Attack of the monkeys....

Thursday the kids went back to school and I took Kelly to see her friend Amiee to visit and meet her new baby.  What a wonderful morning meeting new friends and seeing a beautiful little baby boy.  After the kids came home, they played and hung around the house.

The fort- 

Friday- we all (minus Steve) took a trip to get attacked by the monkeys of Gibraltar.  Can you believe that after today, we have have been in 4 countries in 6 days; UK, Spain, Portugal, and now Gibraltar?!  How cool is that?!  What a week!

Gibraltar is beautiful- today the weather could not have been better.  We were able to see all of the southern coast of Spain and Morocco, Africa!!  Who knows- maybe a trip to Morocco is in my near future :)

We made our way up to the cable car to find that they closed early for the day due to their Christmas party so we made our way to a taxi cab that would take us to see the monkeys.  

On the bus to the cable car:

Our first stop was at the Pillars of Hercules- the view was stunning.

Next up- MONKEYS!
 Lili was in heaven... all she wanted to do was pet the monkeys and let them climb all over her.  She got more than she was expecting today... those monkeys LOVED her!!
My kiddos were not so friendly this time.  They really did not want the monkeys to climb all of them and Liam got more than he bargained for.  You are not supposed to touch the monkeys- they will come to you but try telling that to Liam.  The monkey pinched his arm and that scared the life out of him.  He then was standing next to a few other monkeys and they were not being mean but started playing with him and his hair but he was so afraid that he freaked out causing the monkey to pull his hair.  It was entertaining to say the least!

Our taxi driver!

The monkey was eating her hair!!

When the driver dropped us off, he gave each of the kids 10 pence-

We then stopped for some lunch.

Walking through the courtyard- a man was blowing bubbles... and the kids had to stop.

We then continued walking back to the boarder and noticed the glass shop was open.  It was great!!  The kids were able to watch the men in the back make glasses out of a little piece of glass while Kelly and I looked around the shop.  It was beautiful!!

Right before we started walking across the air strip, the gate started closing.... we were going to watch a plane come or go!!  How exciting.
The street was closed to oncoming traffic and we waited to see the plane leave.

Today was great!!  Although it did not go as planned and we did not get to take the cable car up the rock, we enjoyed the day we had with the views, weather, food, and company!! 

Three Kings Day

In Spain, Santa Claus does not traditionally visit homes, nor do the children expect to get anything for Christmas on Christmas day.  Instead, they celebrate Three Kings Day, 10 days after Christ was born.  Jesus did not receive any gifts until the wise men came to meet Him, the Spanish culture does not give their children gifts (or one another) until that day as well. 

Before Christmas break at school, the three kings came to the kids in their classes and gave them presents (candy).  They then went back inside each classroom and sang songs, took pictures, threw candy at the kids, collected the lists of what the children wanted, and went outside on the playground to get more candy. 

Aydin's class they went to take a picture but instead, the kings threw candy at the kids.

All of the kids collecting the candy.

Aydin and Dave (our friend)

Telling the king what he wanted

(Morgan and Dave)

Morgan and a King

Portugal!!

Today we went to Portugal!!  Kelly had told me that the only thing they really want to do when they arrive is to dip into Portugal since it is so close so we made it happen.
We had the opportunity to take a beautiful detoured drive through Spain on our way to Faro, Portugal where we walked around.  

The bridge going into Portugal

We first stopped and had lunch at this cafeteria/buffet style cafe.
The kids had their typical American food while Kelly and I tried a little bit of everything even though we had no clue what we were eating or trying.  Let me just say, I thought Spanish was difficult to understand.... Portuguese is worse!!
 

After lunch, we walked around the block looking for the Capella dos Ossos... a church made of human bones!!
 Kelly finally asked a lady in a nearby store and she told us it was the church we had parked next to.  So we walked to the church, walked inside it, down a hallway, to the back courtyard where there was a little room made out of nothing but bones!!!  Yes, it sounds a bit creepy and gross but it was nothing like that- it was truly amazing!!!

I think it is missing something.... I wonder if someone stole it?!

After the church, we walked to the waterfront, around a few shops and called it a day.  It was fantastic!!