Travels with Heart: We are off!
- Annie Bowler
- Aug 1
- 6 min read
By Annie Bowler, August 1, 2026 Volume 36
John and I set off to Spain and Portugal in Early July, for what may be one of the most memorable trips of our lifetimes. Read on to learn more….
We landed in Madrid but headed just a short train ride away to Toledo. Toledo is a fascinating city, with historically over 100 Muslim, Jewish, and Christian churches. Today it’s a warm and welcoming city, that’s ancient yet modern, and downright beautiful! It was amazing to explore a city with so much history.
But the best of all, was that we shared this adventure with some of our family including our oldest Jocean, and his wife Ayu and 2 of their kids, (who are not small anymore!) Howi and Alma, as well as our youngest son, Jacob and his fiancé, Fatima.
Holy Toledo! I never knew the origins of that phrase, but now I think I understand…. Old Toledo has more churches, synagogues, and mosques than I’ve ever seen in a small area. Toledo’s religious history runs long and deep. Now most are museums packed with amazing art, sculpture, and other pieces of antiquity.
Construction of Toledo’s main Catholic Cathedral began 800 years ago but it wasn’t complete for 200 years! This cathedral has an amazing number of smaller rooms filled with absolute beautiful art. Beyond the places of worship that are now mostly museums, it was fascinating to walk the hilly streets of Toledo. I absolutely want to come back here but in a cooler time of year. Phew!
Below is just a sampling what we saw.
During our time in Toledo, there were the last of the quarter final Football World Cup matches, including Norway’s loss to England. Our family have long been soccer fans; John coached soccer for 25 years; he coached all our kids, and he was the head Del Oro soccer coach for ten years. We’ve attended numerous World Cup Football matches, including the exciting US Women’s team’s win in 1998.
Being a rather international group, during the World Cup, our family roots for our many “home” teams, including Columbia, South Korea, and of course, the USA. But somehow Norway became my favorite this year, both because my mom’s family came from Norway but also because of the Norwegian’s inspiring sportsmanship both on and off the field. Our whole crew gathered at odd hours to watch the last of the quarter final game, when Norway was eliminated by England. Norway may have lost on the field, but they won the hearts of many around the world!
The Norwegian Football team was greeted warmly by thousands in Oslo, despite their loss
I loved Toledo’s narrow streets that can’t be widened and many the well-worn doors that countless numbers have walked through. I loved the spires that inject nobility into most views but mostly, I loved hanging out with my people in your warm, wonderful city. We’ll be back! It was time for the main act in Madrid….
We couldn’t have been more pleased to gather with family and friends in Madrid, for the wedding of our dear niece, Meghan Martin, to Miguel Vega, who is a native of this fabulous city.
The celebrations began with a bang!
We attended an amazing flamingo performance and then went quickly to Meghan and Miguel’s apartment to watch the World Cup Semifinal Football match, where Spain beat England 3-0. At the closing whistle, the cheers from the apartment and across Madrid were something to behold. Spain made the World Cup final for the first time in many years. It was an amazing start to this very special week!!
(Photos from this section of Facebook)
The next night, family and close friends of Meghan and Miguel were truly lucky to have a private tour the Museo Nacional del Prado, Spain's premier national art museum, which is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art from the 12th to the early 19th century. It was very interesting to learn about a few of the museum’s pieces of art from our very knowledgeable guide. After the tour, we enjoyed a delicious dinner surrounded by the museum’s ancient sculptures. It was a night we will always savor!
The Spanish normally have dinner no earlier than 9:30 pm; they take siestas in the afternoon resting up so they can stay up far into the night. The streets are busy at 12:00am and later with people talking in cafes or strolling the streets. This custom confused me; I didn’t understand how they get work done with this schedule but as a visitor, it was fun to see so much happy socializing! America could certainly use more of this kind of fun!
Megan and Miguel planned gatherings during the week leading up to their wedding so that their families and friends could get to know one another, hoping to make us all feel like one big family. By mid-week, their plan was working brilliantly:)
On Thursday, Meghan’s family and close girlfriends enjoyed massages and then a lovely lunch together.
On Thursday evening, many Spaniards joined the fun. We gathered at a grungy, hip nightclub with loud music that was perfect for socializing. More of my large Martin family had arrived by then, so it was great fun to catch up with each of them and meet Miguel’s friends as well.
To make the evening even sweeter, Jake, Fatima, and I walked back to our hotel passed by the hostel where they first met four years ago. Madrid is a very special city for this special couple as well!
On Friday, I finally had a chance to wander Madrid’s streets alone, a bit of quiet is always a good thing! I made some fun discoveries, including:
- A huge, three story bookstore which has been in the same location for more than 120 years that specializes in mountain climbing; it sells climbing books, maps and even climbing shoes. A staff member, who is a climber herself, told me it’s the only such bookstore in the world!
- A sweet small art shop that features carefully curated Spain-made art. The friendly owner, who designs the shops beautiful clothing, has an amazing eye of design.
- I wandered a beautiful, manicured park with huge shade trees.
I joined John, Jake, Fatima, and Jocean for lunch then Jocean and I went to the Reina Sophia Museum which features the work of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and many other fine artists. It was an amazing treat to see so much groundbreaking artwork in person!
With such a busy day, John and I were late to Meghan and Miguel's last pre-wedding gathering, held at the rooftop bar where had their first date. More family and friends arrived so the venue was packed! M&M welcomed everyone in both Spanish and English, which brought tears to many eyes. We missed dinner so John and I had a 1:00 am meal at a lovely restaurant. Who eats dinner at 1:00? I guess we do:) Perhaps we are becoming Spanish?
The wedding day was so special; it moved intentionally slow so that each part could be savored and enjoyed by all, which I have learned in the Spanish way. I didn’t take many photos because I was living each moment fully.
My brother Tom is smiling from above seeing his daughter , Meghan, beaming with happiness and knowing she has found a wonderful life partner. I am grateful to Chris Hulburd, for being such a good father to Meghan and of course, to my sister-in -law, Noreen Martin for being such a wonderful mom.
You can read Meghan and Miguel’s very romantic story in one of the photos, which was read by the officiant in both Spanish and English to begin the ceremony. Their love moved us all.
And if this amazing wedding wasn’t enough, on Sunday, Madrid’s streets were electric in anticipation of Spain’s World Cup final!
Being in Madrid on the night Spain won the World Cup was an experience of a lifetime! Sharing this with family and friends, made it even better! The fact that Spain won, was too good to be true. Thousands of fans poured onto the street to cheer for their team. It was a surreal experience. Carols’ sweet dad led all of us “gringos” toward the city center; he made sure that we were just close enough to see the action.
Our trip was far from over, but I think I may have worn all of you out. I’ll save the rest of our adventures for next month’s blog. I will just say that these weeks are one’s I will savor for the rest of my life. Ciao!
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