It’s December. Should we stick it out in bitterly cold and wet Barcelona for the holiday season?
Yeah, we thought so, too!
Our couple of days at the pool were a very welcome change, indeed, but the warmth of our family in Florida was even nicer. Eight months had passed since many of them had seen Emily and I don’t need to remind you how much can/has changed over that period. So it was wonderful to watch everyone interact with our little princess-monster. Especially nice was watching Emily have quality time with GG, mom, Phil, Amy, dad, and Amanda – they were all so wonderful with her. And she with them. Five weeks later and Emily still talks about the things she did and the people she saw in Florida. And the dolphins. And the airplanes. And the cats.
The trip was split into family-fair thirds. The first leg had us staying with GG (great grandma) in North Miami Beach – the perfect meeting place for family to congregate. Mom came over, Amanda drove down from Tampa, Amy flew in from California, and we were even able to catch Aunt Ruthie and Cookie and Mike (from New York) before their romantic trip to Cuba. Family fun in the sun in and around the pool, from catered meal to catered meal, with eager babysitters on hand at all times was exactly what the doctor ordered. Emily was even able to spend an entire morning with mom and Phil at the Miami Seaquarium, further allowing her parents to recharge their waning batteries.
Next stop: Lutz! We drove up Alligator Alley to the Tampa area for a few days with dad and Amanda. They’re having a second story built atop the garage so, the next time we visit, my dad will have his own private bachelor penthouse (with unnecessarily luxurious bathroom) and we won’t have to force him to sleep on the living room floor while we unapologetically commandeer his bedroom. Oh, and then there was Killer. Finally, a house with a cat! Emily was in heaven from the word go. Jan’s allergies were not. Of equal animal-stokedness was our trip to the Lowry Park Zoo and the subsequent goat and llama petting (thanks for the passes, Amanda!). Only three nights at dad’s house. These whirlwind tours make me seriously consider buying a personal jet.
We hit the road and headed south for the final leg of our journey, stopping along the way in Sarasota for a quick informational tour of one of only two Waldorf schools in Florida (you never know!). The more I learn, the more I love this pedagogy. Seriously, emotionally and intellectually love it. OK, so we reach Hollywood and mom and Phil open their home and their lives to us for our final three days in the Sunshine State. Mom takes every opportunity to steal Emily away from us and we put up very little resistance. And Emily has a ball. Oh, and they have a cat, too.
All in all, a wonderful holiday. Not very relaxing given the fact that we are responsible for the well-being of an acrobatic two year old coupled with the whirlwind nature of the trip, but always nice to see family and Emily had a blast. I don’t know when we’ll be able to travel to the States again seeing as how we’ve got a new rug rat due for the end of February. That’s why it’s nice that so many people have already started planning trips to visit us this coming year! If you too would like a stay at the Barcelona Hotel Zamrycki, make sure to book with at least two months notice as reservations are limited. We’d love to have you!
Here is a wonderful slideshow of all the great photos taken on our trip. Or you can simply view them in their Flickr set. Enjoy!