Photojournal: San Sebastian

 For me San Sebastian is a lost city belonging to a lost generation. While we were there I kept thinking of Hemingway and his Lady Ashley; Fitzgerald and his Nicole Diver. Had they also walked this road? Had they, in the sudden onset of a rainstorm, ducked into a cafe and sat with a cappucino as I was? Which beaches had they loved the best, which narrow streets, which bars? It was impossible for me to forget this city's history. This was no doubt reinforced by the cloudy October day, which made the beaches appear faded and inhospitable, the buildings damp and dirty. But we liked it. Instead of glamorous expats there were fishermen at the harbor; instead of exciting nights there was a slow day; and of course, the pintxos in the Basque capital were great.

Photojournal: La Rioja, Part II

La Rioja was a quiet place. At siesta time you could've heard a pin drop on the stone streets of the medieval towns. Whatever activity persisted would certainly be centered around a pintxo bar in the main plaza of town; perhaps a table occupied by a group of workers stopping for rest and a bite to eat, or a family on holiday. Spaniards here like to sit. We would often pass a bench on the outskirts of town occupied by an elderly couple or two friends. Often they were talking; just as often they were not. People in La Rioja understand how to take life slowly, which is a miraculous thing for two Americans to see. However, we took the cue and passed the time slowly ourselves, and on more than one occasion enjoyed a bottle of cava over the course of an afternoon on our terrace.

Photojournal: La Rioja, Part I

A year ago, my then-fiance and I bought a camera with the intention of getting good enough at photography in one year to be able to return from our honeymoon with beautiful photos from Spain. We practiced a lot, learned a lot, and took some pretty bad photos, but in the end, I feel we've met our goal: although still solidly amateurs at the craft, we came away from our 10 day trip with several photos that I know we'll keep for a lifetime. I'm dividing our photojournal by region, starting with La Rioja, the first stop on our trip. The wine country in La Rioja certainly gave us some good material: in addition to it being harvest time for the vineyards, the open, rocky landscape and medieval hilltop towns were a feast for the eyes. I hope you enjoy these snapshots from our trip! Stay tuned for San Sebastian and Barcelona.

Beginning

At last the wedding is over and we've returned from our honeymoon in Spain. Everything was a blast, but I think the best part was returning home to our normal (and newly wedded!) life together. A photojournal of our time in Spain will come soon.....in the meantime, here is my favorite photo of us from our travels.

Also try heading over to Blue Pool Road and checking out Peggy Wong's travelogues, they are beautiful!

Summer's last push

 I love these photos from Tamara Lichtenstein on Etsy. For me, they epitomize both the leisure and intensity that comes with summer. But September in Chicago is truly a seasonal transition: the early part of the month is planted firmly in summer's territory, but by the end of the month fall has definitely taken hold. Time to enjoy these last warm days....

Flowers

Usually I like to share my own flower photos, but life's been hectic lately, and while the house still has fresh flowers every week the camera hasn't made it out much. So today I'm sharing some beautiful arrangements from Amy Merrick. Enjoy!

Back on Board

 Its been a hectic couple of weeks--2 weeks of business travel, starting to move into a new apartment, and getting ready for a new job. With all that activity the blog has taken a backseat, but I'll be getting back into it soon with more recipes and photos to come. The photos above are a couple of my favorites from our recent trip to Austin, TX. They remind me of what is quintessentially Austin for me--sun, swimming, and friends. For more photos, check out our new flickr photostream (hopefully the link works, I'm new to this!).

Coming Back

Just returned from Austin last night, and now I'm making a steady descent back into the regular world. The whole time I was there I felt like these photos--free, warm, happy. It's home for me and there is no where else in the world like it. Which is why, as Kyle says, we'll "claw our way back" if we have to.

Travelling in Style

Kyle and I are doing a lot of traveling this year. Our next stop is Austin, TX (its my hometown but I only get to visit once a year), then after that we visit Montreal in July, and for our honeymoon in October we'll head to Spain. In honor of all this traveling, here is my little three step guide to having a great trip: 

1. Pack your camera and a good wide-angle lens into camera bag organizer
2. Insert camera bag organizer into purse
3. Take great photos

Isn't that easy?

Italy photo via feel the current

Summer

This was the first weekend this year that its truly felt like summer. The last couple days I've slept with the windows open, wore short sleeves outside, bought fresh flowers from the farmer's market (aren't they pretty?), and made homemade raspberry jam and ice tea. My favorite season has arrived!

Simple Scenes

I've been getting lost in the photostream from the creator of the blog 3191 miles apart. Such simple scenes of home that reinforce what is really beautiful and important in life. Take a look, I promise its worth it.

Citrus Medley

Isn't citrus the most beautiful fruit? Here's a little collection of citrus photos from some of my favorite bloggers, in lieu of a recipe post.

The posting has been light lately due to long hours at work and lots of travelling. We just returned from a fantastic weekend in NYC filled with amazing food, cocktails, and shopping. I'll share some of my favorites from our trip soon!

Photos: For Me For You/ House of Brinson/ The Blue Hour/ Weekend/ The Blue Hour