Snowshoeing

Our neighbors took us out snowshoeing. Here we are in the glow of a 3:30pm sunset.

Noonday Sun

The noonday sun can't quite rise above the wings of the hibernating floatplanes at Lake Hood

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

Here in Anchorage the clouds broke just long enough to watch the moon disappear.

'Tis the Season

Earthquake: M 3.4 - Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

A little bump tonight as we were watching TV.

Top of the World

Alyeska Ski Resort has some breathtaking winter views. On this day the temperature was 15 degrees warmer at the top of the mountain than at the bottom. (15 at top, and 0 at bottom)

I WILL get the almond!

Thanksgiving Feast

And the feast is ready! Dinner for five, but leftovers for two weeks!

Thanksgiving Day

Today we are thankful we have a warm home on a beautiful snowy Alaskan winter day.

Love the Edges?

I love the edges of brownies, so Roger got me this awesome brownie pan for my birthday. Wow, it smells good in our kitchen!

First Snow!

Kirt's New Wheels

Happy Halloween!!

Visit from Mom!

It was great to see Mom here celebrating her 75th birthday!

Roger's New Wheels

Tapas! No. 3 of 3

Tortilla!

Tapas! No. 2 of 3

Albóndigas!

Tapas! No. 1 of 3

Ensaladilla Rusa!

Ah... Saturday Breakfast...

On a Clear Day

200 miles in the distance Denali shows her glory on this crisp fall day.

Earthquake: M 5.4 - Central Alaska

Magnitude: 5.4
Location: Central Alaska

Time: Sat, Sep 25, 2010 4:06:00 AM AKDT
GMT: Sat, Sep 25, 2010 12:06:00 GMT

Latitude: 62° 51' 54" N (62.8651°)
Longitude: 149° 30' 30" W (-149.5085°)
Depth: 52.5 mi

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=M%205.4%20-%20Central%20Alaska@62.865101,-149.508499&z=6

More Information: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/ak10086847.php

Data provided by US Geological Survey.

Fall in Anchorage

Back home to a beautiful Fall here in Alaska. Pleasantly surprised to see that there is no snow in the mountains yet!

Homeward bound

This is a photo of the display on the back of the seats on the British Airways flight from London to Seattle. 9.5 hours is a loooong flight.

Long travel day

Today we had breakfast in Spain, lunch in London, and dinner in Seattle. Heathrow airport had a great, although expensive spicy noodle dish.

Madrid Architecture

Almost time to say good-bye to Madrid. The last few evenings here the weather has been perfect for our evening walk.

Rehearsal Rooms

David gave us a tour of his work building. He is a professional singer in the National Choir of Spain.

National choir and orchestra of Spain

Unfortunately tonights performance was sold out, but we were able to attend the rehearsal performance. Tough to make him out in this photo, but our friend David is part of the choir.

Gran Via

The apartment we rented for our week in Madrid is just one block off this main thoroughfare, called Grand Via - and a five minute walk to the bustling square of Puerta del Sol.

Dining alfresco

Out for a walk to find dinner on a very pleasant night, as this morning's rain decreased the temperature a bit. Today is the first day we have worn long pants.

Churros Con Chocolate

We couldn't come to Madrid without stopping at the best and one of the oldest Chocolaterias in Spain.

Warning!

We close today with a Spanish translation lesson... For those of you not versed in the Spanish language, the little yellow warning label found on this Sandwich press in the Toledo train station says, "Warning, do not make a Panini out of your own hand." LOL

Plaza in Santa Cruz Museum

The patio of the museum has many carved stone fragments from the Roman and Visigothic cultures.

15th & 16th Century Tapestries

In the Museum de Santa Cruz there were some enormous ancient tapestries on display. How about having a room in your home big enough for this monster?

Through the streets of Toledo...

There are some extremely narrow streets in Toledo. We have been in some questionable situations with a car in Spain before, but you wouldn't want to get caught down this street with more than a pedal bike.

Catedral Santa Maria de Toledo

Roger pictured with a perspective of the main Cathedral in Toledo.

Don Quixote & Sancho Panza

These popular keepsakes are decorated with gold from Toledo and handcrafted by locals artists.

Artisan at work...

Finally got to see how this gold is applied. We have one of these plates at home that Kirt purchased in the late 1980's. (See next post for example of what we have at home)

Cheers Mate!

Having a bit of fun after a delicious lunch in Toledo!

Good Eats

Tacos de solomillo al roquefort, translated to English is: steak bits and potatoes in a blue cheese cream sauce. This is probably one of the most delicious meals we've had in Spain.

El entierro del Señor de Orgaz

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz is a painting by El Greco, a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. Widely considered among his finest works, it illustrates a popular local legend of his time that claims that two Saints descended from heaven to bury the Count by their own hands. It was impressive to see this in person in the town of Toledo where we spent the day.

Browsing

Browsing the open air market at Mercado San Miguel for some very fresh appetizers!

Mercado de San Miguel

Tonight our friend David took us the open air market where there was a myriad of delicious tapas y bebidas (appetizers and drinks).

Parking in Madrid

This photo isn't about the car, but the spaces between the cars. Madrileños are champion parallel parkers. It may take a couple of bumps, but this white car will manage to squeeze out.

Puerta del Sol

A very familiar and favorite place in Madrid. Last time we were here, it was very crowded with Holiday shoppers (Dec 2008).

Spain - High speed train (Ave) from Barcelona to Madrid

Ave

On the fast train (Ave) to Madrid.

Train to Madrid

We took the high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid. Top speed was 186 mph.

Flat mate

Not in our apartment, but these little fellows seemed to be all over the white walls of Sitges. This one greeted us in the hallway outside our apartment in Sitges.

Maricel Palace

These intricate sculptures abound on this palace constructed in 1910 by a North-American Millionaire, Charles Deering. The building is now used for congresses, meetings, international conventions, official acts, civil weddings, and other events.

Catalunya Day!

Turns out that today is Catalunya Day. There are many flags adorning the buildings and people celebrating the holiday in the streets. Another beautiful day of sun and 80 degrees.

Current Location

We are having some appetizers and a drink outside at a small street side cafe before heading down the street for something more substantial.