So we got online and pretty quickly settled on Florence. While I’d been before, I had told myself when I went years ago that I must return as I never had the chance to visit the famous Uffizi museum the first time around. Jacob had never been before, so he was of course on board.

We headed out to Florence almost immediately after Iris’s departure. We were exhausted, but eager to have three days of pasta, wine and relaxation. We arrived in Florence Sunday afternoon and met up with Robin and her boyfriend Karthik for dinner. Walking through the city, I found it to be even more charming than I had remembered. It’s like Rome but more quaint and less intimidating.

Dinner was of course amazing – each of us enjoying our different pasta dishes. What I continue to enjoy about Italy is how both the Italian and Spanish languages are doable – Jacob spent the dinner speaking to the waiter in Spanish, and the waiter in Italian, and as usual, all was understood (even by me….I’m thinking Italian might be my next language, especially with my extensive vocabulary of Italian food items, and now swear words – thanks Guido!).

The next day we met up with Robin and Karthik at their hotel at 10AM in order to be chauffeured through the Tuscan wine country. Little did we know the highlight of this journey would be our amazing driver Luigi – a charming, humorous man who made the most phenomenal tour guide.

Our first stop was the incredibly sweet little town of San Gimignano, followed by a stop in another little town for lunch (its name escapes me ). After this we stopped in the city of Siena where we learned about the famous horse racing that happens in the main city plaza – the plaza was constructed such that the races could take place within the city walls. We also visited the cathedral in Siena as well.

And finally it was time for the wine tasting. We first stopped at small little tasting room along the side of a winding little road. There we tasted several different wines, from roses, to chiantis, to cabernet and sangiovese. All very good, but I have to admit, I prefer Spanish wines. I just don’t find the Italian wines to be quite as balanced. But hey, the world can keep on loving the Italian wines….I’m fine with prices of Spanish wines remaining nice and low.

This was followed by another stop at the Antinori winery, a wine that I’ve actually had in the States in Napa, ironically. We tasted three wines, all good of course, but still not quite Spanish .

For dinner we went to a restaurant recommended to us by good ol’ Luigi, called Pandehohio, and oh my heaven! The pasta was stupidly, ridiculously, amazingly good, and all topped off by a darling “mama” who was constantly showering us with kisses and cute little comments like, “if you don’t like, you don’t eat it, I eat it!” If anyone heads to Florence, this place is a must.

The following day we made the long awaited trip to the Uffizi. It was a nice museum with lots and lots of Jesus paintings (which honestly, for me, grows quite old after a handful of them), but what I really wanted to see, what I always wanted to see since my high school Humanities class, were a couple of the paintings by Boticelli – The Primavera and The Birth of Venus. They totally didn’t disappoint. Both were so refreshing and beautiful. They were incredibly large, such that I could just stare at them forever, picking out all the details of each painting.

Later that day, Jacob and I headed to the Academia, to see the famous “David.” I had seen him the first time I came to Florence and remembered clearly that I had been blown away that first time I saw him. This time was no different – he was still breathtaking. To better explain, let’s take the Mona Lisa for example – you see it in books your whole life, to the point that she is actually larger than life….then you go to the Louvre, and the painting is like the size of a dictionary (I’m exaggerating), in a dark room, with people swarming around it. The David on the other hand, while you see him your whole life, I think we naturally assume he’s human-sized. But he’s not – nothing even close to the size of a human. He’s massive, and perfect, housed under spotlights at the end of a dimly lit, airy hallway, such that when you turn the corner, you see him at the end like some sort of god. You might think that I’m overstating it, but I’m not. Long story short, it was worth 10 euros to see the first time and the second as well, and I really hope I’ll have the opportunity again.

That night we headed out for our final dinner at a “steakhouse” recommended by a friend of Robin. This wasn’t any Outback though, but rather a small, kitchen-like restaurant, with casual communal tables. We ended up a table where English, Italian, French and Spanish were all be spoken. We ordered a mixture of pasta, veggies and steak. All delicious of course.

And so was our trip to Florence. Somehow those last minute trips are always the best. We truly had a spectacular time. It was a nice little preview for our trip to Venice coming up in October for my birthday .

Next stop for me will be SF at the end of September. Can’t wait!

She arrived on Thursday, so we decided to meet up in Plaza de Santa Ana where we would start our tour of tapas – always a crowd favorite. We began at Lateral where we started the evening summer-style with gazpacho and tinto de veranos (a summer drink made of red wine, flavored sparkling water and ice). From there we headed to several other spots where we knew they would be able to try yummy tapas. During these stops we learned that neither of them had been at all impressed with the cuisine in Spain, but that during this tapas tour they had completely changed their perspective. The thing about Spanish food is that it can be rather confusing if you don’t understand it – if you get a menu translated into English, the food sounds horrible, or if you try to translate it yourself, it will sound equally as horrible. It’s all about understanding the dishes and knowing what to order, and then you will rarely be disappointed, and in fact become obsessed (like me).

After several stops for tapas we decided to head to the top of the Urban hotel for drinks, where we actually met up with another group of Americans traveling through Madrid – friends of an old colleague of mine. We stayed there for a couple of hours just enjoying drinks, the amazing view, the fantastic night temperature, and just chatting it up about everything.

The next day, after a long day at work, we picked up Iris and Brian to take them to one of our favorite spots – the small town of El Molar. I’ve always taken my guests there because it is incredibly rural, hidden, has the most amazing meat, and is very charming with it’s cool caves where you can have dinner! We started with drinks at one of the restaurants at which time the camarero offered to let us walk in their caves that weave underneath the mountain and connect with other restaurants. This was really special because we hadn’t ever had the chance to walk deep into the caves. It was so super cool – they gave each of us a candle and we were able to just get lost in the caves that curved and split in various places…watching our heads as we ducked into tight spaces. Dinner was of course amazing as usual. I’m not a big meat eater, but this meat is just plain out of this world.

The next day, we had very big day planned – on the itinerary was Segovia (again, I know), La Granja and Avila. See, Iris and Brian were such enthusiastic and grateful guests that we were eager to make sure that they had the most amazing time possible. So, being the energetic group that we are, we pushed full speed ahead hitting the as many stops as possible.

The next morning brought another important occasion – they were lucky enough to be visiting during the fiestas for our town, San Sebastian de los Reyes, which, if you remember, includes a running of the bulls each morning of the week. What’s so cool about this running of the bulls is that it is the second largest in Spain behind Pamplona, but rather than being full of foreigners, it’s all Spaniards – the real deal. And in fact, it’s been happening in our town since 1525!

It was a crazy mess of people. Usually it hadn’t been quite so busy, but since we were going on the weekend, the crowds were much larger. We ended up watching the run and then entering the Plaza de Toros afterward to watch the usual taunting of the teen-aged bull by equally energetic teen-aged boys.

We drove Iris and Brian straight to the airport after that, at which point we returned home for an hour, packed our suitcases, showered, and headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Florence, Italy!!

Ahhh, the adventure never ends .

The trip was full of the usual stops – the aqueduct, the cathedral, the alcazar. Although I’ve been many times now, I never seem to tire of such a charming city – there’s always something new to discover.

On Sunday, we went out to Valladolid to visit Jacob’s Aunt Ana Maria who stays there during the summer. She stays in a small city called Medina del Campo, which, as she told us, used to be the heart of Spain. Medina del Campo is where Queen Isabel spent a lot of time and also passed away. She is the Queen whom, with her husband the King, evangelized Catholicism in Spain – a time in history that the Spaniards consider true Spain to have begun.

Ana Isabel proudly showed us the city – the Plaza Mayor which is as large as Madrid’s, the Roman bridge near her house, the palace where Queen Isabel passed away and so on. Oh yes, and most important, the stop at the panaderia/pasteleria with the most heavenly breads and pastries!

After checking out the town, we headed to the castle for a tour. It was there that we were able to see Roman ruins of a village that was outside the castle some several hundred years BC. We learned about the castle walls, the durability of the brick of which the castle was made of (who would have thought that brick is far more durable than just good old rock – apparently it can handle more impact!). We were actually quite surprised to see such a massive castle made of brick, partly because we’d never seen such a thing before, but also because we didn’t realize that that was something used that far back (in the 1400s).

Inside the castle, Ana Maria pointed out the room to us which she stayed in as a young girl when she went to learn how to knit, sew and cook (I need one of those courses – in a castle please!). We were also able to go behind all of the canon windows/holes and learn how they would run such a defensive effort – high ceilings to withhold the smoke, holes in the roof for light and to let the smoke out, white ceilings to help make everything brighter, and so on. It was really quite fascinating.

After the tour of the castle, we headed out to another small pueblo, Olmedo, for a much needed lunch. We ate at a charming little restaurant where we enjoyed clams and jamon – everything was delicious as usual.

It was a lovely weekend, albeit busy. I must admit, I need a weekend to just recover and prepare for our next big trip to Florence the following weekend.

Check out a few pics at: http://gallery.me.com/erin.ridley#100546

In the last month we’ve had a couple of fun adventures. One included us heading out on a determined search to find a place to go wake boarding. There are lots of reservoirs here where apparently, at some point or another, you could rent wake boards and go out on the water. Well, we found out quickly that this was no longer. We headed out to the Pantano de San Juan and learned right away that our only option would be to go kayaking…..but really, how is that a bad option? So we rented our 15 Euro kayak and took to the calm waters of the reservoir. It was so super relaxing, especially when we parked it on a beach of the lake and just laid out in the sun.

A couple of other highlights in the last month included a trip out to a friend’s ranch (which we visited in the past, and I wrote about in an older blog) and also a visit from some friends of my good friend Molly. Her friend Julie, and Julie’s husband, were visiting Madrid from Texas, so we hosted them for an evening and had an fantastic time. Now I just need to work on getting Molly out here!

Our other recent trip was to Valencia – one of the few places in Spain that I had yet to visit. Another reason why we were eager to go is because my friend Heather’s boyfriend, Garen (who is an American), lives out there. We headed out two weekends ago to enjoy the beach and lots of paella.

We were so lucky to have a host there though – Garen knew the best places to take us. The highlight was certainly our trip to the Albufera (a large fresh water preserve right near the mediterranean) and to a little pueblo on the canals in the middle of rice fields. It was stunning – fields of green rice, canals zig zagging through the town and the smell of rice in the air. We parked ourselves at a charming little restaurant right on a canal with an expansive view of the fields – if these people didn’t know how to do paella, then no one would. And it didn’t disappoint. We all enjoyed a massive pan of heavenly paella in the best place in the world to eat it. What a day!

The next day we enjoyed another Valencia specialty – fideua. It’s similar to paella in that it is cooked in a pan with many of the same ingredients – the big difference, though, being the use of these macaroni like noodles (called fideos here) instead of rice. That was every bit as delicious, and the fact that we had a view of the beach didn’t hurt one bit.

Now, as usual, we’re busy planning our next trips – after all, we need something to look forward to! Up next (which we literally just decided today) is a trip to Florence, Italy in two weeks to meet up with my good friend Robin. A few weeks later I will be heading home to the States…..and then a few weeks later, off to Venice for my birthday. I obviously hate to travel

Misc pics: http://gallery.me.com/erin.ridley#100538
Valencia pics: http://gallery.me.com/erin.ridley#100530

First, and most momentous, is the completion of all of my residency crap (sorry Dad, I know you don’t like that word). It’s been a long year of paperwork and running around to a ton of different places only to find out that you’ve probably just spent a bunch of money and time on the wrong thing and will have to go hunt it down elsewhere. It’s involved consulates, finger prints, background checks, transcript verifications, lawyers, medical verifications, notaries, employment verifications, a million photos, a trillion stamps on everything you can think of, and the list really does go on (and keep in mind, that for each of these steps, you need to probably multiply by five because that’s how many times we had to do each thing). What’s amazing, is that despite how complicated it’s been, for me it has probably been as smooth and quick as one could hope for. I know too many people here who are living here illegally only because being able to make it through this process has been too impossible for them. In fact, I’ve never met anyone here who has actually completed the process within just one year. I owe it largely to Jacob who was so persistent and would research everything to death so that we knew exactly what our marching orders were. That, and that we really were able to divide and conquer – me running around like crazy in the States during each of my trips, and him here meeting with lawyers and stalking various agencies.

Anyway, it’s been a long, ugly, messy year, but finally I am super legal, and will be until at least March of next year when I have to go through the process again (not the whole thing – thank goodness).

The next big occasion was a wedding which we attended on Saturday – the first actual wedding that I have been to here in Spain. Many things similar, many things different….and after spending so much time with weddings (doing flowers and planning), I was of course particularly “observant.” Let’s just say, the bride was beautiful, the food was AMAZING, and the party was like none we would ever have in the States. Details like 40+ minutes of Spanish mass, flowers, etc I will leave to your imagination .

To view the super small album, visit http://gallery.me.com/erin.ridley#100522

It wasn’t the best way to start the trip. At that point, I was still sick and my body was all but shutting down due to the stress of travel, work and the missing bag. But we were heading out for a weekend of R&R and fun. On tap for the first night was the U2 concert! With 90,000 people expected to attend, we knew it was going to be quite a show – and it didn’t disappoint. The stadium was absolutely packed, and the show was surreal. It was pretty cool to see so many energized people in one place.

The next morning we promptly hit the road and headed north to the region of Girona where we would be staying for the next two nights. When we arrived we checked in to our hotel in a small town called Begur. It was an absolutely charming little pueblo just above the beach. Our hotel was basically brand new too (an old restored building) and we discovered that there was an awesome jacuzzi spa in an underground cave that we could reserve for just the four of us, not to mention an awesome rooftop terraza with stunning views of the village. We were super stoked to hit that up later in the day. First stop, though, was the beach where we grabbed a late Spanish lunch at about 4PM and then laid out on the rocky beach for a bit. The beach was in a little cove surrounded by steep hillsides with houses stacked one level upon the other. It was gorgeous and super charming. After laying out, we headed back to the hotel to check out the cave spa and then off to dinner.

The next day brought the best adventure of all – we rented a motor boat and headed out on the Mediterranean, just the four of us, to enjoy the sun and swims in the water. The day went like this – lay in the sun, nap, jump in the water, swim, lay in the sun, nap….you get the picture. It was so incredibly relaxing and fun – I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Oh yeah, and it was 4th of July – so I was sad missing home, but kind of got over it pretty quickly .

That night we drove to another small medieval pueblo, called Pals, where we walked around and then had dinner. It was a nice, relaxing way to spend the last night of our trip. The next morning, we hopped in the car and headed back to Madrid. What a trip!

And to end the wonderful weekend, I was able to go pick up my back Sunday night. Reunited at last!

It’s been an incredibly busy month and a half though. With a day trip to El Olivar, a business (etc) trip to SF, and then another road trip to the Costa Brava. I will reserve this blog for the former two though .

Not too much to say about El Olivar – Jacob and I headed out there the weekend before I left for SF. It was our usual weekend mini road trip. It’s so nice to have an endless amount of really cool pueblos to check out – all within an hour’s drive. It was a sweet little town where we had a yummy lunch followed by walk to see the large reservoir in the distance. Pictures speak for themselves.

My much bigger trip was of course my trip to SF. I had to head out there for a conference and brought my colleague, Guido with me. The trip was a strange combination of visiting home, working and showing Guido around (who had never been to SF, much less the US). It was great though.

What did we do – we watched a little golf (friend from college playing in a tournament), a Giants game, we drove around the entire city, dinner in the Mission, the Marina, Russian Hill and so on. In and Out, Mexican food, legitimate sandwiches, a couple trips for sushi and a couple more for Vietnamese (got to have my spring rolls), frozen yogurt, and several stops at Stanford shopping mall to get my fill of goodies. Oh yeah, and a drive from SF down highway 1. And Guido insisted on a quick drive by Google (and a photo op).

Especially fun was our stop at Starbucks – one which we had anticipated for quite some time. The elephant in the room – yes, his name is Guido and I have informed him as to why that might make many Americans chuckle (see urban dictionary definition if you are from a generation (eh hemmm, Mom) that has no idea what I am talking about). In Spain, they can’t even pronounce his name, much less spell it. One thing was certain for me though – in the US, his name could be spelled and pronounced (no problem), but a little smile, maybe a laugh, would be involved. Sure enough, when we went to Starbucks, the fellow behind the counter broke into an embarrassed smile when having to write Guido’s name on a cup….oh yes, and he spelled it right. I am fairly certain that Jacob’s sister Macarena might have a similar fate…..

It really was a very good, full trip….despite the fact that I was suffering from a death cold which kept me from having the energy to be active the way I would have wished (particularly the first day of our conference when I came down with the virus – it absolutely wiped me out!).

The trip was capped off by an incredibly long journey back to Spain, involving a stop at Heathrow (the biggest clusterf&#! of airports ever), in which Guido and I managed to get separated from each other for a period of time. But that wasn’t enough, apparently our suitcases got separated as well – from our flight. This was the beginning of a very long stressful week of waiting and wondering whether I would see my bag (and particularly all of my cherished items from SF) again. I’ve said it before, and will say it again – never, NEVER, have a layover at Heathrow. I think there’s probably a 90% you will lose your bag – so if you layover there, you are asking for it!

Before my bag ever made it home, it was time to head of to Northeastern Spain for another road trip…to be covered in my next blog.

What ended up being quite ironic about her trip is that after she planned it, I had learned that I needed to head to the US for a conference, which ultimately landed me on the same plane as Kim heading back to Madrid. Upon our arrival back to Madrid, we immediately repacked our bags and got ready for the next leg of our journey (squeezing in a little nap too). Then it was off to the train station where we caught a train down to Cordoba to pick up our rental car.

In Cordoba, the road trip began. We made the two hour drive to Granada with surprising alertness. The drive was absolutely gorgeous – between the olive tree covered rolling hills and the abundance of green and colored spring flowers, it was just stunning.

Arriving in Granada, we stopped at the hotel, and then set off to find our restaurant for dinner – the same one that Jacob and I had visited years before. The restaurant has a stunning panoramic view of the Alhambra and is the perfect place to watch the sun go down, and the lights go up on the “red fortress.”

The next day we entered the Alhambra – it was then that I really remembered why Granada is my favorite place in Spain. The Alhambra is literally paradise. It is different than so many other places because it engages more of your senses in such intense ways. The soft sounds of the running water (which is an important and constant theme at the palace), the smell of blossoming flowers and fresh air, and the many colors, whether from the palace, the landscape, or the millions of different plants in bloom. For me, it was like a drug, a type of euphoria that I can’t quite explain. All I can say is that there is just no place on this planet that has ever seemed to come closer to paradise.

After our trip to the Alhambra, we continued the road trip back to Cordoba, where Kim would be staying for the next day. I had to leave that night, but had enough time before catching my train in order to wander the streets of the town for a bit and discover some of the enchanting patios that I loved so much the last time I had visited. Unfortunately, a couple of hours later, it was time for me to head back to Madrid.

On Monday, it was back to work for me, but not before one last excursion with Kim before bidding her farewell. I took her and Heather to see the famous flamenco show that I’ve taken a few of my other guests to. It was totally impressive as usual.

Now it’s a rainy weekend here in Madrid, which is absolutely perfect. We’ve had nothing but sunny and amazing weather, so it’s nice that the gloomy weather is encouraging me to just stay inside and get some rest.

Up next for me will be another trip back to Bucharest, as well as a return to SF for a conference in late June. For now though, I hope to at least remain in Spain for a bit…and I guess I have to – my passport is at the embassy getting new pages . Forced rest, thank goodness!

My trip started with a stop in SF in which I was able to spend Mother’s Day with my mom and my family…and even do a little shopping . It was only one full day that I had in the Bay Area, but nothing could have made me happier (especially the hugs from little Donovan and Marley).

I arrived in Seattle on Monday morning at which point my grandma picked me up and we headed straight to lunch. Having lunch one on one with my soon to be 90 year old grandma (mother of six kids, 11 grandchildren, and now six great grandchildren – to be seven within a couple months), is special enough, but I was actually able to spend three days with her!

On Monday, after lunch we went to visit my cousins’ then six day old daughter (who is also their first child). My goodness what a treat that was. She’s absolutely miniature, but perfectly adorable. I feel so lucky to have seen her at such a fleeting stage of her young life. Later that night we had dinner back on the island, where my grandma lives, with my aunt and uncle (and newly anointed grandparents).

The days passed with me commuting to and from the island on the foot ferry, which dropped me off right in front of the hotel where my conference was being held. Each day I couldn’t help but look out the window of the ferry at the water and just feel so incredibly lucky to have somehow ended up with such a full life that has allowed me to travel the world to such special places. Going for a run one night on the quiet little island full of lush green trees and views of the water at every turn, I just smiled the whole time, thanking my lucky stars for sending me on such a trip.

On top of it being my favorite place on earth, it is especially refreshing because it is so completely different from Spain. Being around the laid back, down to earth people there just made me want to throw on my Ugg boots, wear my fleece jacket, get my Northface backpack, and just get comfy – no more uncomfortable shoes, impractical purses, and skirts with tights. There’s something so relaxing and refreshing about the lifestyle and mentality there. Between the people and the scenery, I found that despite my incredibly busy week, I was totally at peace and relaxed.

Thursday evening, after the conference, I made a quick jaunt back to SF, before hopping back on the plane to Madrid to begin yet another adventure. Stay tuned for the next blog, to be posted shortly!

Spaniard: So it’s Mexican Independence Day that you’re celebrating?
Me: Not exactly, I don’t think so. I mean, I think some people think it’s that, but it’s not.
Spaniard: So what is then?
Me: Umm, I think maybe it has some historical meaning, but I guess we don’t really care, we just use it as an excuse to drink and eat Mexican food. Andele andele, arriba arriba!?

Yeah, that whole ignorant American thing – why do they think that??? Given that Spain is a culture of food and drink though, I think we managed to convert folks to Cinco de Mayo celebrators after our night of fajitas and margaritas.

I was somewhat weary about heading to the grocery store to try to find such Mexican fiesta classics as Jose Cuervo tequilla (much less the margarita mix), tortillas, salsa, or for my lazy American self, pre-shredded cheese for quesadillas. After years now (which amazes me) of trying to find various exotic ingredients (and often not so exotic) at the Spanish grocery store, I’ve pretty much resigned myself to never finding exactly what I need. But wow, was I in for a surprise – the grocery store was full of each ultra Mexican item I was looking for! I even found Jose Cuervo marg mix with the tequilla already in it! Salsa, chips, even mexican nuts and nacho cheese! Jacob and I went to town on the purchases. I also managed to score some awesome sombreros and Mexican style mustaches at a costume store. Although, I am afraid that piñatas and chili pepper xmas lights might be harder to come by….but next year, next year.

About 15 people participated in the festivities – our friend Tito even brought a playlist full of Mexican ranchero songs. It was perfectly awesome. Jacob made beans (he’s way more Mexican than I thought – they were bona fide frijoles) and rice, Heather did the guac and I managed the meat and quesadillas. Mix in all the burrito/fajita fixings that you can think of (oh yeah, and Coronas, or Coronitas as they are called in Spain) and you’ve got yourself as Cinco de Mayo-ish of a fiesta as we could have hoped for.

As Jacob said, he was all geared up (and had to be) for Seis de Mayo festivities as well, given the abundance of leftovers. I think we still have a bucket of frijoles in the fridge. I realize now that I’ve become ultra American since coming to Spain – introducing them to Thanksgiving, Easter and now our bizarrely Mexican yet somehow American holiday. Next, I think it’s pretty much required that we do some sort of Fourth of July BBQ or something. Given Spain’s fond affection for fireworks, I don’t think we’ll have any problem on that front.

I am now on Vashon Island – my favorite place on earth, hands down. I am listening to the waves crash in on the beach of my grandma’s house (usually, the waves wouldn’t crash here since she lives in a bay, but it’s crazy windy). I even got to see my cousins’ six day old daughter today. My life is too fulfilling for words!

More to come soon when I have a free moment to catch up and something to talk about .

Cinco de Mayo pics: http://gallery.me.com/erin.ridley/100450