Closing Thoughts

What a year. This trip has been an absolutely incredible adventure that none of us will ever forget. We became true believers in the old adage that “Travel isn’t about the destination”. It’s about the journey and living outside your comfort zone. It’s about learning new cultures and meeting new people. And it’s about living life to the fullest and spending quality time with your family. We questioned how much the kids would really remember when it was all said and done, but when you least expect it they hit you with an obscure fact from the trip even Angie and I had forgotten.

 
Before we left we found a quote by travel writer Rick Steves, who talked about traveling with his own children. It read, “Living on the road, far from their favorite TV shows and neighborhood friends, broadened their outlook. Now, back at school, when they spin the globe, it’s clear; the size of your backyard is up to you.”

We’re so glad we took the plunge and made it happen. Now the challenge is figuring out what we want to take away from it all. Of course we’ll have our mementos, like photographs and souvenirs, but it’s about more than that. Along the way we developed a deeper desire to continue traveling, thus opening the kids' eyes (and ours) to many more new cultures and experiences. Whether or not we can manage to go again this year, next year, or the year after, is one of the questions we now have to figure out. Whether or not we go back as tourists or residents is another question to explore.

 

We have a lot to consider and will look hard at what would be best for the whole family. For the moment though we’re unwinding in Florida, a sort of reunion that includes all of our immediate relatives and their families. After that we head back to Rock Island, Illinois where we’ll enroll the kids in school for at least the rest of the school year. And while they’re doing their homework, Angie and I will be doing ours.

Here's a little list we put together as we waited for our final flight home. 

Favorite Cities...

Bret - Vernazza, Italy / Salzburg, Austria / Rovinj, Croatia

Angie - Florence, Italy / Salzburg, Austria / Rome, Italy

Cole - Castelrotto, Italy (Dolomites) / Monteleone, Italy (Umbria) / Rovinj, Croatia

Mia - Montelopio, Italy (Tuscany) / Rovinj, Croatia / Rome, Italy

Ella - Montelopio, Italy (Tuscany) / Tangier, Morocco / Monteleone, Italy (Umbria)

Top Sights...

Bret - Calcio in Florence & Exploring Mostar (Bosnia)

Angie - Cooking in Chianti & Mosaic-Making in Venice

Cole - Gardaland & Playmobil

Mia - Gardaland & Playmobil

Ella - Playmobil & the Monteriggioni Medieval Festival

Favorite Churches to Visit...

Bret - Assisi & Siracusa

Angie - Florence & The Vatican

Cole - Florence & Milan

Mia - Florence & Bacelona (Sagrada Familia)

Ella - Pisa & Florence

Favorite Apartment...

Bret - Korcula, Croatia

Angie - Monteleone, Italy (Farm stay in Umbria)

Cole - Malcesine, Italy

Mia - Montelopio, Italy (Farm stay in Tuscany)

Ella - Monteleone, Italy (Farm stay in Umbria)

Favorite Apartment Terrace and/or View...

Bret - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Angie - Praiano, Italy (Amalfi Coast)

Cole - Castelrotto, Italy (Dolomites)

Mia - Korcula, Croatia

Ella - Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Thanks again to everyone who took this journey with us, we really enjoyed all your encouragement and emails along the way. And stay tuned, it may be a few months, but we promise to update you as soon as we figure out what to do (or where to go) next.

- The 5 Passports

   Bret, Angie, Cole, Mia, & Ella

Miles and Miles

We’ve put on a ton of miles over the last several months. Our new lifestyle required a lot of walking, and while we got resistance some of the time, overall the troops did excellent. I thought I would share a couple of photos assembled from our many treks. You’ll see the reoccurring theme of Ella either on my shoulders or worn out to the point of exhaustion. Bless their hearts for hanging in there and catching mom and dad’s enthusiasm to keep exploring.

Madrid

It seems like we first arrived in England just yesterday, but here we are at our last European stop. After a long lunch in Zaragoza we pulled into Madrid around dinnertime. Following a good night's sleep, we woke up the next morning to falling snow! Although a bit chilly out, the snow made for a beautiful setting around town. For our first day of exploring we took a high-speed train to the nearby former Spanish capital of Toledo. Always playing a vital role in Spain's history, today the entire city has been declared a national monument. While we had no white stuff during our visit to Toledo, the flurries continued back in Madrid. We later learned that the 3 inches of accumulation in the city center was the most since 2001. The highways were a mess and the international airport was closed, but downtown the locals were having a ball.

We started day two at Spain's Royal Palace, the largest of its kind in Western Europe with over 2,800 rooms. The kids' first question was how many of those 2,800 rooms we had to walk through. Luckily for them only a few dozen of the most spectacular are open to the public. Afterwards we tasted some local specialties, meandered through the markets, and explored the Prado (one of the world's top art stops) and Renia Sofia (home to Picasso's Guernica) museums. Unfortunately the Christmas lights were already done for the year, but there were still plenty of great sights. Full of huge parks, numerous public squares and elegant palaces, Madrid has a lot to offer.

For our last night in Europe we decided to have a quiet family dinner at the neighborhood tapas bar. As we sat and reminisced about all we had seen and done, a table of older ladies nearby started chatting with us in Spanish. As we exchanged pleasantries and tried to understand each other, they were busy making paper animals out of napkins for the kids. Madrid was a fitting end to all the beautiful places and interesting people we have met on this extraordinary journey.

Zaragoza Cathedral
Zaragoza is home to the popular Spanish painter, Francisco Goya.
An early morning snow outside the train station.
Toledo is well-known for its sword-makers. At this shop the local craftsman walked us through each step of the process.

Another one of Spain's great artists is Diego Velazquez, whose snow-covered statue sits in front of the Prado.
Ella's always up for a stop at the local bakery! (I don't mind either.)
Isn't this sweet? This gentleman was playing in the subway while his wife held the sheet music for him.
Plaza Mayor.

Here are two of Madrid's fine street artists.  You have to love a plump Spider-Man...
...or a lady decorated as a fruit stand.
Bears, who once roamed the royal hunting grounds just outside the city, are one of the symbols of Madrid.
The Royal Palace.
One of the main entries inside the palace. 
Many years ago when a king got dressed it was a sort of public affair. In this, the royal dressing room, numerous friends and employees would assemble as the king pulled on his leotards and adjusted his wig. 

I just thought this was an interesting building, covered with several shades of green vegetation.


One of Madrid's main squares is Puerto del Sol. Marked with "kilometer zero", it is the official center of Spain.
The Three Stooges.
These "Bull" billboards appear all over in rural Spain.

Barcelona

For me, Barcelona is a hard city to describe. There’s plenty to keep you busy, but at the same time, I found that it doesn’t have near the historical monuments as its European neighbors. Its biggest asset is its location on the sea, although this time of year that doesn’t really matter. Another thing that I didn’t realize is that in Barcelona you’re in Catalunya, not Spain. This region has its own language, history, and culture, and is often at odds with the central Spanish government. Today the Catalan region includes the northeast coast of Spain (from France to Valencia including the Balearic Islands), a small part of southern France, the small country of Andorra, and even the city of Alghero, Italy. Catalan is taught in schools as the first language and businesses are required by law to display all information (e.g. menus, posters) in Catalan before any other language (even Spanish).

The best place in town to ramble is Los Ramblas. This one-mile grand boulevard is full of life. In Italy the street performers all stand like statues in their silver and gold costumes. Here they take on a whole new art form and it looks like Halloween. Another favorite for the kids is the numerous pet kiosks along the boulevard. You can find turtles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, fish, and even chipmunks. You can also find numerous flower stores, a great fresh food market, and lots of shopping. Other sights we found around town include the Picasso, Dali and Maritime museums along with several Antonio Gaudi masterpieces.

Above: Looking across the rooftops from our apartment to the Church of Santa Maria del Mar.
Below: Barcelona's own Arc de Triomf.
These geese take up residence at the Cathedral of Barcelona. For several centuries, geese have been used in the gardens to alert the monks of any commotion on the grounds.
Instead of bullfighting and Flamenco dance, Catalunya is home to traditions such as the Sardana dance.
Although not as cute as the monkeys from Gibraltar, this ape was one of the street artists along the Ramblas. 
One of the most photographed landmarks in Barcelona is the Agbar Tower. Built just over 3 years ago, it offers 4,500 LED devices to produce its nocturnal illumination.
It was in Barcelona that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel welcomed back Christopher Columbus from his first trip to America. This prominent monument commemorates the day.
The next two shots are from the Barcelona Maritime Museum.

Our apartment was on the roof of an old building downtown, and while the roof offers great views, "old" translates to no lifts. Our hike up the stairs was like climbing a bell tower. Here the Theisens descend on the way back to their apartment.
The Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction since 1882, is one of Antoni Gaudi's most famous works. Still funded by private donations, it is scheduled for completion in 2026.
Here's another funky building by Antonio Gaudi.
Almost everyone knows the Christmas Carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, but few know what it’s about. In America we celebrate Christmas on one day each year, December 25th. In many European countries however, December 25th is the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas. In the roots of Christian history December 25th commemorates the birth of Christ, and twelve days later comes the celebration of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts. In countries that celebrate this tradition, people give smaller gifts each of the twelve days of Christmas, with the final (and “best”) gift presented on January 6th, the day of the Epiphany. Spain celebrates this holiday and hosts numerous parades in celebration of the coming of the Three Wise Men (aka The Three Kings). In Barcelona they arrive by boat into the harbor on the evening of the 5th. They then join a huge parade through town, throwing candy and collecting letters from all the boys and girls. While Santa brings a small gift on the first day of Christmas, it’s the kings that Spanish children eagerly await. Before going to sleep on the 5th, children put out milk and biscuits for the kings and some water for their camels. They also leave out their best pair of shoes to be filled with presents. (The climate is too warm for stockings.)

Here are some of the kings' helpers, organizing all the incoming letters from the kids.
Los Tres Reyes (The Three Kings) parade had a very Arabic and African feel which you can see.




One of our last stops was the Barcelona Chocolate Museum, where the kids had fun both tasting and making their own creations.
The chocolate museum makes a thick glass of hot chocolate.
Thanks again to the Theisens for joining us. Tomorrow they head back to Minnesota.