Spain 2017

An epic trip we took in October back to one of the countries I feel so at home in!
Before leaving for the airport, I went to the beach in the morning to do yoga and stretch out before the long trip ahead. I set an intention for the trip and decided I was going to try to live fully in the moment instead of worrying about the next moment or place we would be heading to. I would take everything in and be more still. It was lovely to have a specific theme I was working on during the trip so I would love to remember to do this before my future trips.

We spent the first few evenings at Dave's brother Steve's home in a tiny medieval village an hour from Barcelona. Steve recently got married to a wonderful Spanish woman and had a baby boy so it was a treat to get to catch up and witness their beautiful life in rural Spain. She is a tour book writer for their area of Spain so she knows all the best places to go. Their home is one of my favorites that I have ever seen. It was 4 levels with the roof being an open veranda that looked out over the beautiful countryside surrounding the village.

The 3rd and 4th evenings of the trip we went back to one of our favorite travel destinations! Cadaques, Spain. We went to our special hiking spot the first night that we discovered the last time we were in Cadaques 2 years ago. It is a little spot hidden away next to the sea around rocky terrain. It is so fun to climb down into this rocky nook and relax in privacy while watching the waves crash against the rocks. The next day we hiked all day long and discovered another cool private beach. We slept well after our active days in a sweet little minimalist hotel near the city center. Steve's wife recommended a crazy awesome tiny vegan restaurant that was tucked away into an old basement at the end of a street. Most of the streets in Cadaques are car free so there are many little restaurants tucked away into nooks and if you blink you may miss them. You can see the unique old restaurant named "Brown Sugar" in the photo below, what a spectacular atmosphere this place had! 

 After returning back to Steve's house, we went on a nearby outing to explore his city on a hazy afternoon. 

The following evenings we spent in rural Spain at the most insane house for Dave's family reunion. Steve's wife's mother is a caretaker of this huge home out in the mountains. At the end of a very long gravel driveway you end up at this ancient 2 story house that is filled with so much home inspiration it is unbelievable.

 We went on another beautiful outing nearby with Dave's father and took a pretty hike. We discovered the smallest medieval village and it was simply amazing. We hiked to the top of the cities old lookout and could see the whole village down below. What an adventure this day was!

Before heading home, we spent a rainy evening in Barcelona because I had to visit my Plaza Catalunya! I called this place home for 4 months during the Spanish Revolution in 2011.

 The best way to prepare for a long day of travel is to get as much yoga in beforehand anyway you can!