I'm back and August recap!

If you follow my instagram, then you're probably aware that we recently returned from a 12 day driving vacation - mostly Croatia and Slovenia, with a little Bosnia and Montenegro thrown in, and even some Italy and Austria for good measure. It was amazing, I took a couple thousand pictures (I could have exaggerated and said something like "a zillion" but the real number is ridiculous enough), and will be sharing some posts about the whole trip soon. 

Before moving on though, I really wanted to talk about the end of my summer. August was just what I needed after an incredibly rough time (see:  my June and July) and made it clear to me that after 2 years, El Puerto de Santa María is my home. It's the familiar place that I look forward to being after a long or stressful trip, I like the routine and the pace of daily life here, and it has become full of friends and experiences. Of course, it won't last forever, such is Navy life. But for now, I'm enjoying living la buena vida.

So this is just a happy little recap of my August, some events and good times that really bolstered my battered spirits. Sounds dramatic, but seriously, if I could never have so many negative things happen in such a short time ever again, that would be wonderful. Gracias.

Each one of these events could have had its own post, but at the time, I was just happily soaking everything in and loving living in the moment, which was so refreshing. 

Anyway, let's get to the pictures!

This was our third year attending the beach races in Sanlúcar and it's one of our favorite events, so we made a point of going 2 nights, once during each weekend. Both times, we went to the finish line tent.

Horses, sunsets, a little betting (but no winning), drinks, food, and friends. What's not to love? Well, except for the not winning. That would have been a nice bonus. 

Since we had recently traveled to the States twice and to Bordeaux, we didn't travel over Labor Day weekend (Graham gets American holidays, even though the base is Spanish). But we did try our best to get out and see some different sites in our area.

Labor Day long weekend!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend! For my fellow Americanos, it's a holiday, and Graham is lucky enough to have 4 days off (a "96" in Navy-speak). Since we have a vacation to Croatia and Slovenia coming up soon, we won't be traveling over the weekend, but we do plan to make the most of his time out of the office (including a day trip to see beachside Roman ruins). Some people might call this a "staycation" but really it's just an effort to not let 4 days pass by in a complete blur of general laziness.

I'm sure we'll still find plenty of time to relax. And there will definitely be at least one trip to the chiringuito.

Feel free to follow along on my instagram account @meghannbg!

What are your plans? Are you traveling, planning a busy weekend close to home, or just doing a whole lot of nothing? Whatever you have going on, ten un buen fin de semana!

Chiringuitos (beach bars)

I think it goes without saying that I love the playa. And I love the month of August - in Spain it's the height of summer, when many people are enjoying weeks of vacation time, and El Puerto de Santa María is bustling. It's great to see the city full of people going out, enjoying themselves, and (most importantly for local businesses) spending money. But to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the beach in August. 

When the temperatures are reaching into the 100s (or 40s) inland, it seems like every Sevillano heads south to El Puerto and straight to the beaches. Maybe it's my Americana need for personal space, but I just can't handle the masses of people, packed umbrella-to-umbrella. If it's high tide on a weekend in August, buena suerte finding a piece of beach to call your own. The only way to get some sand to yourself is to show up early (10 o'clock might as well be the break of dawn for vacationing españoles), claim as much playa as possible, and leave before you end up sharing a towel with your new beach neighbors, sometime early in the afternoon. 

I prefer when the playa looks like this:

The August crowds, not to mention the lack of parking in the surrounding neighborhoods,  have me longing for September, when the beaches will be relatively peaceful again. But there is one thing about the summer season that I will miss - the chiringuitos.

Bonjour, Bordeaux!

Hola, amigos! How has your summer been? Mine has been steadily, happily improving. It's amazing what a positive effect Spanish sunshine can have. And I've been beyond thrilled to simply be at home, relaxing back into daily life in my little corner of España. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about our last vacation though, just the opposite actually - Bordeaux has been difficult to get off my mind!

We had just 3 days and spent most of that time eating, sipping, strolling, and falling in love with the city. This was not our typical, fast-paced touring trip - hardly any time was spent at historic sites, we walked through just one church, and didn't set foot in a single museum. I do enjoy all of those activities, but this getaway truly felt like a vacation devoted to my favorites things, of which Bordeaux has plenty to offer. And for me, that was the perfect way to spend our time.

So, with that in mind, here is a list of what I consider musts for Bordeaux, if you want a similarly lazy, but delightful trip:

1. Walk along Les Quais, the wide pedestrian path that follows the Garonne River, past the Place de la Bourse. Continue your walk away from the waterfront, through the smaller streets and neighborhoods, dotted with cafes. Pick out your (imaginary for us, unfortunately) new apartment.

Ours is the one with the umbrella...I wish.

Then do the same at night.  

Outer Banks love

On Tuesday, we got back from Bordeaux, the capital of wine...and all things dedicated to the fabulously French good life.  We spent a few (very much-needed) days sipping, eating, relaxing, and belatedly celebrating our anniversary. After what has been a tough month, it was the perfect getaway and I can't wait to post some photos, but I wanted to talk about some other travel first.

Earlier this month, we made a more difficult trip back to the States, and while it wasn't a vacation, I still wanted to share parts of our time on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, because it's a place that means so much to Graham and me. He moved there as a child and grew up there, while I visited for the first time when I was 17 on a family vacation. I haven't missed going at least once a year since then and even lived there for 2 summers during college. 

It's a place that we both truly love and part of the connection between us. Soon after meeting Graham (over 9 years ago!) he invited me to visit him at his parents' home. If their house hadn't been on the Outer Banks, a place I was so familiar with, there was a good chance I would have said no. That tiny strip of barrier islands might be one of the reasons we're married today!

So in honor of such a special place, here's a little collection of phone photo love, just a few things that I miss about an East Coast summer and that make the Outer Banks great.

Crabs and corn on the cob, don't even get me started. Even better with good friends.

Second Spaniversary

July 17th (our second Spaniversary) came and went without us noticing. We had just gotten back from the States and had barely enough energy to heat up a frozen pizza and watch a movie, despite it being the momentous second anniversary of our arrival in España. I normally love a reason to celebrate, but it was just completely forgotten. Transatlantic flights and 24-hour travel days will do that to a person.

In good times...

and in bad.

Those are traditional wedding vows, very similar to the ones Graham and I took a little over two years ago, and that we experienced in the most bittersweet way recently.

On July 2nd, the day before our anniversary, Graham's mother passed away. It was not sudden or unexpected, as many of you who know us in "real life" are aware, and I had alluded to the situation in the post about our trip to North Carolina several weeks ago. 

April had been battling cancer and we are so very lucky that she had many happy years after her initial diagnosis. Our wedding, her visit to Spain last year, and the precious time that we spent with her recently are all cherished memories. 

While we absolutely love living in Spain, this is one of those times that we have acutely felt the literal ocean of distance that separates us from family and so many of our friends. We have received an overwhelming outpouring of support, from both near and far, and for that we are so incredibly grateful. Soon, we will travel back to the States for the memorial service and to spend time with Graham's father, brother, and family friends.

We are doing as well as can be expected, but decided to postpone celebrating our anniversary until our trip to Bordeaux later this month. Right now, we are focused on honoring April's memory, finding comfort in spending time together, supporting each other, and knowing that there will be a better time for champagne and toasting our wedding day, which seems to be the very meaning of the vows that we took.