Knitting and City shots

Since my entry was so crabby yesterday, I wanted to include some pics of the city, because it really is a beautiful place. Cadiz is considered to be the most ancient city still in existence in Western Europe, and the legend of Herculus is strongly tied to here, as some believe that one of the mythical pillars was here. These pictures are from La Plaza de la Catedral, where some lovely restaurants are located, as well as our students' favorite: Ben and Jerrys.

We have been doing some major knitting here in Spain, which is pretty funny because all the students are knitting scarves on the beach in 90-something degree weather. Here are some of the knitters in one of our afternoon meetings.

If I have to go to the hospital one more time, I will scream

Everyone has been asking me how things are going here, and I have to say, it really depends on when you catch me how my answer will be. Yesterday, for example, we had a really fun class where the students broke into groups and had a certain amount of money to spend and then a certain amount of time to buy food and prepare it. Everyone's dish was then rated on taste, presentation, etc. Then, me and some of my co-workers headed to the beach, where we scored some free lounge chairs by the hotel (avoiding paying the usually 4,50 euros fee); got some tintos de verano and great food at a bar/restaurant there, and then headed back later in the afternoon for knitting and a tour of the local cathedral. That night was the students' free time, so we all (the "counselors" as they call us), went to a really, really nice dinner. We were just thinking about getting dessert when two of us get simultaneous calls from a student's dad and the watchman at the residence that one of the students was throwing up in the bathroom from severe dehydration. This is the same student we all saw on the bus earlier heading to the beach, and told on four separate occasions that he should put on sunscreen. Not only did he not put on sunscreen, but he also did not drink water or eat anything except an ice cream during the six-hour period at the beach. We took him to the hospital last night, and I have been there with him all day. This is the sixth student we´ve taken for one ailment or another this month. So, don't ask me right now how things are going :)

Cadiz is trashy these days, but Gibraltar is worse

The garbage people of Cadiz are currently on strike. Which means that there are piles of trash growing everywhere, and the city is starting to smell pretty bad. This is all taking place a couple of days before the big sailing regatta gets into town later this week.


The other day we crossed the border into Gibraltar, which is a British territory in the south of Spain. This is my third trip there, and I have to say, I have never really liked Gibraltar very much, but after Friday, I swear I will not go back there. Ever. Due to its geographic location linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, Gibraltar for centuries has been a major strategic point, both economically and militarily. Tourists go there to see vestiges of military history; ride the cable car to the top of the rock; eat fish and chips and spend way too much money for everything. Especially ice cream. (More on the later). There are actually some amazing caves in the rock that are really cool to see. Everyone´s other favorite part (present company excluded) of Gibraltar are the Barbary Apes that roam freely all over the rock area. While they may at first appear cute and seem interesting for being the only wild monkeys in Europe, they are actually pretty shady characters these apes. And let me tell you why: they steal anything they can. But most importantly, and most cruelly, considering you are on top of a huge rock with no shade in 90-something degree weather, they really like ice cream. Now, everyone tells you to be careful with your newly acquired Wally´s Mint Magnum, but you think, "well, duh, obviously I will not be walking towards a monkey with an ice cream in my hand." But what you do not realize is that you don´t have to be anywhere near one of these buggers to lose your ice cream. They will simply swoop down from the trees, grab your ice cream, use your chest as a diving board to jump back into the trees, and then sit just out of reach, eating your nearly-$5 Mint Magnum. Of course when this happens, you let out a scream because you almost just got knocked over by a freaking money, and you no longer have your ice cream, but you do still have a 20-minute walk uphill without shade awaiting you. And you have just become the amusement of all the women, men, and children in the area. Not to mention the monkeys who are also laughing at your stupidity. So, there´s nothing left to do but find a cool pub, get a pint of Caffreys and a plate of fish and chips and get yourself another ice cream for dessert, far off the rock and away from those darn apes. And never, ever, go back there.

Wedding Pictures

My photographer, Michelle Stapleton, just send me a link to the digital shots from the wedding. We have a lot more coming in print form, but for those of you who were there, you'll want to check these out, because you probably appear a couple of times. She and her assistant Hannah did such a great job, and I am very excited to see the rest when I get back next month. They were a lot of fun to have around, too.

To my secret pal: I did get a package- thank you so much! I can't wait to see what it is. I hope my mom will bring it with her when she comes to Spain, so I don't have to wait another three weeks to see it.

Still Here in Cadiz

So, the days are going by, and for the most part I can say I am enjoying myself. I am missing my puppy and husband and quiet life in Winona, but this is a beautiful city and I am working with great people, so I really can't complain too much :)

Here is my baby before I left, just begging me to take her with me. She is doing well and being taken care of, though, so I can't let myself feel too guilty about abandoning her for the summer.

I have been teaching some people here to knit- we have quite the little group now. I have also been working on a summer knitting project with yarn purchased in my last Spain trip. However, I ran out of yarn today with only a little left to go, which is horrible because I can't find another store here that sells it, and I think the one in Madrid will be closed for summer vacation when we go. This is very frustrating, and I don't understand why this keeps happening to me lately.

Cadiz skyline from the beach


View from my room


My knitting project that may never be

Wedding Pictures! (Last ones, I promise)

Ok, so I finally got the picture thing straightened out. So, here are a few more pics, and these will be the last because really, how many pictures of the same people, same day, same place does one need to see? (Note: these are in reverse chronological order because I am paying by the minute and don´t want to take the time to switch them)


My family


The best man (Juan's friend Alfonso) and maid of honor (my sister Meridith)


The bride and groom


The kiss to seal the deal


"Unity sand" during the ceremony- sand from both our shores


Vows and rings and such

Details: We were married on Sunday, June 25th at 11 a.m. at the Dockside Guest Quarters in York, Maine. The reception followed at the restaurant there. It was a gorgeous setting: a small peninsula in a harbor full of fishing boats and sail boats. It didn´t rain, either :)

Happy 4th of July

Ok, so I am little late with that. Obviously, they don't celebrate the 4th in Spain, but we did so by going to the beach and having a picnic and soccer game that night. The program has been going really well (we knock on wood everytime we say/think that :) and tonight is their first "free night," so we'll see how that goes. So far we've had a lot of fun things planned- a tapas night on the rooftop terraza here at the residence, beach day, watching the World Cup game last night in a main plaza here with the rest of the town, lots of gelatto breaks... tomorrow we're taking a day trip to Tarifa, the southernmost point in Europe. On a good day, you can see Africa across the strait. Tarifa is also the windsurfing capital of Europe (maybe the world?- not sure how official these titles are :) and has a cool vibe to it- it's like a mix of Spain, California, and Morocco.

I'm still working on pictures. I have found a really cool cafe with a computer where I can download my camera files to my jump drive, but I can't seem to open the files here. I'll keep trying, though. I am also working on a fun summer knitting project that I hope to post pics of soon.

My friend Chris who I am working with here in Cadiz just spent the last month in Morocco, and included lots of details and info on his blog (see the Peripatetikos link to the right)- if you have some time, check it out. He is the paragon of travlers.

In Spain again

For those of you who don´t know why I keep going here, I´m actually getting paid to go to Spain twice this summer. My last trip was with college students who are here for the summer. I just showed them around, dropped them off in the town they´re studying in, and went back home. This time I am with 35 American high school students and 4 other staff members for the month. We live in a residence, they take classes and then we have activities and trips. I´ll include photos of Cadiz when I find a computer that lets me upload them.

We got in yesterday afternoon. The only mishaps so far were quickly resolved. One student from NYC left his passport at home, and his parents were also at JFK because they were about to get on another flight to Europe. So, they called the doorman who went up and found it. Then the student´s friend who was also going on the trip went by and picked it up for him and brought it to the airport. Then, the other staff member who was going to be there got in three hours late, and since she doesn´t have a cell phone, I wasn´t sure if she was going to make the flight and couldn´t talk to her to find out where she was. But she arrived with a half hour to spare, so issue solved. We´ll see as the program progresses if the good luck continues.

Below I have posted the only pictures I can at the moment. I hope to be able to get some clearer shots of us together up soon.

Flowers everywhere

We have flowers all over the house due to the wedding festivities this past weekend. I am including shots of the bouquets below. (No wedding day shots yet- I'll post some when I get them, and I'll include details then).

My wedding bouquet. It had green hydrangea, cymbidium orchids, sweet peas, black calla lilies, and the spiky ones are thistles.

This bouquet we actually have two of: they decorated the posts of the stairs I walked down from the porch to the isle. (The ceremony was outside)


This gorgeous bouquet is from Juan's parents. They sent it to us the day before the wedding, since they could not make it to the Maine ceremony.

These have been decorating the house for a week- I love lilies.

I also found a fabulous cookbook at the Christmas Tree Shop the other day- I was supposed to be looking for wrapping paper, but I came away with other great finds, too. I've already started reading the cookbook- I love learning about culture through food. I'm anxious to try some of the recipes, especially now that I have some great new cooking tools. Too bad I can't use any until almost September!

Summer in Maine

On Sunday we went to Cape Elizabeth, the town next to ours, for some really delicious lobster rolls. We brought a tablecloth, flowers, wine- all the furnishings to really celebrate Father's Day in style on a picnic table. Here we are, about to dig in to lunch.


Mobi came, too, and waited for falling crumbs below the table.

The Lobster Shack is right next to Two Lights State Park (the white lighthouse below) and down the road from Portland Head Light, which is actually in Cape Elizabeth, but offers views of Portland down the coast.

Happy Fathers' Day!!

So, today is fathers' day and to celebrate we are going to the best place in town for lobster rolls. It is a gorgeous location, right on the water, and for an added bonus you get to fight the seagulls while they try to take your fries when you're not looking. I will take pics and post later. I will also post shots of my dad's gift, which he hasn't opened yet, so I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Below I have posted the latest progress on my mother's sweater. I finally got the rest of the needed Summer Tweed and completed the second sleeve. I attached the two front pieces to the back at the shoulder and have picked up stiches to make the collar.

First post for June (!)

I have been so busy running around like a crazy person, my little blog has been neglected. When I got back from my 10 days in Spain, I found out I will be teaching full-time this fall (yeah!). I've since found out I will be teaching OVERtime this fall, but I jumped at the chance, because it is a literature class. (My main interest). Somewhere in there, I will also need to be working on my paper/exam that I had hoped to complete by the end of the year. I will be getting my own office, though, which will be a first, and should help keep me focused.

So, I spent my one day in Winona getting paperwork together and then we were off--out to Maine, stopping in Michigan and New York along the way to visit family. Since being in Maine, I've been getting the wedding details finished, while also working on my other upcoming trip to Spain- this one for two months. Since I'm the director of the program, I have a lot of paperwork and phone calls related to that. I've also been in what I lovingly call "boda bootcamp" (boda=wedding in Spanish), which involves power yoga for and hour and a half most days at a studio in Portland. It helps me stay a little more stress-free (theoretically, anyway) and will help tone me up before the big day.

To My Secret Pal

Can you send me an email with your anonymous email address, and I'll tell you my best snail mail address. Thanks!!!

El Rastro de Madrid

So I finally got Internet connection here- it wasn't wireless and it was a little complicated, but I got it figured out eventually. I've been having a wonderful time in Madrid with some students from the university where I teach, though I am a bit worn out. And I haven't even taken part in the "marcha madrilena" (Madrid nightlife). Today we went to the Rastro, a huge outdoor market in the southern part of the city. It has everything you could imagine for sale- clothes, books, antiques, furniture,jewelry, etc. Oftentimes, there's live music playing throughout the area, too. The Sunday tradition is to do a little shopping then "ir de tapeo" (basically bar hopping with food involved). So, that's what we did. Here are some photos I took there:

New York, New York

My trip to New York was fast. I went for an orientation conference for my job in Spain this summer- In July, I'll be directing a month-long high school program for American students. What you see above is about the extent of my New York visit- the view from my hotel's balcony. That would be a part of times square right there. Great location, just no time to explore. We did go out on Friday night to Vlada (could be spelling that wrong)- an infused-vodka bar close to the hotel. It was a lot of fun to see my friends from last summer and meet the new summer crew, too.

I am actually about to go to the airport for Spain. The hostal there should have wireless internet, so I am hoping I'll have a chance to update this page some more there.

A Sleeve is done: One down, one to go

It was a rainy, chilly weekend. So I got to watch a lot of movies, read, and knit! I had a stack of DVDs I had taken out from the university library at the beginning of the semester (one of the perks of being faculty: semester-end due dates ;) and finally have had a chance to watch. So, I have finished a sleeve of Jane, from A Yorkshire Fable. The color practically blends in with the carpet in the photo- though in actuality the yarn is green with flecks of brown, white, and dark green. I'm really loving the summer tweed yarn- this is my second sweater I've knit with it, and I will continue to use after Jane is done. (Stay tuned for THAT project).

Unfortunately, we didn't gage the right amount of yarn at the store, and I'm almost out. Luckily, I'm heading to New York City on Thursday, so I will get more then. Any recs out there for good yarn stores in NYC that carry Rowan yarn?

I finished Devil in the White City the other day- what a great book! I couldn't put it down- I think I read the whole thing in three days. Now I'm working on finishing a cute book I picked up while camping last week. It's a true pioneer story about a girl at the beginning of the century- sort of Laura Ingalls Wilder-style, which is exactly what I was in the mood to re-read. It's a good substitute for now. Speaking of...I'm off to read in bed a while- good night!

I should be in Milan

At least according to the fun little quiz below.
And where should you be this weeknd?

You Belong in Milan

Stylish and sophisticated, you want to enjoy a truly European life - away from tourists! Milan fits you perfectly. Great shopping, high quality food, lots of culture... with very little hype.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Latest Knitting Project

I've been working on a cardigan for my mom. She picked out the style and yarn colors, so it's not really a surprise to her, though I bet she will be happy when she finally gets it.

The pattern is Jane from Rowan's A Yorkshire Fable. I am knitting it with Rowan's 4 ply tweed and Summer tweed. (The pattern calls for Aran Tweed, but we decided the cotton/silk blend would make it more versatile).



I leave you this evening with a pic from the delish treats we had at my house last week during the "Knit Wits" meeting. There were quite a few younger girls there, so I made cupcakes in fun spring colors. The oranges were originally for display, but the kids actually went for them before the cupcakes! They all got eaten in the end, though. To drink we had herbal iced tea- a recipe I got from the Barefoot Contessa: 4 tea bags each of red and lemon zinger tea (steeped in 4 cups of hot water) then mixed with 4 cups of naturally sweetened apple juice. Chill and enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

One of the most important aspects of vacation away from home is being happy to be back. Of course, the fact that Winona had temps in the 70s all week while we were sleeping in the low 30s probably has contributed to this relief. Then again, I woke up this morning in my own bed to a rainy day with highs in the mid-40s. *sigh* It's spring in Minnesota.

Other than the weather, we had a great time and I will include details in the coming days with accompanying photos. It was such a weird feeling to wake up today and have nothing that I HAD to do- I have a couple of projects related to my upcoming trips to Spain and my oral exam for my doctorate this fall, but there was no place I had to be today. I won't lie- it's a nice feeling. I spent the whole morning with my nose in a book- I started The Devil in the White City last night before going to bed, and I have not been able to put it down since. I've already read 150 pages. It's been a while since I've been so engaged in a book.

Below are pics from a lovely dinner we had while in Maine over spring break. I used some recipes from Giada's books, and got to use my new bridal shower gifts, too!

Barefoot wine, a great, very affordable choice for all kinds of meals; toast rounds with fresh parsely and garlic; raw veggies and hummus.

Juan's favorite: shrimp with his special salsa rosa.

The main course, Barefoot Contessa's oriental chicken salad- so, so, so good!

For dessert we had balsamic cream with fresh strawberries and orange wedges with vanilla ice cream.

I wish we had thought to get photos of the people, too, but we were just so excited about the food, I guess we forgot! In attendence were my parents; my aunt Diane and uncle John; my pal Amelia; and Juan and myself.

A Brief Respite

I am done for the semester!!! I have turned in all grades!!! We went camping last weekend, then came back for yesterday and today, and we'll be heading out tomorrow morning for a week-long trip up north, past Duluth, MN, on Lake Superior. Be prepared for some major camping pics when we get back. My home connection doesn't work at the moment, which is why I haven't been able to update more frequently. Now that the semester is over, I should be able to update more often, when I'm not in the middle of the wilderness, that is.

The Secret Pal 8 has begun, so I must leave my info for my secret pal. The rest of you can skip over it, or read it to learn more about me and my knitting habits :)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I prefer natural fibers- wool, alpaca, cotton, linen, silk, etc.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a little tin on my bookshelf that is just bursting with all my knitting paraphernalia.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting since the summer of 2004. I would say I'm intermediate-advanced since I like to try challenging patterns, but still have not tried colorwork beyond stripes nor can I seem to master the fine art of lace knitting.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Well, I have my wedding registries... (Crate and Barrel, Williams and Sonoma, Pottery Barn) Other than that, none.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I cannot stand vanilla- it gives me a headache. Otherwise, all is good. I have a strong preference for green tea and "water" scents rather than flowers.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I love dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I sew occasionally and I like doing beaded jewelry.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I really like Tango and Fado music, and I love to find out about new types of music from other countries. I'm pretty open to most kinds of music. I can play MP3s on my computer and Ipod.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? In terms of yarn, I am a "winter," so I tend to go for blues, greens, eggplant purple, black, and grey.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my fiance and our Boston Terrier, Mobi Ramekins.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I love scarves and wraps as well as hats that keep me warm in winter.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sweaters

13. What are you knitting right now? I am knitting a cardigan for my mom.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Definitely

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer bamboo/wood circs

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? no

17. How did you learn to knit? My friend Lisa and I took Stitch n' Bitch on a road trip together and figured it out between each other and the book.

18. How old is your oldest UFO? One year. It's a crochet skirt- I've been trying to teach myself how to crochet but I think I have the wrong sized hook for the yarn.

19. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving because I get to see all my family and eat lots of good food.

20. Is there anything that you collect? I'm working on building my cookbook collection. I love the Barefoot Contessa and don't have any of her books. I also like to find old etiquette books in used book stores.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I subscribe to Rowan magazine and read knitty.com. I would love the Loop-de-loop book and any of the Rowan "Classic" books.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would love to try fair-isle knitting and I've been trying my darndest to do lace, though I don't seem to have the concentration necessary.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am not a sock knitter, yet, though I keep thinking I should give it a try. I wear a freakishly small size 5 1/2 or 6.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 12/28