They Said Yes

Our cross country road trip was motivated by two people making a vow to be bound to one another by love and law. Ana, a remarkable friend of mine from Portugal, surprised shocked Daddy Cool and I last year when she handed  us an invitation to her wedding. ¿Eh, que? A little background on Ana is needed here.

It is my pleasure to have as a friend a woman who has a strong personality, a free spirit, and a beautiful smile that draws you in. She is a multi-talented individual with interests ranging from the academic (two masters and working on a PhD) to the super creative. Ana crochets, knits, and sews shoes and other wonderful items for little munchkins on Etsy. She is a hippie-chic lady and her now-husband-past-partner for the last 10 years from England have a Portuguese-English-Catalan daughter who is a mini-Ana. That's enough on Ana. What I wanted to underscore here is that Ana repeatedly told us, "I don't believe in marriage. I will never get married." No criticism here for changing your mind in favor of marriage. I had little wells in my eyes when they shared their experiences and love for each at the altar by sealing their bond with two yeses. The journey of life is seeing people transform positively from one belief to another. So that being said, Ana's wedding was very Ana. 

It was romantic, intimate, rustic, and most importantly, a very relaxed wedding ceremony and party in a small village called Perre, on the fringes of Viana do Castelo. I so regret not taking my DSLR camera to photograph the country and hippie essence of the wedding decor and grounds at Quinta Bento Novo. It felt very dreamy and tranquil, which is uncommon in weddings. I instead captured moments as best as I could with the foggy camera  lens on my phone--I think there was a smeared fingerprint on the lens . 

I wish Ana, Matt and Lily a lifelong journey of unmeasurable happiness and love. 

Felicitats Parella! 

Photo courtesy due to Marisa Henriques. Great shot of the couple, thank you!

Matt's mum knit these hearts.

Hay stacks covered in tulle for guests to sit on, have a chat and sip a cool drink.

This fluffy coffee filter party sphere was also crafted by Matt's ingenious mum.

Groom waiting for his bride to make her entrance. p.s. Matt said his vows in perfect Portuguese.

Lily, Ana, and Papa Fonseca.

We sang this song once the ceremony was over. 

Daddy Cool, Ana, and Noia. We didn't dress as guapos as we intended. We were waiting for a tow truck to come pick up our broken down car. Doesn't Ana look like she could be a forest goddess?

Me with guest Andrea Kumbalia, who came from far away to attend the wedding of our great friend Ana.

A most unforgettable casament i estiu!

Vitoria-Gasteiz

We finally arrived to Vitoria-Gasteiz in the early afternoon of our cross-country car trip. Vitoria is a scenic and contemporary city with so much civic and infrastructure order that you come to doubt if indeed you are in Spain. The city itself is not very big or cosmopolitan like Madrid or Barcelona, nor does it need to be. It has culture, excellent food, and good public transportation. There is plenty to see in one day with the added  bonus of low-cost-free tourism (e.i. young drunkards from abroad), pick pockets, or heavy traffic. 

If you are pressed for time you can easily visit the old and new part of the town in one day. Like many Spanish cities, it has a Plaza Mayor with restaurants and terraces to enjoy tapas and drinks. For me, the most pleasureable part of the day was eating huevos con chistorra and a few glasses of txakoli (a light, dry and slightly sparkling white wine) at a small tapas bar called Las 3 BBB. I tried for my very first time elvers, young eels, with scrambled eggs--which to my surprise I enjoyed. The city had an abandoned feel with the locals out of town on holidays for this month of August, but for travelers on the go, it was a welcomed sensation.

Adeu!!

p.s. to find out more about the murals go here.

Basque and Spanish

Mural on the side of a building. The city offers workshops on how to create murals.

Parque de la Florida

The Lehendakari lives here, a.k.a. the governor of the Basque Country.

I want to live here.

Plaza Mayor, Vitoria-Gasteiz

Typical windows in the northern part of Spain. Too cold to have balconies.

Part of the sign to Las 3 BBB tapas bar.

11th Century wall.

Portcullis 

Toro Osborne

I finally feel that I really am Patty in Spain. I am traveling to communities in Spain I have never visited. We are making our way to Porto by car and making overnight stops along the way. The first "national" landmark/symbol is this bull by the Osborne Brandy company. It stands on a crest of an arid hilltop and can be seen from the highway. It measures 45 feet high and is a lone black silhouette without lettering to prevent drivers from gawking at lettered advertisement. Catalonia had one, but it was removed by separatists.

The first bull was photographed off the AP-2 direction Zaragoza. There was another bull somewhere in the Basque Country, but I was too late in photographing it. I did see one more bull going through the Leon province off the A-6 highway. Approximately 91  bulls are scattered all over Spain and preserved as a symbol of Spanish identity, though obviously not everyone in Spain feels the same.

LEKU

Done! No more assignments on language acquisition, no more reports to write, no more waking up every weekend and turning on the computer early in the morning to get started on my writing. What a year it has been for me, working and attending school full-time.

But don't feel sorry for me because this noia got treated to a delectable meal at LEKU, a small  restaurant in Sants. Anyone passing by can easily miss this understated restaurant  and confuse it for a mediocre bar-restaurant. I can't begin to describe how DELICIOUS the food was. This restaurant is highly recommended for anyone wishing to eat delicious Basque cuisine. If you want to celebrate a special occasion or want to impress a first date, this is the place to dine.

The chef comes out  frequently to greet patrons delighting in his meals. The wait staff is very attentive and friendly. This is a you-must-go-there-and-eat-place. 

Adeu!!

Bikini--toasted bread in butter and foie gras. Heavenly.

Croquettes made from oxtail. Flavorsome.

Taglattelli and calamari with all i oli, zucchini slivers, and quince. Mouthwatering and creamy.

The waiter cutting this delicacy for us. Creamy and sensuous.  

Mar y Montaña--a dish with chicken and large shrimp. This is a Catalan signature dish as it symbolizes the chickens that grow on land and freshly caught shrimp from the Mediterranean sea.

Absolutely savory.

Steak and potatoes for my husband. Smokey.

Espuma de mojito. Silky.

Lightness.

Pineapple soup with loquat and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Fruity and fresh.

Jamaican coffee on the house. Robust.

p.s. You MUST make a reservation before hand.

LEKU

Address: Carrer de Joan Güell, 189, 08028 Barcelona

Phone:934 90 38 10

Les Olives

Yesterday my husband and I drove to Granollers to pick up our kitten we adopted from Vilanimal. Right across from the veterinarian's office was this specialty store that sells pickled olives prepared in different marinades. They were stuffed or pickled with spicy peppers, garlic, spices to compliment a range of Spanish palates. I have not seen a store like this in Barcelona, though I am sure there some. We bought spicy  marinated olives with peppers that the owner said were  slightly spicy. Ho! The olives were beyond spicy, they were fire burning hot! Imagine eating chili peppers and olives together. We enjoyed them despite the fiery flavor. We couldn't skip buying "boquerones en vinagre," which are anchovies in vinegar. They were delicious!!! We'll be back for more olives and other delicacies at Les Olives.

p.s. I never use the date option on my photos, but somehow after recharging the battery camera it went back to default settings.

Adeu!!

Pickled garlic.

Olives in pico mojón.

We purchased some of these fiery olives.

Staff here were very friendly.

Salted cod without fish bones at 26,95 € the kilo or with bone at 9,90€ the kilo.