Lagos, you are SO beautiful!!!
Tangier, Morocco
Today, Spencer and I took a boat from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco. It’s been a forever dream of mine to travel to Morocco and experience the beauty of their markets and the taste of their tea.
After walking around for a few hours, people watching and seeing the wonderful tiles outside of every home we stopped to eat some traditional food and drink some tea. The food was delicious and the tea refreshing. Although I don’t think I’ll ever return to Tangier I am dying to return to Morocco. Perhaps our next trip will be Marrakech.
La Alhambra
Today we decided to take a very lengthy tour that explained the water system in Granada. I won’t go completely into it but in short the technology we use today was invented in Granada by the Muslims. All over the city you can see a lot of “aljibres” where the town used to collect water from. I was able to go down to the water deposit where the water was collected and purified for drinking. Incredible.
After the water tour we headed to the Alhambra …wow. I can’t even imagine being a queen living in that castle with all of those beautiful gardens. The place is quite impressive especially when you think of how old it is.
All the tile textures make me want to wear beautiful bright printed dresses!
Granada, Spain
Granada…oh, Granada.
Possibly the best place we’ve been to during this whole trip. We rented an air b&b for almost nothing in the wonderful neighborhood of Albaicín. The neighborhood made me think if Puerto Viejo in Algorta. All white little houses connected to one another.
Last night we parked the car up the hill and found the house we were staying at. The owner Anna greeted us and opened the doors to a beautiful house that dates back to the 1300’s. The neighborhood itself was inside the wall created when the city lived under the Catholic king and queen. You can still see the wall built around the city and the actual archways to get in and out.
We ate our meat, cheese, bread and drank our wine. There was a plaza around the corner we took a bottle of wine to and were able to meet two locals – Richard and Adolfo. They were two super cool guys that ended up giving us great tips on places to visit while in Granada. We listened to a group of their friends play flamenco on their guitars and hung out with Adolfo and Richard. We headed back home and woke up late the next morning…
Valencia, Spain
Valencia was a very short but wonderful stay.
September 23, 2013
We arrived to Valencia at 4:30 pm after picking up our car and battling with the GPS for about an hour. The drive was wonderful and not as long as we thought.
Upon arriving we were greeted by Mirek who had an apartment on the 8th floor of Maria Cristina, 6. Right at the city center. He showed us the rooftop and balcony we were able to use during our stay.
We met the first pets on this trip – El Sid and Santa Eulalia (pictured below). Sta. Eulalia was not allowed to come into our room but we snuck her in. She had the cutest chirp that made me miss Schiap so much.
For dinner we opted to stay in and use the terrace to drink wine and eat cheese, bread and meats – This is our new favorite thing to do.
September 24, 2013
Valencia is quite commercial but also full of beautiful architecture. There are wonderful churches and marble facades.
The Towers of Serranos (pictures below) were built in 1394 under the hand of Pere Balaguer. They were clearly meant to help protect the city but were more of the trade gate of Valencia.
Today, our last day here, we walked into the center market to explore. The thought of being able to purchase all of your meat and produce and cook it that same day is something so foreign that I’m embarrassed at the way we eat
As our last meal we had Paella. You can’t visit Valencia without trying Paella. We opted for the Valencia style which has rabbit, chicken and snails. It also had artichokes, fava beans and green beans. It was the sort of meal that melts in your mouth and it was SO beautiful that we couldn’t even dig into it for a moment.
We drove from Sevilla to Granada today. Our drive was 5 hours but the minute we got here we knew the drive was worth it. It’s so beautiful here. I can’t wait to see it in the light of the day.
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona was so good to us. We landed on the 20th of September early morning. After an insane experience with Ryan Air – do not fly with Ryan Air and if you absolutely have to please do not forget to print your boarding pass – we landed safely in Barcelona. It was my third time in Barcelona but I hadn’t been back since I studied abroad in Bilbao back in 2006. I was excited to show Spencer why I fell so deeply in love with Spain.
We opted to take the train to the AirB&B apartment we were staying at since it was early and we wanted the complete travel experience without the luxury of cabs.
The neighborhood we stayed at was called Gràcia. It’s located north of the centre of Barcelona at the north end of the Passeig de Gràcia. The most well known attraction in Gràcia is Parc Güell.
September 20th, 2013
On our first day we figured it was best if we explored the places we could easily walk to. Keep in mind, Spencer and I are faux New Yorkers and we walk a lot on a daily basis so a 30 minute walk to the Sagrada Familia had nothing on us.
The Sagrada Familia, of course is beautiful but being that it’s constantly under construction, it’s difficult to appreciate it’s beauty as easily as you can other buildings in Barcelona.
We moved on the Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera where we were fortunate enough to be gifted a pass by a family that bought an extra. We purchased one more and headed up to the top. The rooftop of this place is amazing. It’s easy to see why people are enamoured with Antoni Gaudí and the art he left around Barcelona.
We left La Pedrera and headed to Parc Güell to end the day. The last time I was at Parc Güell was with my family over six years ago and it was magical. Parc Güell is the type of place where you can go and always feel the amazing energy of everyone there. Although it is a tourist destination it’s big enough so you don’t feel like you’re sight seeing.
The ceiling at a building at the entrance of the park.
September, 21st
We took the day to go up the mountain and visit Castell de Montjuïc which offers wonderful views of Barcelona. The ride up is pretty curvy and long if you’re walking but if you catch a bus as the base of the mountain it takes no more than 15 minutes.
The Castle used to be a military fortress. It is situated on top of Montjuïc Hill. The castle itself has two levels and you can climb up to the second level to explore. If you look west you will get stunning views of the Mediterranean. To the east you can see all of Barcelona. There are snack shops outside of the Castle where you can sit and enjoy a cold Estrella and eat a Jamon Iberico bocadillo. Naturally, after exploring the Castle that’s exactly what we did.
We decided the bus was too crowded on the way down so we walked to our next destination which was Quimet & Quimet. It’s located on Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes, 25 in a tiny space. There is very limited seating so most people are standing while they eat. It’s really not a restaurant so if you’re looking to sit down and have a proper meal this isnt the place for you. It’s a place where you can pick up some of the most amazing tapas you’ll ever eat and enjoy a nice cold beer.
We ordered the stuffed olives, and a few montaditos – mussels & caviar and another that was caviar with peppers & cheese. Montaditos are small tapas served on top of a piece of toasted bread. Let me tell you – this is the way to go as far as tapas. We ordered the house brew and it went perfectly with every bite. If you have a minute to stop by this little shop I highly recommend it.
We made our way back into the center of the city where we breaked from sight seeing to do a little shopping.
For dinner we were super exicted to try a restaurant we’d heard of called La Pepita. After Quimet & Quimet earlier in the day we were sure we would find nothing that could compare but La Pepita did not disappoint. It’s located in the neighborhood we were staying at – Carrer de Còrsega, 343.
The tapas at La Pepita are more contemporary than those at Quimet & Quimet. You can go there and expect to sit down for a proper dinner with amazing service. The owner, Sofia, came to our table a few times to check on us and make sure we were happy with our food. We were.
If you go, which I hope you do, don’t leave before getting your shot of poison, x or fire at the end of your meal!
September 22nd.
On our last day in Barcelona we wanted to just walk around and explore so we did just that. There was no more sight seeing. Instead we just found a few areas of Barri Gotti to walk around and hoped to bump into something fun. We actually did!
La Mercè was happening when we were there and we had heard there would be some daytime events going on but we hadn’t see much thus far. La Mercè is a festival held in honor of Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Patron Saint of Barcelona.
These groups are called Castellers and they aim to have a child climb all the way to the top of the human tower and stand up. They walk around and then stop at plazas to do their towers.
Barri Gotti is an awesome barrio. It shouldn’t be missed if you go to Barcelona. It’s right off Las Ramblas and has a million little stores, bars, cafes and tapas restaurants that are worth trying. Just walking around those tiny narrow streets is enchanting.
Premiere Vision
We arrived in Paris early morning on the 16th of September. The weather was classic Paris – rainy and cold. The first time I visited Paris was with my good friend Bridget and we had an amazing time.
I love how common balconies are in Paris. They only add to the city’s charm. We were incredibly lucky to stay at the Castille Paris located on Chanel’s legendary street in the exclusive 1st Arrondissement.
Unfortunately, because of how packed my schedule was for Premiere Vision, I only had a few hours on Monday to sight see. I had to pick what I wanted to see so I chose the Eiffel Tower. Because…it’s the Eiffel Tower.
On our way back to the hotel we walked past a few places that were just breathtaking. I found the little car below to be adorable. I could see Schiap and I cruising around Williamsburg in something like this.
For our first dinner we went to Chez Janou. This restaurant focuses on Southern French cuisine and has many different types of Pastis. The menu is excellent and well priced. I couldn’t take a picture, but they have the hugest Chocolate Mousse I have ever seen. You can order it but you cannot share with anyone!
Going to PV for the first time was an amazing experience. I was exhausted at the end of every single day but it was worth it. For those of you who aren’t in the fashion fabric world, PV is a biannual fabric fair that takes place in Paris. The best fabric mills attend and those who work in fabric, like myself, travel from all over the world to preview the new collections and source new innovative qualities.
After my second day at PV a few of my co-workers, Spencer and I headed over to Ralph’s for dinner. I’m not saying this solely because the man’s my “boss” but Ralph’s offers the very best service I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. The food came out promptly and was amazing. I went with the classic burger because it’s what the restaurant is best known for. The meat for the burgers is sourced from Mr. Lauren’s ranch in Colorado. Not the greenest meal but…
I went for a run on my third day there and bumped into the Louvre. It was the only clear day so I decided to take full advantage and stop for the shots of the beautiful building.
For our last dinner in Paris, we met up with my dear friend Gabriel of Les Rhabilleurs. We met up at Le Dauphin for one of the best dinners I had while in Paris. The interior of the restaurant is very clean and modern. They focus on small plates that are meant for sharing.
Paris will always hold a very special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see you again!
Engagement Honeymoon Bound
We’re on our way to Paris with a layover in Dublin. It’s hard to come to Dublin, even if only to the airport, and not enjoy a pint of Guinness. Even at 7 am.
Spencer, being the Guinness fan he is, convinced me to have a pint with him while we wait for our flight to Paris. Apparently, over 10 million glasses of Guinness are sold every day! I’m glad we were able to contribute to that number today.
