Madrid: An AI Summary of Our Trip

 

 Our full 34-page family journal detailing our trip is too long for a blog post!  And because shortening it the "old-school" way would take a lot of time, I asked AI to summarize it for me.  I was happy enough with the condensed AI version to share it here, slap in some photos, and call it good.

Sadly David had a limited amount of time off of work, so he flew home after our time together in Rome.  The kids and I continued our adventure in Spain with Grandma, Grandpa and our extended family from South Africa.  David will tell you that he enjoyed some peace and quiet at home for 5 weeks:-)

An AI Summary of our Trip, Part 2: Madrid.  Go here for Part 1 (Rome) or Part 3 (Shepherd's Rest).

The section details a family's travel experiences in Spain, including visits to Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, and various activities.

• The family traveled from Rome to Madrid and explored central Madrid, including Plaza del Sol and Plaza de San Miguel.  They enjoyed churros con chocolate, and had dinner at Taco Bell due to exhaustion; the next day included laundry, park play, and grocery shopping.

One of Catherine's highlights of the entire trip was the laundromat in Madrid.

 

My Dad & I were excited to FINALLY track down refrigerated (not shelf-stable) milk.

• Day trips included Segovia, where they saw a castle, cathedral, and Roman aqueducts, and Toledo, where the boys participated in a sword-making demo.

The ladies (minus Grandma) outside the Castle in Segovia.

 

And the Gentlemen also outside the Castle in Segovia.

Inside the Castle in Segovia

 

Inside the Castle Armory

 

Roman Aqueducts in Segovia

Music from the Cathedral in Segovia

 

Forging a sword in Toledo.

•  They visited the Royal Palace in Madrid, enjoyed gelato, and explored the Prado art museum, seeing famous artworks and visiting playgrounds.  The trip included memorable activities like sliding down a rubber hill and feeding birds outside the Prado museum.

Matthew outside the Prado (Art) Museum

Matthew at a playground in Madrid

Matthew's journal entry about this day in Madrid. 
We did little "official homeschool work" on the trip,
but the kids did write in their journals on most days.

 

• Some family members fell ill, affecting their plans, but others visited Europa Park and a large mall, seeing kids in costumes and dining at Fridays.

Appreciating the national obsession with ham. 
We tried a number of different types of ham on our trip!

 

• The family visited several attractions in Madrid, with top highlights being the Royal Palace, and biking in Retiro Park.

Old coins for sale in central Madrid.

 

Steph & I outside the Royal Palace

The audioguide tours were usually excellent,
including this one at the Royal Palace of Madrid.

 

The dining room in the Royal Palace of Madrid. 
Still used today when the Spanish
Monarchy hosts a party!

Timothy and a Stradivarius viola.

 

Matthew and a Stradivarius violin.

Joshua and a Stradivarius violin.

Catherine and a Stradivarius violin.

At the Lake in the middle of Retiro Park in Madrid.

Biking through Retiro Park in Madrid.

 

• The Madrid metro system was praised for being clean, efficient, and easy to navigate, making travel around the city convenient.

Waiting for our subway train to arrive.

I LOVED the Metro train system in Madrid!

 

• The family stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, which provided a good breakfast and had mostly Spanish guests.

Outside the Holiday Inn

Lots of games & time together!

• They struggled to find authentic Spanish food due to late dining hours but enjoyed churros with thick hot chocolate and Spanish tortillas from the grocery store.

Churros at San Gines in Madrid.