Sevilla, Sevilla.

We spent two charming days in Sevilla discovering the Cathedrals, the quaint tapas bars, and riding through the pretty parks by horse and carriage.  On Saturday, every local in town came out in their finest and the women sported the most beautiful and elaborate hats I'd ever seen (you can see a short clip of them in the video my husband made, below).  We were surrounded by them drinking in the bars before they headed off to whatever occasion had them dressed that way.  Killer heels in the cobblestone streets, and all.  I never mastered that!

The park is so elaborate- nearly every inch is covered in some sort of tile work or mosaic.  

Here's a tiny tapas bar we stopped into for a bite (I think I ate bread and olives!) and drank more red wine...

We stayed at Las Casas de la Juderia, a four star hotel (that also happened to be our least favorite place of all our hotels).  The hotel is a mish mash of 7 old mansions that have been linked by tunnels with random courtyards in the middle of all that inside space.  I was really excited about the place when I booked it!  Watch the video and see how long it takes to get to our hotel room from the lobby! They literally give you a map to get to your room!

On the last night, we climbed up to the hotel rooftops (also linked by staircases and tunnels) and explored. Overall, a cool hotel, but our room just felt a little cave like (you can see the small blue window of our room, below).  This girl likes lots of open windows and sunshine!

And to sum up our whole Spain honeymoon, Austin created this little Zumi video from the trip:

Granada Enchanted.

Ah, Granada, Spain.  A place that immediately stole our hearts.  A city of tiny winding alleys climbing up a hillside.  Where the breathtaking views are as common as the Moorish doorways leading to quaint gardens.  We fell in love in a big way with this ancient city.  We spent an entire day walking through narrow cobblestone streets in the Albaicin Quarter and for a moment, closing our eyes, we felt as if we had journeyed to Morocco. The stalls full of glass lanterns, the itty bitty tea shops glowing with candlelight and incense- this charming district is full of mystery, romance and be.still.my.heart. architecture and vistas.   

We stayed in the sweetest hotel, Room Mate Leo, in the center of the city, where we were upgraded to a room with a gorgeous patio overlooking the rooftops of Granada.  We stayed up into the wee hours drinking Cava and eating pastries huddled under a blanket we purchased from a Moroccan shop keeper.  

But perhaps the best part of our journey to Granada (and possibly the whole trip)?  The evening we spent in the historic Arabic baths.  Lit entirely by pathways of candles and glowing lanterns, this underground sanctuary of caves was pure heaven. Pools ranging from steaming hot to cold to luke warm (meant for alternating between to remove toxins) are set in the most romantic atmosphere (where, sadly, no photos are allowed). We sipped delicious mint tea and spent two hours relaxing on hot stones and soaking in the pools.  If ever you find yourself in Granada, this is a must do experience.  

{Hammam Baths}

See you in Sevilla!

XO,

T.

What Dreams are Made of.

Let me begin this by saying, I don't know that the photos can do this next place justice.  So you'll just have to take my word for it.  It is drop. dead. gorgeous.  A place from my dreams. White washed.  With gardens. Cobblestone.  Modern cement sinks and bleached hardwood floors.  Rambling and ecclectic.  Where sparse white rooms mingle with overflowing china cabinets.  I couldn't have designed it better if I tried.  It is a traditional Spanish Finca (farmhouse) owned by a french women who takes up residence with her dog, Zia.  A place hidden in the hillsides of Ibiza, with only a painted blue rock to act as a road marker.  We spun in circles trying to locate the place.  And when we did? {Sigh}. An exceptional breakfast of breads, chocolate croissants, homemade jams, muesli, coffee and tea were served to us from mismatched china on the sweetest trays, in the house dining room.  They had us at breakfast.  

We checked in (although, you never really check in, just wait for the owner to find you), wandered the grounds, and quickly discovered it was even better than the pictures that had literally convinced us to go to Ibiza (remember this post?).  I pinched myself.  Suddenly everything seemed so hazy and dreamy and could I really be someplace so beautiful?  We spent an entire afternoon napping by one of the two pools and drinking a bottle of Cava.  There was silence all around us and it felt like our own private estate.  This was a honeymoon. Our honeymoon.  We spent our nights drinking wine in the dining room where we were surrounded by people speaking spanish and french, and where two tiny little girls entertained me with their very proper british accents.  Zia, the dog, would wander in and out of the kitchen while Francoise (the owner) busily prepared her infamous couscous (written about to be some of the best in this world).  And it was good. Heaping bowls of it with farm fresh vegetables and hot broths served on vintage linens by candlelight.  Roaring fire beside you, no menu, this was no hotel.  We felt like guests in a home.  You were there and it just felt special.  Every second of it.  So, no, the photos don't do this experience justice.  Such an experience that I hardly knew where we were- France? Italy? Spain?  It simply didn't matter.  I could have photographed the place for days with it's private patios, overflowing bookshelves, and sofas tucked into gardens of lemon trees.  Beauty was everywhere in the form of worn in chairs and soft linens.  It's out of a movie.  A magazine.  And we loved every minute of it.  It is Les Terrasses and I'm dreaming of it still.  

We managed to tear ourselves away from Les Terrasses for a day to explore Ibiza.  The old town is quaint, sleepy and charming in low season.  Just the way I prefer it. 

We swam in the turquoise sea next to the tiniest jellyfish I've ever seen and slept in the sun for the hours.

For lunch we drove through twisting roads that looked like they led to nowhere and suddenly, the ocean would appear.  There would be a lone restaurant with chairs plopped on the sand.   How did people know this was here?  Somehow they did, for we were not alone.  We were brought tiny little fish to snack on (um, no thanks) while we enjoyed the view and the best salads of our whole trip.  

By sunset we were ready for pitchers of white sangria and the tunes of the notorious Cafe Del Mar, the place that put Ibiza on the map.  

This honeymoon is off to Granada, Spain next!  See you soon.  

XO,

T.  

A Barcelona Honeymoon.

The Mr. and I recently returned from a whirlwind two week honeymoon in Spain and Italy.  It went by in a flash and if the proof wasn't in the photos I'd swear I had dreamt it.  Our journey began in Barcelona- a city we fell madly in love with for it's architecture, shopping, and insanely beautiful Gothic quarter.  I'm a sucker for all things old and mysterious so the dark, rambling alleys of the Bari Gotic, as the Spaniards call it, stole my heart. A tangle of streets made for getting lost and stealing kisses-- LOVE.  

We soaked in two days worth of all the Gaudi architecture the city could offer and walked until our feet ached. We drank bottles of Cava, cups of Cappuccino, and gallons of red wine.  I wish I was still there eating dinner til midnight, discovering hidden alleys, and practicing my (not so great) Spanish. 

Barcelona's park is insanely stunning, full of tunnels and mazes and every other inch is covered in mosaic (ignore my flying for sixteen hours outfit.  We couldn't get into our hotel before a day of sight seeing).  

Our hotel, Chic & Basic, was to die for.  An ancient building in El Born was converted into a sleek and modern space with an elaborate staircase and two story, dripping glass chandelier.  The place was full of ornate mouldings, white walls, and hang-out lounges complete with Panton chairs and oversized sofas.  Outside each room were glass beads lit in alternating neon colors.  More glass beads were draped around the open floor plan of our room (which you could also light up in your color of choice).  The design of the whole hotel was genius the way it combined the old with the new.  Check out their website too- their marketing is pretty genius. 

We savored multiple Cappuccinos a day and stopped on Las Ramblas to try a Spainish favorite:  Churros dipped in thick, warm chocolate.   

A vegetarian for 17 years, eating in Spain was a struggle.  Meat sneaks its way into nearly everything there! I managed to exist on coffee and Cava (Spanish champagne- yum!).  

The food displays in the markets were so pretty we had to photograph them.  Look at those eggs!  I loved the way they were displayed in hay.  It made us wish that San Diego had less supermarkets and more open air markets like Europe (but maybe with less meat, thank you). 

Our last night in Barcelona we ate the most incredible meal in the Gothic quarter at Cafe de L'acadmeia.  It was in the middle of this tiny square where we sat in front of a cathedral on cobblestone and ate a duo of cold vegetable soups and rocket salad (a real treat in Spain, let me tell you!).  I still miss being able to eat dinner at 10pm on a Monday!  

I'll be back tomorrow with more honeymoon adventures and to show you the most gorgeous place we stayed on our entire trip.  A place dreams are made of!  

XO,

T

Honeymoon Time.

The time has come for the Mr. & I to jet off on our (very delayed) honeymoon! We'll be jaunting all over Spain by planes and trains and then over to Italy where we'll be driving along the Amalfi Coast and taking a Vespa in Rome.  Sounds pretty perfect to me, but what's your ideal honeymoon?  For some it's lounging on a beach in the Maldives and for others it's skiing in the Swiss Alps.  We get the best of both worlds- a week long wedding celebration in Sayulita, Mexico where we slowed way down and soaked up the sun, sand, and a few too many Margaritas.  So to balance that out we wanted to head back to Europe- a place where we both spent time in college and are now ready to venture back, together, as married adults.  And I can't wait.  I've been getting increasingly anxious with the passing days.  I've spent months finding some of the coolest hotels and romantic little spots in each city for us to hide out and truly feel like honeymooners.  In a few days, I'll share some of my favorites. 

But in the meantime, I must get packing.  The tiny streets of Granada are calling my name...

XO,

Tori

{Tiny Water Photography}