Easter in Seville

We arrived in Seville on Good Friday and as luck would have it the threatening rain clouds started to part and by Sunday it was warm and sunny. We spent a nice long weekend taking in the sights including the Plaza de Toros and the breathtaking Cathedral with it's Giralda Tower. After the Easter Sunday Mass we took a stroll along the Guadalquivir River where we had the standard Spanish 2 hour lunch.

Seville is picturesque and exactly what you envision Spain to be. From the flamenco music, to the bullfights, to horse drawn carriages, to the delicious food and wine. We found the people in Southern Spain to be very welcoming, outgoing and proud of their history and unique culture. We definitely plan on going back for Holy Week, though next time with my mom who would absolutely love it.

Pictures from Seville
https://picasaweb.google.com/DiazLark/SevilleSpain?feat=directlink

Holy Week in Andalucia

We had almost a week to experience the Holy Week festivities in Southern Spain and despite the threat of rain it turned out to be an amazing experience. Many of the processions were canceled this year because of the weather but we did manage to take in a few. The midnight Silent Procession in Granada was solemn and very spiritual and was certainly one of the most moving processions we saw.

Of course the jewel of Granada is The Alhambra. We joined a tour group to visit the grounds including the Generalife, the many palaces and amazing courtyards and to take in the beautiful views from high above the city.

Granada Pictures https://picasaweb.google.com/DiazLark/GranadaSpain?feat=directlink

Happy New Year!

Will and I are hoping that this year is even better than the last...and it already looks promising. With friends and family expecting big changes this year, from college graduations to weddings to becoming parents, we wanted to wish you all a Happy 2011. We love and miss you and are still expecting visits from you.

By the way, we had a great road trip across Spain and after hours of sorting through hundreds of pictures I've posted them in the Photo Gallery section. Our trip started in Burgos and ended in Madrid and the pictures are listed in that order so you can follow us along.

Love,
V & Will

Feliz Navidad!

The lights are strung down the streets of Vitoria and the human sized Nativity scene is now open to the public, there is no doubt that Christmas is nearly here. Though we thought we would be alone for the holidays, turns out we have two elves on the way. My brother, Junior, and his girlfriend, Diana, will arrive in Spain the morning of Christmas Eve to keep us company through New Year's Day.

As part of their visit, I've planned a road trip to Madrid and it's a pretty tight schedule. We'll head out from Vitoria December 27 and stop in Salamanca to visit one if the oldest universities in Europe, then Segovia to see one of the most well preserved Roman aqueducts as well as the castle that inspired the Disney version, then El Greco's favorite town of Toledo, past Don Quixote's windmills and into Madrid arriving December 30.


So in case we don't speak until the new year, we wanted to wish you a very Happy Holiday season from across the Atlantic. We'll try to catch up soon, but in the meantime we're sending warm wishes your way.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! XOXO

Ciao,
Vanessa & Will

Weekend in Milano

In lieu of the Thanksgiving break we would have celebrated back in the states, we took advantage of the 3 days that the Spanish have off in early December to visit Milan. It was a cold few days with a mix of rain and sleet, but we managed to stay warm with plenty of cappuccinos and wine.

The crown jewel of Milan is of course the Duomo, which is a massive structure that rises from the center of the city. The Gothic cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world, with an exterior covered in huge slabs of a pinkish colored marble. It was truly an impressive sight.

The highlight of the trip for us was the visit to the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. The convent's refectory houses Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper mural. Tickets have to be purchased in advance as only groups of 25 are permitted to visit at a time, and only for 15 minutes. The painting started deteriorating only 6 years after da Vinci completed it, due to a technique that he was experimenting with. It underwent a 20 year restoration (1979-99) and in effort to further preserve it, visitors must go through a series dehumidifying chambers before entering the room. We could have stood there for hours marveling at the fresco.

Ciao!