Sunny September

The two Septembers I have spent in Spain have been oh so sunny and filled with everyone wearing shorts and skirts in a weird mixed up "why is it hot now and not in July-how long can I really pull off wearing my sandals?" way. My dreams of boots, scarves and red lips have been on hold...it's been too hot. But I bought Conde Nast Traveler magazine on Friday and have been enviously dreaming about other things all weekend:

Rome-Diego and my next big destination. He's never been, I can't wait to go back with him and eat pizzas, pastas, and gelatos next to ageless statues on stoney streets.

Wine Routes in Spain-One of many routes featured, here in Galicia white wines are king- following the trail of Albariños and Ribiero. A perfect weekend trip driving through the autumnal country side, stopping at wineries, smelling the vines, and spending the night at a rural inn.

Barcelona- Another place Diego's never been. It's so close-one of my good friends lives there-and there is pan con tomate, amazing markets, and Gaudi. I think it deserves an annual trip.

Finally, I can't stop thinking of Santorini. We loved it soo much on our honeymoon. The greek isles are so amazing, blue, friendly, delicious. We'd buy a little place on Perissa beach like Ntomatini, a wonderful organic restaurant we discovered owned by a bicultural couple-he's greek, she's American- who packed up and moved to paradise to open their cute and seriously delicious restaurant. But while we keep dreaming I'm on the search to find the scent Santorini (bergamot, verbena, vetyver, rosewood, sandalwood and cardamom) by Antica Farmacista for the house.

Red Lips

I'm jumping on the everyday red lip bandwagon this fall. I don't really do red nails, but there is something about red lips that seems so perfect with nerdy glasses, big knits, boots, and falling leaves. Don't you think?

four eyes are better than two

Not only does fall bring about visions of university learning and apple pie and falling leaves it also means school shopping and in my case new glasses! As a kid the insurance covered a new pair once a year-mostly because my perscription always changed a bit-and around fall my mom and I and sometimes my bestest would head to the optical center and start the hunt for the perfect pair. Usually this was at least an hour of taking them on, taking them off, changing the color, changing the shape, or as is the case of my 16 year old glasses, going through the sunglasses in order to find the perfect pair of heavy plastic frames to make regular prescrition glasses. Much to my enjoyment, these heavy plastic frames are now the epitomy of fashion and chic...and since the leaves are starting to fall, apples are being baked, and Sunday meals have transitions from paella to cocido...it's time to have a look at the possibilities. I'm loving the idea of tortoise shell, slightly rayban wayfarer/1980's cool/sexy librarian shapes inspired by these pretty ladies I found on the sartorialist, female creature and trendycrew. What do you think?

or, what about a pair of clear frames by Prada?

Higher learning

Diego's been coming home from work every night super excited about literature lectures he's been listening to in English while he's working. He showed me the link this weekend and I have to say I'm pretty excited to have the chance to listen in on a Yale literature course on American Literature. I may not be able to afford with time or money taking a course at Yale, but now I can listen in whilst busy doing something else around the house and get inspired.


I've also enrolled in a distance translation course. I'm excited to get started...waiting for the reading material to arrive.


One year without academics was too much time away. Time to get back into it.


Check out the Yale YouTube page here and check out the literature or other lecture topics you might be interested in.

Black and white.

Time to really finish getting the wedding prints done. This is my favorite shot of us now. mmmm....I love it.

Sleepy

I love the feel of this. A little sloppy, but so sleepable. And I love the purples and textured white on white.

Muxia, Galicia

We spent one of the last weekends of the summer being tourists in a little town called Muxia in the heart of the Costa da Morta in Galicia. After a drive of about 45 minutes from Santiago, through green hills and past stone houses with orange tiled techos, we arrived the rocky windy coast lined one side with energy creating windmills and on the other with famous rocks and a tiny little church (one of my favorite things about Spain is their acceptance and use of alternative energy sources, and while some might say the giant windmills you can see off the coast distracts from the natural beauty, it makes me feel a little better about the future when I see them.) It was a beautiful day, no clouds, just quite a bit of wind-normal on the this coast of Spain. While our plan to spend the afternoon was foiled with the strong winds (not affecting the beach day of the people who live in the area) we were able to explore the rocks and chuch, and see a tpical Galician wedding as the novios were welcomed out of the church with seriuosly pounds of beans and rice being thrown at them. Here's a little peek at a stop you should make if you ever come to the Costa da Morte.

Inside the little church, replicas of important ships that have left from this port on the Atlantic coast. The chuch in the back ground, and some lovely bits of the coast. Muxia has a long history, and this site in particular has spritual significance since the pagan cultures that inhabited these lands before Christianity arrived. In the Christian world the church is the home of the legend that after seeing a vision of the virgin, St. James was released from his mission and from here set sail back home. Rocky coast. This rock is supposed to be a test of your innocence. If it balances you are innocent. If it doesn't stay balanced...well...Another important pagan rock, this one supposedly cures illnesses if you pass under it nine times. It's a tight squeeze. The novios and thier photo crew, post beans and rice toss.

Yeeeeer out!

I just caught the news about Republican congressman Wilson yelling out during president Obama's speech on Wednesday. I showed the video to Diego and he started laughing, saying that happens all the time here in Spain. It's not hard to believe seeing that debating, arguing, challenging, tertulias are the national pasttime here. But there was one case in particular that stands out in the Spanish governments recent past beween a diputado of the socialist PSOE(US-equivalent-Democratic) party and another of the Partido Popular PP (US equivalent-Republican). While in session deciding details of a certain bill, the PP representative started calling out negative comments toward the Socialist representative who was at the microphone-and was the 3rd most inportant man in the power raking of Spain at the time following only the king and president. As you'll see in the video, there is a three strikes your out rule in these situations in the Spanish parliament. The PP rep is given three warnings, and refuses to leave, the whole place is up in arms, the PSOE rep gets the book of rules out and starts reading the rules, people protest even going to the stand to try to ask him to stop, but in the end the PP rep has to abandon the room for his misbehavior. He is accompanied by applause from his classmates on the way out.

tomayto. tomahto.

The agelong debate fruit or vegetable? I don't care, I'll eat it either way- I love me some tomato. But I had tomato jam on a delicious tuna tapa this summer-and was sold. At first bite I couldn't figure it out..it was sweet, gingery, and very familiar. After we figured it out we returned to the bar to have the same tapa a few more times. Now our plan for next summer-buy a tomato plant. Check out another Bittman video and the recipe here, or google tomato jam to find many more options. Enjoy!

Medieval Revisited

The Feira Franca in Pontevedra was dedicated to Galician poems this year. We only met up with one guy who was passing around poems, but the streets were packed with people dressed up as medieval folk from the richest to the poorest and even some Moors-medieval Spain was greatly influenced by the moors, especially in Andalucia in the south. Last year I borrowed a friends costume, but this year I was on my own. Back in my high schools days I bought a gothic inspired dress, from where else but Hot Topic, I decided to bring it over for the party...and well...how did I look? A little more roman, renaissance, hippie...but whatever. We had fun, and thats what really counts.

Figos=Higos=Figs!

We spent last weekend in Diego's hometown. They have an old very traditional house with a few levels-the bottom level still untouched with stables and areas for the animals (no animals now)- the kitchen with a woodburning stove-and the main level with a very old grandfather clock and stone windows with wooden shutters, simple and so lovely. We went to celebrate the yearly party which meant a very big dinner on Sunday afternoon (we were at the table for four hours with plate after plate of seafood, meat, and desserts). But earlier, on Sunday morning Diego and I explored the huerta- the orchards and farmland of the family. We packed a bags of homegrown potatoes and onions fresh from the ground, ate plums straight off the trees, and much to my surprise checked on the kiwi plants(!) and the fig tree(!). I knew about other fruits, potatoes, onions and hydrangea bushes, but the fig tree was a happy surprise and I'm eager to go back soon when the figs are ready to try more than one mouthwatering recipe I've seen on design*sponge and Bitten latley!

P.S.

Check out the blog A Cup of Jo if you are married or not. Jo-the blog's namesake-just got married and while on her honeymoon (to Santorini-excellent choice!) has asked married friends to leave advice/secrets about how to have a happy marriage. Beautiful.

Mmmmmm.

There is no food I love more than arepas. As a kids I loved the day when my mom would surprise us with an oven full of arepas, the smell, the crunch, the thump to check if they were ready, the diablito (deviled ham) and melted cheese inside, and the cold glass of chocolate milk to wash it all down was...still is...paradise. I've started to make them here in Spain too, Diego loves them almost as much as me. So, I was surprised to see this the other day care of Mark Bittman, whom I came to love thanks to Spain-On the Road Again, making arepas. He makes a very different version of an arepa-thats not really close to the original and makes me wonder if he ever had a real arepa-but his recipe still looks like something I'm going to have to try soon. As for Hugo Chavez...not a fan. As for the book The Open Veins of Latin America I read it in grad school and it is definately a good read if you want a more recent history of Latin America. Enjoy the video and try Bittman's arepas or the traditional arepas found here and in Venezuela.

Medieval

The Feira Franca in Pontevedra is just around the corner...time to start looking into my costume. Last year I borrowed a friend's peasant get-up. This year I'm on my own and looking for inspiration. Diego is the crusader...I'll be the lady in waiting. Updates to come.

English anyone?

I wish I had more English speaking friends out here...I seriously have sooo many wonderful people calling me and looking for private classes-and I don't think I can take them all in. Maybe I should start my own school??