Ami's Park in Stansbury: September 2008

We are finally home and now I can reflect on the trip

Well we got home the other day and now that I am a bit rested I will finish my posting and turn this back over to the rightfull owner Ami. Not to mention my spelling sucks and Ami does not miss a chance to tease me about it.

After we left Vitoria we had issues with our flights home so we booked it to Madrid only to find that the Delta counter at the airport was only open until noon and we got there an hour after they closed. So we checked into the hotel and called delta and spent three hours on the phone with them trying to fix our flights home. After that we went down town and decided to grab a bite to eat at McDonalds. We while we were eating a couple of young Gay boys decided to start making our right behind Ami. As we left they were more licking each other than kissing and needless to say it was yucky...

Then next morning we went to the Airport only to find out that the three hours the night before were in vain and spent three more hours at the airport until they gave me a hand written ticket for my flights and Ami was good to go. We left the Airport to search out the temple and hit a session. The only problem we had was the address could not be found on our GPS so we drove around for a couple hours trying to find it and never did. So I was very dissapointed to not even see the Madrid temple so now there has to be a next time.

That night we boarded a plane for France and spent the night in a little hotel just outside of the Airport. Then next moring we flew from france to Houston and then onto Salt Lake City. There we were met by Emily and two very happy little girls. It is amazing how much you miss your kids while your away. After all of my travels these past few years you would think I would be used to it but I never am.

This trip for me was a huge blessing and I am so glad that Ami came with me on this adventure. Brianna says that next time we have to take here with us. I guess we will have to see when the time comes.

Well for now the adventuring is done as is my Blogging. Now it is up to Ami to keep the world updated on what we are up to....

Our Final Stop: Vitoria

This is Ami and I with two of the most wonderfull people on the planet, Beni and Rafa. We got to Vitoria and I could not get ahold of anyone in the city missionaries included and I had lost contact with them as they had changed thier phone number a few years back. So I said a little prayer and we went out on the town to see the sights. As we finished sight seeing and were headed back to the car to do who knows what we ran into a pair of Sister missionaries. They gave me all the info I needed to find them. They gave me thier new phone numbers and told me that they would be at Beni's dinner. They gave us some vauge directions and we took of to try and find them. It took some work but we got there and it was worth it to me. We walked in the door and Rafa thining we were a customer said hello and did not really look up from what he was doing. I said hi Rafa and as he turned to look at me his eyes got reall big and he came over and gave me a big bear hug and called for his wife to come out of the kitchen. We were then blessed with the opportunity to eat a meal cooked by Beni. I worked with her and Rafa for 5 1/2 months in Vitoria and even though Rafa was not a member at the time he was more so than not. Bottom line is I did not even have to say my name they knew me from site after almost 15 years. For me that was the best gift they could have given me.

Rafa always trying on everyones sunglasses.

Beni's Pialla

Another meal we had at Beni's....They would not let me pay so I started working there for them. I did dishes, cleaned off tables and other tasks. Unfortunatly I got fired after I broke a shot glass :>)

We also tracked down one of Beni's sisters that I had worked with at her store. She was also very supprised to see us.

This is the only free standing Church we have in Norther Spain to my knowledge. If they have not built one that I don't know about. I do know it was the first north of Madrid. It sits in between a Monistary and a Seminary for the Catholic Church. I am told the Catholic church offered a lot of money to the church for that building lot.

Old part of Vitoria

As Ami and I walked around we found a celibration going on so we hung out ate cheese and Jamon Serano and watched the performances for a while.

A statue

Part of the original wall that protected the city back in the day.

Me with another statue.

Burgos

As promised here is a map of the trail of James we had been following. I figured as this was the last point (Burgos) that we stopped at on the trail that it would be a fitting place to put the map in. I never served in Burgos but saw the cathedral from the train a couple of times and I always wanted to see it. So as we drove from Leon to Vitoria we stopped in and it was worth it. It was by far the coolest Cathedral of all of them we saw.

This is a painting of el Cid, a champion of the area way back in the day.

I tried to get Ami to go confess but she would not do it.

This painting was done in 1492.

This painting was done by Leonardo da vinci in 1515

The gypsy market in Burgos

inside the cathedral. This was the only one I have ever been inside of that was actually light in side it.

Ami inside the Cathedral with her bag of gifts.

They pull this around with some kind of statue on top of it durring Semana Santa (holly week). It looked like it was solid silver.

This is a model of the Cathedral

A picture of the real thing

Leon

This is Leon. I served here for six months of my mission. The man I am sitting by is Juan Jose. He is a very good non-Mormon. He and I hit it off big time and have kept in contact with him for the past 14 years. We send letters to each other and he calls on occasion. It does not hurt that we both serve our countrys in the Military. Bottom line is he is a very good friend and I was able to supprise him by showing up on his door step. Unfortunately for both of us he was out of town. I left him a little note and told him where we were staying and we went back to the old part of town. That night at about 11pm we got a phone call and he was down stairs. We talked until late in the night but what a wonderful opportunity it was. Heavenly Father saw it fit that we get together one more time and found a way for us to meet up even if it was in the middle of the night.

They have built things like this all over the place in the city.

This was a shot from the loby of our hotel looking up.

I could not pass up putting this out there. No its not me but belive me I wish it was. We did watch him fish for a few minutes and from the bridge we were on we could see the fish in the river.