The official wedding photos are here! If you'd like to check out the good work of our photographer Jonathan Ley, click the link below.
Family friend Ken Bunn also took some beautiful shots. Check them out:
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Castles in Spain
The Alahambra in Granada
A gorgeous palace built by the Moors and taken over by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand when the Christians defeated the final Moor stronghold. We stood in the room where Queen Isabella agreed to finance Columbus' journeys.
The Castle in Denia
This beautiful fortress had spectacular views of the coastline to watch for invaders.
Fortress in ? (I can't remember the name of this town.)
We climbed all the way to the top of the hill to see this castle on a hot hot day. By the time we got there, we saw it was closed, so we sat on the steps and took a nap.
We climbed all the way to the top of the hill to see this castle on a hot hot day. By the time we got there, we saw it was closed, so we sat on the steps and took a nap.
Random Castle
We saw this castle on our drive back toward Seville in the mountains. We decided to stop and check it out. Castles are so common place that there wasn't an entry fee, museum, opening times...we just wandered in. It was so fun to climb the turrets and feel like you were getting a sneak peak into another dimension.
Olives and Ham
Spain is obsessed with HAM! They eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and then for snack and dessert too. This was a typical scene...
I thought that this advertisement was hilarious. As if they weren't already intamately familiar with this meat product....
In addition to ham, Spaniards pop olives like they are candy. Case in point:
Olives in a vending machine conveniently located between the KitKats and the HoHos.
Olive orchards are everywhere in Spain (sandwiched between the almond orchards) and as self-proclaimed olive oil addicts, we decided to go on an olive oil tasting. It was so interesting to learn how it is made.
A 300 year old olive tree.
In the orchard we visited, the families were still using a 700 year old Moor irrigation system which fed the trees through a system of collecting spring water on the mountain, running it through small aquaducts and directing to the trees using gravity.
To harvest the olives, you must wait until the olives are very dark, then you place a net underneath the tree and hit the branches to make the olives fall.
Then the olives with their pits and stems are placed in the center of this mill. A mule was used to push the mill around and grind the olives into a thick paste.
The the paste was layered into mats and placed under this press. It looks like a seesaw with the mats on one side...
I thought that this advertisement was hilarious. As if they weren't already intamately familiar with this meat product....
In addition to ham, Spaniards pop olives like they are candy. Case in point:
Olives in a vending machine conveniently located between the KitKats and the HoHos.
Olive orchards are everywhere in Spain (sandwiched between the almond orchards) and as self-proclaimed olive oil addicts, we decided to go on an olive oil tasting. It was so interesting to learn how it is made.
A 300 year old olive tree.
In the orchard we visited, the families were still using a 700 year old Moor irrigation system which fed the trees through a system of collecting spring water on the mountain, running it through small aquaducts and directing to the trees using gravity.
To harvest the olives, you must wait until the olives are very dark, then you place a net underneath the tree and hit the branches to make the olives fall.
Then the olives with their pits and stems are placed in the center of this mill. A mule was used to push the mill around and grind the olives into a thick paste.
The the paste was layered into mats and placed under this press. It looks like a seesaw with the mats on one side...
And the operator on the other who would turn the screw thus putting more pressure on the mats and pressing the paste until liquid would drain from the paste into a vat underneath. The liquid would separate into olive oil on top and water on the bottom. This created the first cold press and is considered the highest quality of oil. This process was used until the early 20th century!
The Honeymoon in Spain
Seville
After 3 days of travel/rest, we finally made it to southern Spain. We began our honeymoon in Seville, famous for tapas, Moorish influence, and this beautiful old church (Third largest in Europe after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London).
Seville had several of the narrow alleys with cobblestone streets that are famous throughout Europe.
We enjoyed an espresso daily often at the counter because it costs less at the counter standing up than it does sitting down at a table.
Our first hotel had this huge balcony which we liked to sit on and listen to the bells of the cathedral.
On the Road
We rented a car and headed East from Seville toward the coastal town Denia.
View from the road. It was a beautiful drive through the Sierra Nevada mountains.
We stopped for a picnic.
Denia
Denia has a beautiful castle pearched on a hill overlooking the ocean. It just so happened that we arrived when the town was celebrating a festival to honor the battles between the Moors and the Christians. All weekend long there were parades, bands, and people in costume reenacting the battles.
Granada
Our next major stop was Granada which means Pomegranate in Spanish. Granada has a fun artsy vibe and lots of young people. It also has a huge Moroccan quarter which was fun to explore.
Pueblos Blancos
On our drive back to Seville we explored some of the white rural hill towns. This one is called Ronda and it's deep gorge was breathtaking.
After 3 days of travel/rest, we finally made it to southern Spain. We began our honeymoon in Seville, famous for tapas, Moorish influence, and this beautiful old church (Third largest in Europe after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London).
Seville had several of the narrow alleys with cobblestone streets that are famous throughout Europe.
We enjoyed an espresso daily often at the counter because it costs less at the counter standing up than it does sitting down at a table.
Our first hotel had this huge balcony which we liked to sit on and listen to the bells of the cathedral.
On the Road
We rented a car and headed East from Seville toward the coastal town Denia.
View from the road. It was a beautiful drive through the Sierra Nevada mountains.
We stopped for a picnic.
Denia
Denia has a beautiful castle pearched on a hill overlooking the ocean. It just so happened that we arrived when the town was celebrating a festival to honor the battles between the Moors and the Christians. All weekend long there were parades, bands, and people in costume reenacting the battles.
Granada
Our next major stop was Granada which means Pomegranate in Spanish. Granada has a fun artsy vibe and lots of young people. It also has a huge Moroccan quarter which was fun to explore.
This is a statue of Queen Isabella agreeing to sponsor Columbus' expidition.
Pueblos Blancos
On our drive back to Seville we explored some of the white rural hill towns. This one is called Ronda and it's deep gorge was breathtaking.
More Wedding Pictures
Thank you to everyone who has been sharing their photos with me. Here are some more that captured the big day...
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