Many years ago there were railway lines throughout Catalunya. These lines were built in the 1890's and were heavily used throughout the region for nearly 100 years-- until the 1970's and 80's. In the early 90's the Catalan government decided to turn the unused railways into paths for cycling and running/walking. Genius. Now there are various trails that wind their way from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea. The old train depots have been revitalized and now hold restrooms, maps of the trails, water fountains, bicycle pumps, etc. It is such an amazing system and one of these days I want to ride the entire trail with the kids (with overnight stops along the way, of course). The trail goes through Girona, so we have the option of heading towards the coast or the mountains.
Last Sunday we decided to head towards the mountains. We wanted to make it to the old train depot in the town of Bescano, which is a little over 10km from our house.
Eston has been studying plants and trees at school, so he was keen to explain the bark on this particular tree. He knew the words in Catalan and had to translate them to English, which was fine with the exception of the word "bark." He could not remember this word in English, but he told me in Catalan and then I reminded him that the word was "bark."
The weather has been really lovely as of late--low 70's during the day, which is perfect in my book. The other day I rode up to the sanctuary on Els Angels. It is one of my favorite rides and things are so peaceful up here.
The holidays are around the corner and I am proud to say that I am done shopping for everyone. Honestly, I approached this Christmas a bit differently. Our kids have a lot and I think it is time for them to reflect on that and really think about what is needed and not needed. Eston made his list and I encouraged him to think about what things he needed versus what he wanted. Of course, Christmas is meant to be fun and a mix of needs and wants and I certainly don't want to shut him down completely. I just wanted him to consider what things were important. He came up with some solid needs--underwear, socks and pajamas. I am embarrassed to say he is in desperate need of all of these items. His wants: a black marker like mine (Sharpie), a few books, a new soccer ball, and art supplies. In years past I would fulfill these wishes and a few more, but this year I am keeping it a bit more basic. I bought him a few markers, more than a few books and plenty of art supplies. I am tired of having toys they don't play with, so we are keeping our favorites and getting rid of the things they no longer play with. Let me tell you, it feels so great to do this. We spend most of our time outside and when we are inside the kids just want to cook or do art projects. They do love puzzles and board games, but they rarely play with other toys. Aurelia loves her dollhouse (it was Eston's), but they have simple needs. I don't need to overdo it at Christmas simply because things look fun. They made a list for my parents with a few more "wants" but other than that, we are done. I encourage everyone to think about what they really need and want this holiday season, especially in light of recent world events.
My children love jumping off the stairs in our yard. They set up obstacles and have the best time. See?! We don't need more random stuff!
Happy Thanksgiving to those in the USA. It is a holiday that we pretty much forget about here. We talk about what we are grateful for on a weekly basis and the history of Thanksgiving is kind of a sham, so we skip the over eating and just enjoy a normal day. :-)
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