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Weekend in Catalonia

May 9th, 2012 | Posted by Erin in Erin | Traveling outside Madrid - (0 Comments)

I’ve been to just about every last corner of Spain but, until recently, I hadn’t really spent a ton of time in Catalonia. Yeah, I’d done Barcelona, and bathed on the beaches of Begur (amazing!), but hauling my culo so far northeast just wasn’t high on my list of Iberian priorities.

But, a couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to spend several days traveling around the Catalan countryside like it was my own personal playground. In doing so, I realized it could quite possibly be one of my very favorite regions in Spain (err, or not in Spain, depending on who you talk to).

So let’s take a little journey around Catalonia, shall we?

 

Girona

My excursion to the northeast region began in the city of Girona. The hillside town dazzles new visitors with its houses hanging on the Onyar River’s edge, and vibrantly hued buildings that glow in a slew of faded candy colors. I weaved through the Jewish quarter, made a little lap around the cathedral, and finally into the restaurant Divinum, where I dined on a nine-course meal fit for a queen. It was quite the first stop, and all I could think was “it’s a shame we didn’t save the best for last.”

 

Cadaqués

Uncertain that the visit could get any better, I took a winding journey up and over the hills to the coastal enclave of Cadaqués. Along the pebbled shores of neighboring Port Lligat, I watched the sunrise as fishermen came and went, wrapping myself in the sounds of the breeze as it rustled the rows of olive trees criss-crossing the hills. Even more intriguing than the sun rising in front of me, was the house perched on the shore’s edge behind me. It was the home of Salvador Dalí, which, the day before, I discovered hid all sorts of quirky treasures; a jewelry-wearing polar bear, decked-out mannequins, and precariously balanced egg sculptures.

Despite the area’s fame, the morning beach maintains the quiet rhythm of a pueblo untouched by the outside world. And perhaps this isn’t all that surprising given that until about a century ago, Cadaqués was only reachable by boat. Considering it takes a potentially queasy mountain drive to get there, it’s seems a boat arrival probably made good sense.

 

Besalú

The final stop on my Catalán tour was Besalú, but I was confident that my ability to be impressed had run its course. But I was wrong again. Framed by a massive arched bridge, the pueblo hit me like a pile full of the ancient bricks it was made of. If first impressions were everything, then Besalú’s mission had been accomplished.

But there was so much more to the little town than just the initial wow-factor. Apart from the reliably cozy small streets, the city teased my imagination with peculiar chairs. Yes chairs. One hung dripping from a building wall. Another stood some ten feet tall like a giant’s high-chair. Then there was this two-dimensional one to the left, seated along the banks of the river.  I also visited the oddly awesome Museum of Miniatures, which, to its credit is a whole heck of lot more rad than I can even bring myself to admit (a high-wire walking ant with an umbrella? Wha???).

 

The villas

The highlight of all this gallivanting around Catalonia was that after the days passed trekking around spectacular towns, I spent nights in my own personal villas. Yeah, you read that right. I was brought on this journey by Charming Villas Catalonia, who housed me in a stone countryside mansion, a city center apartment, and a modern beachside paradise.

Essentially, each villa is like a little hotel-meets-palace, but authentic and private, and PERFECT for a decent-sized group of friends (say 6-10 couples, sometimes more) to rent out. Beyond that, they also come equipped with fat kitchens (i.e. nothing like what you’re used to in Madrid) that basically beg you to hit up the market and make yourself a feast full of local fare.

Yes, it’s true, Catalonia may be a pricey AVE-ride away from Madrid, but with Mediterranean beaches, a border with France, and nearby Barcelona, you can’t really go wrong. Do yourself a favor and don’t wait as long as I did to discover what the region has to offer.

*Visit my blog, La Tortuga Viajera, to read about my experiences in Catalonia.

**Disclosure: As mentioned above, I traveled through Catalonia as a guest of Charming Villas Catalonia. Rest assured that I’m keeping it real – all opinions are entirely my own.

Meet Izzy Hudgins: International Wedding Photographer

February 7th, 2012 | Posted by Erin in Erin | Lifestyle | What's Happening Madrid - (0 Comments)

Meet Izzy

I love meeting new expats; sharing experiences with those in a similar situation sustains me and grounds me here in Madrid. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Izzy Hudgins – a bittersweet encounter for sure. Why? Because she’s a wedding photographer. An amazing wedding photographer. Meanwhile, I got married a year and a half ago and have a heap of photos of pretty much only bridesmaids and not a single decent shot of my husband and myself. Such is photography in Spain I suppose!

Since Izzy is Miss International Photographer Extraordinaire, I thought I’d ask her a few questions about her photography style and background. I’ve also included some pretty sweet shots she’s taken in and around Spain (that’s me in the second set of pictures – pop over to my blog to see more).

 

GG: What is your background?

Izzy: I was born and raised in Durham, NC.  I started photography in high school and quickly adopted a whimsical aesthetic, dreaming up scenarios and using my friends as models.  I continued my photography education at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia where I specialized in portraiture and fashion photography.

In 2007 I moved to Knoxville, TN and it was there that I fell in love with wedding photography.  I am so excited about the wedding industry today.  More and more, couples are infusing their personalities into their wedding, often times using many handmade elements.  Gone are the days of cookie cutter weddings.  Now there are no rules and anything you can imagine, you can do!

GG: What is your photography style?

Izzy: I love photographing people in love.  There’s something really special and important about documenting these moments from the sweet and tender to the fun and silly.  My photography isn’t limited to only weddings or engaged couples.  I love to photograph anyone that is in love or just a feel-good session for yourself! I draw inspiration from fashion photography and I love when my clients bring in personal items to make the session really reflect who they are.  My sessions are fun, fresh and stylish with of course a little touch of whimsy.

That's me in Casa de Campo!

GG: What is your background in Spain?

Izzy: For the past two years I was based out of Madrid, Spain where I was able to meet and work with so many great couples from all over the world.  I was also able to feed my insatiable lust for travel!  I have now photographed in over 28 countries and I’d love to keep that number growing!

 

GG: What sets photography in Spain apart from elsewhere (particularly the US)?

Izzy: I found weddings and photography in Spain to be quite different than in the States.  Weddings here are definitely big events and are super elegant and classy but lack that creative and personal edge that so many weddings in the States now have.  I would love to see this spread into Spain and the rest of Europe.  I would also love to see the standard of wedding photography raised.  I saw the wedding photography in Spain to basically be a series of snapshots and cheesy formal portraits.  Furthermore, I NEVER saw images of details from the wedding that the couple may have painstakingly put together.

GG: What recommendations do you have when selecting a photographer?

Izzy: Your wedding photography will be an heirloom and its important to find a photographer who will capture all the in-between moments, all the details and beautifully composed portraits to tell a complete story of your wedding day.  Other advice? Be sure to find a photographer you love! These days, people are not only hiring a photographer with great pictures (you are going to find tons of photography that’s great) they’re hiring a photographer who has similar tastes and interests, someone they are going to mesh well with and have a wonderful relationship with.  A great photographer is going to care about you as people, not just as clients.

GG: You’ve recently changed your home base back to the US, but will you still be doing photography in Spain and Europe?

Izzy: Now, I am based in Savannah, GA.  I primarily serve GA, FL, TN and the Carolinas but am available worldwide. I keep my travel fees reasonable because I love to go to new places.  Plus, I plan to return to Madrid regularly, so if you have a special event, it’s quite possible it might coincide with one of my trips. Please don’t hesitate to contact me!

www.izzyhudgins.com

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Madrid Gastrofestival 2012

February 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Erin in Erin | Food and Restaurants | Lifestyle | What's Happening Madrid - (2 Comments)

Madrid laughs in the face of your New Year’s diet, with Gastrofestival 2012. Think of it as a classy follow-up to the other gastro fest that was your entire holiday season (you know, the one filled with turrón, roscón and lots of alcohol – oh, that was just me?).

For foodies seeking to tantalize their palettes at joints across the capital city, this is your week. From tapas bars, to galleries, shops, museums and fancy restaurants, establishments of all sorts invite you to experience Spanish cuisine through the senses.

First, you have a slew of restaurants offering tasting menus from 25€ to a potentially let’s tirar la casa por la ventana price of 75€ (but if you check out the featured restaurantes, you’ll realize this might just be worth it!). Then, you have galleries, theaters and museums, mixing up art and food through private tours, wine tastings and so on. Remind me why this event only lasts for one week?

For those who only feel prepared to throw one New Year’s resolution out the window, you can still keep good on that other goal to rein in spending. Some 24 Madrid tapas bars and restaurants offer a three-euro tapa-and-Mahou combo. Each spot boasts its own fancy signature snack, with your choice of a caña, clara or botellín (small bottle of beer).

A committed researcher, I sampled tapas at four of the featured tapas stops – two in Chueca, two in Salamanca. The general consensus: the bares in Chueca were a lot more generous. Not only did they give us a free regular tapa with our drinks, but the Gastrofestival tapa as well. On top of that, at both they allowed us to swap out our beers with red wine (totally against the rules, apparently). While the two stops in Salamanca had tasty tapas, they were so not into the whole wine-replacement idea, no matter how much my blonde friend and I tossed our hair and fluttered our eyelashes (nope, we’re not above that).

While the Gastrofestival may already be in full swing, don’t fret – three days still remain! Grub on the best of Madrid until February 5th.

 

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Pareja de hecho: making residency easier one couple at a time

January 17th, 2012 | Posted by Erin in Erin | Government | Visas | Work and Employment - (47 Comments)
For many non-EU foreigners, living in Spain legally is debacle numero uno. No easy solution exists, whether it’s finding a company to sponsor you, or a significant other willing to fully commit to ma-ma-ma-marriage. Locating a street in Madrid without obras would be easier.

But recently, something very unexpected changed. As rare as the Spanish waiter that happily and eagerly takes your dinner order, a process here just got easier and tremendously more helpful. I’ll let you digest that for a moment, because I know it’s hard to believe.

Have you recovered? OK, good. Back to business.

The process I’m referring to is that of pareja de hecho. Roughly translated as domestic partnership, acquiring the status originally just meant you got a piece of paper saying “these folks are officially an item” (not terribly unlike that note you wrote your classmate in junior high school). Now, becoming pareja de hecho can actually grant foreigners residency. Crazy, right? And it’s not too good to be true!

Here’s a brief rundown of the requirements and steps:

Requirements:

  • Civil status certificate stating you’re single (must be validated for non-EU foreigners)
  • Empadronado(a) with your Spanish significant other for at least one year
  • Two witnesses
  • Three photos (for Comisaría when applying for card)
  • Copy of entire passport

Steps:

  • Empadronamiento with significant other at the Ayuntamiento
  • Obtain civil status certificate (foreigners go to their embassy/small fee required)
  • Non-EU residents must validate civil status certificate at the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores
  • Become pareja de hecho at the Registro de Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid
  • Pick up certificado de pareja de hecho at the Registro de CAM
  • Apply for residency card at the Comisaría
  • Pick up card at the Comisaría (small fee required)

As with most things in Spain, there’s a good chance that funcionario 1 will say something entirely different than funcionario 2, so expect rules and processes to vary.

Now that pigs are flying, maybe the obras will stop and more waiters will become friendly. One can dream.

 

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Country line dancing in Madrid

December 8th, 2011 | Posted by Erin in Entertainment | Erin | Food and Restaurants | Lifestyle | Traveling outside Madrid - (0 Comments)

Is it just me, or do you sometimes feel more connected with your national roots as an expat than you ever did in your homeland? As an American, this sensation manifests itself in weird ways too: celebrating holidays like Flag Day (seriously), coloring Easter eggs, carving pumpkins, and line dancing.

Yes, you read that correctly. Country line dancing. Here in Madrid.

Not too long ago, I discovered a country western festival happening out at a ranch called El Encuentro near San Sebastián de los Reyes (about 20km north of the city of Madrid).

I went, I saw, and I was utterly amazed.

I also found out that the ranch hosts line dancing and dinner on weekends. I filed the experience under the category “I can’t believe this happens in Spain” and vowed to return.

A couple of weekends ago, I made that inevitable trip back to El Encuentro, where every Friday and Saturday night a crowd of dedicated country-lovers gathers. Friday, a little more beginner-friendly, Saturday, slightly more advanced. With my group of American friends, we went on Saturday, certain our cultural connection with country would elevate us to advanced status (haha!).

Decorated with Native American paraphernalia and American flags (some more appropriate than others), the ranch-style house fit the part. Then, the “authentic American” dinner menu almost hit the mark with its long list of hamburgers, Grand Canyon nachos, and ribs. Never mind the random mention of croquetas and jamón (I can hardly go a day without them, how can I expect the Spaniards to either?).

After filling up on hamburgers that tasted more like meatloaf than anything else, the line dancing began. Spaniards – dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, flannel t-shirts and of course cowboy boots – took to the dance floor like professionals. We Americans just watched in awe, clearly lacking both the commitment and skills.

A few notes of Achy Breaky Heart, though, and our love of cheesy country tunes overcame us. Mostly, we had no idea what we were doing, and just hoped that our American-ness would compensate. Truthfully, though, looking like fools never felt so good. Still can’t believe what you’re reading? Head over to my blog where I’ve got video proof of all the country line dancing awesomeness (apart from me dancing – please!).

Hitchhike, horseback ride or make friends with someone with a car – do whatever it takes to get your booty out to this joint to experience the American tradition at its finest…in Spain. You won’t regret it.

 

Honky Tonky at El Encuentro

Camino viejo de Barajas s/n.

Ctra. N-I km. 23- salida Algete

28700 San Sebastián de los Reyes

Madrid

Tel.: 91 623 68 82

Mov.: 600 428 945