Thanks to Robyn, An American Girl in Sweden, we kindly covered for each other while traveling this year. Check out the pictures below and visit Spain! Not just to pump some dollars into their economy, but because it’s a beautiful country with incredibly generous, friendly people. My most recent two week adventure to Spain included the historic sights of Madrid, a visit with cousins in Avilés, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, to die for food in San Sebastián, a barrio flamenco show in Huelva, seeing the new Parasol in Sevilla, and dipping into the Atlantic in Punta Umbría. Also, I must share the best highlight of the trip- My boyfriend proposed at one of my favorite spots in the world, Punta Galea 🙂
Besides the language barrier, Spain is more familiar than you know. The climates are similar to California, much of the same foods are grown there, and the hospitality is phenomenal. Interacting and being engaged in your community is important to the Spanish people, and it reminds me a lot of San Luis Obispo. We’re very fortunate to live in a walking/biking community, have organizers of social gatherings such as Thursday night Farmer’s Markets, Concerts in the Plaza, etc., and a strong encouragement to support local economies. Vice versa, our trip to Spain wouldn’t have been the same without one couple that felt this familiarity too.
My fiance and I met Sergio and Begoña in SLO last summer. They’re from Punta Umbría in Andalucía, Spain. They decided to take a holiday to California and the original plan was to travel up the coast starting in LA. They got as far as SLO and stayed 8 weeks! They were enamored by our culture and impressed to find a place they wanted to call home for two months. If only my fiance and I could have lived in Spain for two months. They and every other person that we visited and met in Spain treated us like locals and family. It was an unforgettable getaway for many reasons. Though everyone reading this won’t get engaged when you go to Spain, I think you’ll have a great experience too and find your home away from home.
– Adrienne