Honeymoon

After all of the work, stress, and fun of the wedding was over we were off to Spain for our Honeymoon.

The location of the Honeymoon was not easy to pick, and after some persuading I talked Verelle into allowing me the freedom to plan the Honeymoon and surprise her with my decision close to our departure. Spain was not the most obvious choice for me, but the more I thought about it the more it fit.

On our way to Spain we flew Portland to LA, LA to London, and London to Madrid. It was not a short flight by any means, and we were not excited when our luggage did not show in Madrid. We did not let the loss of our luggage slow us down.

We quickly made our way to our hotel downtown Madrid. The beauty, age, and history of the city was more then we could have dreamed. Shortly after checking in we mosied down the streets looking for the best place to have our first meal in Spain. The perfect street side cafe came on a quaint ally. With our first bottle of wine and fresh sea-food dinner we were in heaven.



The next morning we strolled back down the street and picked up the bicycles I had reserved for us. Something you should know about Spain is that nothing is that easy to find because the old allies are not labeled and they wind from street to street in obscure angles. Now armed with bikes we were unstoppable. The bikes let us see more of Madrid then any other form of transportation would have and we took advantage of them. That day we saw the historical bull fighting arena, the Real Madrid Soccer stadium, and rode past countless other historical sites. While we got around quickly on our bikes we did not move to fast that we could not still enjoy good tapas and wine, and before we knew it was time for us to return our bikes and get ready to head to our next Honeymoon destination.

On our last day in Madrid our luggage showed up, which was a huge relief. We took a train from Madrid to the city of Barcelona. The train ride was one of my favorite experiences. The mass transit system in European countries in incredible and the Spanish country side is as beautiful as it gets. The plains, sharp cliffs, and rolling hills rival in other country side I have ever seen for beauty.

Barcelona is a lot different then Madrid. Madrid's beauty comes from its age, but Barcelona's beauty comes from its blend of age and modernism. Barcelona is the best example of how street art can coexist with museums, and how old building can be taught new decor.

Our first day in Barcelona we tried to do a lot, but then we slowed down. We started drinking and eating more, and going to less museums. The food, wine, and cheese quality in Barcelona was more then we could have ever wished for. With Verelle prodding me we spent more time laying in the sun on the beach and less time walking around. But, we still managed to see a lot of sites and experience the best of what Barcelona had to offer.


The next thing we new our 10 day Honeymoon was concluding and we were making our way back across the Atlantic via London a night in LAX and then Portland.

I could not have asked for a better trip to start our married life together!