Madrid, Spain

Q:  What is it?
A:  It is a yellow submarine!!!  We flew out of Liverpool, home of the Beatles!  Get it?
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President and Sister Sitterud are our counterparts in Madrid.   We spend 24 hours with them and stayed overnight in the Spain MTC.  They are delightful people and it was fun to compare notes.

They were kind enough to take us around Madrid and show us the sights.

Madrid is in the center of Spain and all major roads to the major cities meet at one central square in Madrid.  From this point you span out like the spokes in a wheel......

Madrid is a beautiful city with spectacular architecture including this cathedral.

Our night on the town included dinner and Flaminco Dancing.  It was amazing.  Looked like a strenuous cross of Celtic, clogging, and Irish dancing with the added addition of castinets and footwork that was a test of endurance!

The Madrid Temple is a true piece of art.  It is spectacular in every way, both inside and out.

This lattice marble work runs throughout the temple.  We were told that the architects found this design in an ancient Spanish tapestry and it symbolizes a never ending chain of life.  It is exquisite!

This is known as Solomon's Seal.  A temple worker shared this story:  When he was 7 years old and not a member of the church, his uncle taught him how to draw this design.  All of his life he doodled and would play around with this fancy little design.  After joining the church he was assigned to act as one of the architects for the temple.  When he saw this design he recoginzed it as the one he had been drawing all his life.  He was stunned and asked a designer what it was.
 It was then that he learned that it was Solomon's Seal. 

This olive tree is on the temple grounds and is 400 years old.  It was transplanted to this location and  placed in a prominent area where it is well lit at night.

One of the great pleasures of the Mission President's Seminar is the association you have with the other wonderful couples who are currently serving in the Europe West Area.  This couple are the Nielsens from Las Vegas, currently serving in Poland.  They just happen to be good friends of Richard's sister and brother in law.  Small world.

and below are President and Sister Deere, Malaga Spain, Rick Walker's mission president.

Break time.

Madrid is full of plazas and artistic statues....this one of Neptune.

Street Art......you figure it out!

The palace is grand.......fit for a king (and queen).

St. Peter holding the "keys".  Little did he know.......these are men with "keys"

all good things must end.....departure day outside the hotel.

It was a wonderful seminar with a lot of instruction, a lot of inspiration, a lot of food, and a lot of great people.