We just turned from Spain, my favorite place on earth. I was away from cable tv, newspapers (for the most part), and the Internet for three weeks. And you know what? I only missed it a teensy bit.
My parents took all of us to help celebrate their upcoming 40th wedding anniversary, and we had a great reunion with my brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces. The only one who was left behind was my nephew Anthony, who stayed with Jeanne's parents in Dallas. We also planned our trip around my cousin Maria's wedding to Javi on June 13th, which was the highlight of our visit. So much to share, and I hope you enjoy the photos and some of the stories.
Maria and Javier's Wedding
Cousins Jojo and Simone chat before leaving to 'El Convento' (Monasterio de Nuestra Senora del Soto) for the wedding.
Gaby strikes a pose in front of the hydrangeas in the yard.
Maria had every last detail down. She arranged for several buses to transport us from La Torre to the convent and later to the reception in a different village, and others were used to pick up friends and family from various hotels. This was quite a well planned production with friends and family who came from everywhere.
The beautiful bride descends the stairs.
My cousin Alberto, me, and his godson Joseph Sebastian (Jojo).
La familia
Tio Alberto, Maria, Tia MaAngeles, and Alberto.
And so we headed down the driveway....
Towards the convent...
Daniela carried the arras for the wedding ceremony.
Where Javi awaited his bride...
Christian peeks out as Maria walks down the aisle.
The church acoustics were perfect for the 24-voice chorus, Voces de Toranzo. Sarito's son, Jose, is part of group (Toranzo is the valley in which the village of Soto-Iruz is located). The church was decorated with hydrangeas, which are abundant throughout the northern part of Spain. Maria, who resides in Madrid, wanted to celebrate her wedding in Cantabria; it was always a secret wish of my mother's to marry in El Convento.
And then we went to the reception in a nearby village called Villacarriedo at the Palacio de Sonanes.
We left the three little ones, Gaby, Simone, and Jojo, with Tata before heading off to the reception. There was a language barrier between Gaby and Tata, and I made the mistake of not having Gaby's favorite blue blanket on his bed. Tata later told us that Gaby cried much of the night and she described him telling her, "ka ta, ka ta, ka ta..." and then crying when she did not understand what he wanted. He never did warm up to poor Tata.
Because the pictures taken up to this point on my digital camara were erased...grrr...I am unable to share many more photos that I took of the food we ate, as well as pictures of friends and family at the reception.
Mike had arrived the day of the wedding because his flight had been CANCELLED the day before! He had to purchase a last minute ticket from Madrid to Santander and had no rest and was jet lagged. Somehow he managed to enjoy the evening, which lasted until 5:30 the next morning. The several whiskey cokes and Cuban cigars must've worked wonders; my Dad liked that side of Mike.
When we arrived to the reception, there were cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the patio -- and what food! The best hams, chorizos, seafood, and cheeses kept coming round on trays. And then dinner was served around 10:30. The first entree was pistachio crusted pate with a center of membrillo (much like quince) -- Mike passed on that, so more for us! The second entree was a fabulous salad with a whole lobster -- Mike passed on that, oh but we were lucky to sit near him! The third entree was steak -- Mr. Meat and Potatoes was finally happy. Then the layered pastry cake was delicious, along with the sweets, coffee and liquers. Dinner ended around midnight, and then it was time for dancing! But first the fireworks; Javi is from Valencia and fireworks are traditional for weddings.
At 3:00 AM the chocolate con churros were served along with mini sandwiches (bocadillos). So much fun and good food. If ever you have a chance to attend a Spanish wedding, I highly recommend it. Mike said it was the best wedding he has ever been to and he told everyone as much -- after several whiskey cokes Mike was in Happy Land. Drinks are a 'personality enhancer' for him, but unfortunately the windy roads back to Soto did not agree with Mike and it was a rough reminder of all that he had consumed.
Javi and Maria's friends came from all over Spain, Europe, and beyond. Many comments were made about how much the pair of them meant to each one. A joyful celebration, indeed.
Mom and Dad's Anniversary Celebration
Forty years of marriage is a milestone, and my parents wanted to share it with all of us. They took us to a restaurant where we had a merienda in the evening with endless tapas in our own dining room. It was made more special because our cousins, aunt and uncle joined us. My uncle presented my parents with a lovely framed photo of her wedding and some nice words were shared about her "bravery". My mother married at the age of 22 by proxy to my father. My father could not afford to go back to Spain to attend the ceremony, so my uncle (my mom's brother) stood in for him at the wedding! My grandparents would absolutely not let her leave the country without first being married. She then bravely set off for America alone a few months later to meet my dad. I don't know many people who could do that either.
Then my brothers and I took my parents to El Oso restaurant a few days later in the beautiful mountains (Picos de Europa) near the town of Potes.
The hotel across from El Oso.
Some friendly Brits who travel annually through the mountains let Gaby check out their ride.
There is more to share, and since it is becoming harder to edit and paste photos onto this particular entry, I'll continue soon.
Recently I was able to re-connect with my cousin, Lisa, who was like a sister to me when we were young. Many years had passed since we had last seen each other, but we have fun reminiscing and we remember the same stories. Especially about the mud hole and the moped. She now has three beautiful children, Aaron, Emma, and Ingrid. Our kids get along real well and I am grateful to have them in my life. Aaron is closest in age to Christian. 
And here is Lisa with Ingrid on the right. 
Gravy, red 
