justine's visit

I haven't been taking very many pictures lately, but thanks to Justine you can see a few of HER pics from her short visit a few weeks ago. We had an amazing time taking in the sun and catching up on anything and everything

lately

sunny lunch on the terrace

rainbow one rainy spring evening

pesto and fresh mozzarella pizza

running with roberto down by the river

silly self portraits

beach days

petals on my morning walk to german class

spanish marriage papers signed and now we're ready (and excited!) to plan our actual wedding in the u.s. a few of my best friends surprised us and showed up at our mini ceremony

the school's reaction upon hearing roberto and i tying the knot

celebratory sushi. yes please

afternoon jogs with the dog in the country

I'll officially be back in the U.S. June 30th! :)

macarons

During Easter holidays I was able to relax and de-stress a little. I spent my free mornings doing a bit of yoga, reading or meeting with a friend for a little stroll in the sun. One morning I attempted to make macaroons. I've always thought they were so pretty and delicate. They turned out to be pretty time consuming and I should have used more food coloring to make them a bit more vibrant, but they were tasty nonetheless!

Over the holidays I read "Blindness" by Saramago (rough, dismal, disheartening) and then I read "Anne of Green Gables" (sunny, cheerful, comforting). Anne is no doubt a kindred spirit!

Asturias

Southern Spain is dazzling with its palm trees, sandy white villages and Moorish influence, but I was completely blown away by Asturias. This was my first visit to the far north of Spain. The spectacular green scenery, bagpipes, rocky coasts, apple cider and grazing cows and goats make you feel like you are in an entirely different country.  The Celtic influence in Asturias might have something to do with it.

We visited Oviedo, which is well know for being Woody Allen's favorite Spanish town.  We also visited the coastal towns of Ribadesella and Gijon where felt the fresh breeze of the Cantabrian sea on our faces as we sat near the water shielding ourselves off and on with our gigantic umbrella from indecisive rain drops. We spent one day visiting Picos de Europa and the two famous lakes in the mountains. The best day of all was the day we hiked the "Ruta del Cares"! We walked along an abysmal drop too afraid to get close and look down at the rapidly flower river below.  We stopped for a little picnic in a patch of grass to take in the view and that was where Roberto proposed! One of the best days of my life, yes indeed. It was a three hour hike through the mountains to a small town with only 80 inhabitants where we had a celebratory beer...and a slimy pork loin sandwich.

Here are a few pics from our trip! Maybe I went overboard taking pictures but Asturias is very photogenic and I couldn't believe the landscapes were real. I have bruises on my arms from all the times I pinched myself!

Picos de Europa

Ribadesella

Oviedo

Gijón

Ruta del Cares