¡Madrid!

¡¡Hello everyone!!

Hopefully everyone is doing well and enjoying the end of winter!  We've heard the weather has been getting better so that's very exciting.  Madrid is very warm, unseasonably warm in fact and we have been trying to get outside as often as possible as we have had about 3 full weeks of hot sunny days!

We have been busy working on a few different projects, the wedding has been the focus of most of our off time.  Finally setting a date!!  On August 4, 2012 we will be getting married in Detroit.  We have been working hard on getting all the things needed to secure our date with the different places and we have finally finished with the help of our parents!!  Believe it or not, paying a company from Europe with a Canadian or American account is quite a challenging process. We finally figured out the plans and should have more information soon!

Yesterday was a day off, so we started off the day the way we usually do...  We went walking.  Every Monday we start walking and end up somewhere random and cool.  Yesterday was no exception.  We started our walk in a direction we hadn't been in and immediately found a huge lookout over the park that the Cirque tent is in.  It was a pretty view and even better when we got on the Teleferico, a gondola that takes you from the lookout into the center of the park.  The park is called Casa del Campo and it is huge!!  We've walked it on two different weekends and still haven't seen a quarter of the park!

On the far side of the park is an amusement park and the zoo!  We spent about 6 hours in the zoo of course!!  We got to see a birds of prey show, which I usually hate to watch (they typically have the hawks and eagles we see daily at home...) but this one was a European birds of prey show.  They had eagles and kites, vultures, condors and a few african species as well.  Very cool!!

We also saw the baby panda and baby gorilla that this zoo advertises so much for.  The baby gorilla was very cute, and was right against the viewing window so we could see him very close.  The baby panda put on a little climbing "show" for us too.  He was attempting to climb up a tree in the habitat, but was doing it rather slowly which made it even funnier!

After the babies, we went and saw the dolphin show.  It was very good for a zoo!  They had explanations during the show of their habitat, diets, behaviours, etc, and it was more of an educational lesson rather than a full on show...  But of course they had some cool tricks too!  One dolphin did a double-front flip, on corkscrewed out of the water and twisted about 6 times!!  Their trainer did a couple dives off them as well.  It's fun to watch performances, especially ones that are different that the one we see and do every day!! Alex wants to be  dolphin trainer now... Can we get a work visa for that??

We are getting very excited now!!!  In only 2 days (Aaron's) Dad and Deb  will will be on their way here!  They are coming for the Easter weekend and staying until Tuesday.  They are going to see the show, experience backstage and tour Madrid a bit too!  There's so much to see in this city so I doubt we'll see it all, but we'll certainly have lots to show them.  They are even able to stay for the Monday, which is a day off!   It's amazing how much we miss home, and it's evident when home comes to see us.  So excited!!


We are looking into getting a personal internet connection (USB or Modem) because our internet at the hotel is very slow and we are barely able to skype home.  Currently we are at Starbucks typing this, as the maids clean our room... Hopefully we can get a better connection soon and post more often!

Miss you all!!
'Til next time.. 
Aa and Alex

Please also keep our grandparents in your prayers.  Especially Grandpa Stan, Papa Jack and Papa.