Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Old Town Marbella and the Markets


every saturday 
marbella hosts it's village market.
visiting the local market is such a great
way to learn about the place you
are visiting or living in.
wherever we travel
i try and find the local markets.

i wanted to bring home all 
of these gorgeous spices and herbs.
i did bring home some saffron..
and i'm excited to try making paella.












later in the week we went back
to old town marbella.
we knew we wanted to 
bring home some olive oil
and after a little research,
we found a place here.


this was such a gorgeous
little town to stroll around in.








we finally did find
the olive oil shop
and were able to try
many.
it was hard to choose
and we ended up buying a 
few different ones..
as well as some sherry
and some gorgeous salts!





on our last evening
in spain we had dinner
outside in old town marbella.
i wanted to find a place
with paella and flamenco dancers.
we did see a flamenco dancer
but opted on a different restaurant.
i'm glad we did as
it was such a memorable meal.

sharing meals together is one
of my favorite parts of traveling as 
a family.
not only are we trying new things..
but, when we're here at home
it's rare that we get to eat 
together.
steve travels frequently
and even when he isn't he's never
home for dinner.
every sunday we make it a point
to come together as a family
and have a nice dinner.
 but, when we travel,
we eat every meal together
and it's one thing that i cherish.



















Monday, October 28, 2013

Mijas, Spain



mijas is a charming little town
nestled up in the mountains...
only a few minutes drive from our 
hotel in marbella.

we spent the day here,
had lunch and picked up
some pretty souvenirs.

when i think of mijas..
i think of the white washed buildings,
the bright blue flower pots
and the red geraniums.
a feast for the eyes!










we loved mijas!













Sunday, October 27, 2013

Gibraltar


on an overcast day 
we drove to gibraltar.
for me,
this was one of the 
highlights of the trip.
to travel to the top of the 
rock of gibraltar in the U.K..
look back towards spain
and out towards africa...
was just so very cool.

it took us about an hour 
to drive from our hotel to 
the border.
we parked and took the cable
car up to the top of the rock.
the wild monkeys were 
a huge hit.







hola africa!





back on the ground
we walked around the 
town of gibraltar.
i loved the mix of 
both english and spanish
seen throughout the town.






yes..
i love shutters.
especially chippy 
gorgeous blue/grey ones.



and shutters and wrought iron
are just lovely


we had a great day 
in gibraltar.
we went to an
english pub for 
fish and chips 
and pimm's!

cheers!













Saturday, October 26, 2013

Ronda, Spain



we are home.
and we had an amazing
vacation on the costa del sol!
as hannah says..
it was a nice balance of rest
and sightseeing.
we spent the first few sunny
days hanging by the pool 
and the beach.
we stayed at the marriott marbella
resort.
plenty to do for all of us.

on monday we drove up and over
a mountain to the lovely town of ronda.
with it's pont neuf (new bridge)
that was built in 1751..and took 42 years 
to construct..
and the oldest bullring in andalusia (1784)
ronda was a great day trip from marbella.
a few of us were a little queasy driving 
up the windy mountain road..
but once we arrived the views from the bridge
down through the gorge were breathtaking.
we stayed late and enjoyed a delicious
dinner of paella and tapas of course!








pretty spanish tiles



















this was just ronda!
we traveled to gibraltar 
and mijas during our stay as well.
more to come this week!

while we were away,
my mom came to paris with 
her best girlfriend from high school!
they stayed here in our flat..
and when we arrived home last night
at 9 pm..
the table was set,
and my mom's spaghetti and 
meatballs were waiting for us.
thanks mom and di!
so glad you had a wonderful trip too!