Exploring Spain!

Sorry for the overdue blog about our vacation to Spain. Quick overview: We travelled to Spain with my mom and stepdad, spending one week on the southeast coast in a town called Denia and then one week on the Island of Mallorca. The trip refreshed us in many ways. We definitely got used to the Spanish way of life, including carving out time every afternoon for a siesta!
The first picture was taken during a layover in Madird. Tim is standing in the famous "Plaza Mayor" the site where the Spanish Inquisition took place and which now serves as a gathering focal point in the city.
Denia is known as a fishing "village" but I would argue that it is more of a metropolitan city. One day we watched all the fishing boats come and unload the fish caught for the day and auction it off to all the local restaurant owners.
Being a fisherman is a very dirty/slimmy job after what I witnessed that day. The southeast coast of Spain was beautiful--the hills were covered with citrus and almond trees. One memorable day we took a walk through a back country road through orchards that were lush with ripe fruit. We loved Spanish food--olives, cheese, almonds, cheap wine, Pallela (authentic dish wish rice, veggies, and fish), pastries, and fresh orange juice.
I would have to say that I enjoyed Mallorca the best. The island felt more authentic than the mainland where there was more construction and commercialism. On Mallorca there were beautiful ports along the coast and local farmers held marekts in different towns throughout the week. Here is a picture of one section of the market with baskets full of nuts.
The produce was so big and fresh--it beats grocery shopping any day! There was a huge 13th century Gothic cathedral in the town of Palma that took my breath away. I've never witnessed church of this magnitude that had such ornate stone work.
One day we took a road trip to the northern point of the island and witnessed awe inspiring cliffs dropping into the Mediterranean.
My poor stepdad was sick with bronchitis the first week we arrived, so that was tough on him and my mom during the vacation. Otherwise, we all had a great time being together and exploring the culture. It's amazing how getting away for a week can be really refreshing for marriage too--Tim and I especially appreciated having uninteruppted time together!
On the way home we had one night in Zurich. The city was beautiful in the moonlight. Little bridges cross over a river that flows through the city with shops and restaurants on both sides. I wish we had more time to explore Switzerland--maybe some other time in the future.