploring our second country.

We spent Friday morning in Pisa and enjoyed free time in Florence that afternoon. Here are some photos from our day!

Upon first seeing the tower, the girls said "WOW! It really IS leaning!"

The baptistry at Pisa. 

Inside the Cathedral at Pisa.

The Cathedral at Pisa.

En route to the ferry we passed several fields of sunflowers. This photo can't quite do it justice!

Our "ferry" turned out to be much more like a cruise ship than we had expected!

The girls enjoyed some fresh air and breathtaking views!

....and some of them just enjoyed the pool and the sun!

...and their teacher tried not to get too seasick!

I'll leave you with this image before I do room checks! Goodnight from Spain!

Cross your fingers - I may have a WiFi connection!

I'm so sorry for the lack of pictures - WiFi has been very touch and go here in Montecatini. We've been having a blast exploring this small town & learning about the art and history of Florence. I'll continue with a few photos from our day at the Vatican and - hopefully - will catch you up on our travels!

Let's begin with the Sistine Chapel....

...and Michelangelo's Pieta...

...and then we went to the Colosseum...

...where we patiently waited in line. (We were actually VERY patient - it was quite breezy inside!)

we made it inside!

Giving a "thumbs down" in the Emperor's box.... (Usually this sentenced a gladiator to death - today, it was all in good fun!)

From the Colosseum, we walked to the Roman Forum. 

We left the Forum and took a much needed break from the 110 degree heat!

We late enjoyed some fine Italian cuisine (and a LOT of water!) Salute!

After dinner, we had an amazing opportunity to see the sun set over Rome & visit some sites at night. Here are some photos from this excursion:

After our night out in Rome, we woke up early to travel to Assissi. 

Our wonderful tour guide, Friar Francis! (Yes, a Franciscan Friar named Francis!)

Mama Led ran out of Euros and the girls ran out of church clothes. She's charging 25 Euros per wash. ;)

Today we explored Florence (yes, we're almost caught up!), and it's gorgeous!

 taking a break....

...in front of Chanel.

Thank you for sending such a wonderful group of girls with me! I can't wait for you to see all of their pictures and hear their stories! We leave for Pisa tomorrow and will travel tomorrow evening to Barcelona (by ferry). We will be on the ferry for approx. 16 hours, so communication may not be great until later Saturday evening.