IN LOVE

Fresh seafood market near our apartment
Sagrada Familia by Gaudi-short walk from our house :)

1st day-1st sangria


1st cava (spanish champagne) on our balcony the 1st day

Beautiful green park near our place

Another Gaudi building with Emre

Emre with 'Jamon' huge aged legs of meat-some at 60 Euros per kilo!

...with this city!!!! We are so in love with this beautiful place!

As the plane was landing in Barcelona a couple of days ago, Emre commented 'This place better be **bleeping** good'. As you all know we have gone through a lot to get here, and thankfully with first impressions it is even better than we imagined. The city is architecturally absolutely beautiful. Everywhere you look are huge ornately decorated buildings and most are surrounded by huge green treees and green areas-how different from where we just were!

As we walk around it has the great anonymity of a big city, very diverse, multi cultural and just has a great energy in general. The beach is gorgeous (forgot camera that day, so will get pics of it soon)...people are very friendly, there is music in the streets most everywhere, tapas restaurants on most every block...wonderful gelato.. feel..pants..tighter..already :)

We stayed in the heart of the city the first two nights but have now moved a little further out to our apartment for the summer. It is in a great quiet area full of small boutique shops and tons of cafes. This morning on the way to Sagrada Familia (sp?)--the amazing building by Gaudi in the photo...we stopped for a 'cafe con leche' (coffe with milk)--see how AMAZING my spanish is already..ha!..and a crossiant at a tiny french run cafe..., heaven :)

As of tomorrow it's the start of some normal work day stuff so that we can make it possible to stay here longer. Emre will get to work, we'll apply for our social security like numbers, I'll apply for as many jobs as I can possibly find and start preparing to teach english private lessons.

We are SO enjoying our time so far..will write much more soon, thanks for coming on this journey with us, and come and visit soon!

Barcelona by Morning :)

We leave tonight!! It'll be a 9pm 'nap' until 2 am, shower, taxi ride at 3am to Larnaca, Cyprus airport, 6am flight, one hour layover in Athens, and Barcelona by 10.30am....... see you in Spain!! ;)

Love you!

Almost there!

Emre's KungFu moves..entertainment at the hostel
May Day Parade in Larnaca, Cyprus-so many mullets on display we lost count

Emre's birthday night

Us with good friends Christos and Stella-Emre's bday

Found this smoking hukkah doll on display in North Cyprus. Emre says this is how Turks like their women

Italian pasta lunch at the hostel made by our Sicilian friend Matteo (holding the pasta)

Almost! Last time I posted we were ready to buy our tickets and run away run away!! but...Emre's boss had other ideas. He's needed to stay to get some work done here before we head to Barcelona. But what we do know is that it is agreed that we will be leaving no matter what by the end of May, and thanks to Emre's hard work and putting in 12 hour work days we will probably be able to leave by the end of next week! The idea is to have a few days of actual vacation time in our new city before we buckle down and get to work. Can't wait!

We've found a 2 bedroom apartment right in the city centre which we will move into on June 1st. So, come and fill the second bedroom all of you! :) My mom and step dad are just days away from buying tickets to come at the end of July for a week or so...soooo excited! I love you guys and cant wait to see you! Grandma and Al, let's talk, would love to see you asap..you mentioned July...Emre's parents are also coming at some point...let's organize! :)

My Spanish is coming along fairly well. I spend minimum of one hour a day studying so lets hope its enough to get me by to start. The woman who we are renting the apartment from suggested I do what she did when she first moved to Barcelona (she's from the UK). She charged 20 Euros per hour to teach private english lessons. She is leaving behind all of her lesson plans etc. for me to use. On top of that plus my job searching a great friend of mine from grad school has come up with a brillant online business idea and has recruited Emre and I to help out. I will be doing all of the e marketing and am very excited about this idea, I think it has really great potential! I've started doing a lot of research to do that role and am very excited to get started. Will keep you posted.

This past Saturday was Emre's 33rd birthday. I've posted a few pictures. We had a great time! The same friend who has loned us her old apartment until we leave, invited us to have the bday party on her new roofdeck. Lots of great food and drink--good times good times :).

It is getting really hot in Cyprus--in the 90's most days. Sweaty fingers slipping from the keyboard as I type. No, seriously. SO hot. Barcelona's cooler temps will be so welcome!

That's all for now I suppose. Time for an ice coffee to cool down! Love and miss you all dearly!

VIVA SPAIN!!!

On Monday night we were having the conversation of what to do next as we were afraid the visa was not coming as it had been nearly one month since we applied. We were weighing our options and feeling a bit bummed that the dream hadn't come true for the moment.....we went to sleep, woke up, called the embassy and GOT OUR VISAS!!!! They are good for 6 months, and by that time the idea is that Emre and I will have great jobs and be able to renew our visas and stay longer. Here's hoping!

We will get our plane tickets today but should arrive next Wednesday. We've arranged a nice 2 bedroom apartment in the Gracia area of the city (right near the city centre). And so--the 2nd bedroom is waiting for all of you to come and visit!! Wine and tapas on our balcony, walks to the beach, amazing architecture, beautiful parks, driving to south of France...see you soon!!!