Spanish Sea and Sangrias

Tranquility and subtle beauty awaited us on the shoreline of the Mediterranean. Joanna and I put on our dresses and walked down to the Sea. We wanted to just sit and relax while possibly gathering some treasures. We thought a lot about where we were and reminisced about our younger days when we took a trip to Maui. Wherever we go together, we have to find a body of water to sit and be thankful for this life. We feel deeply connected to the water, the land, and the air. These three elements all being in one place is magical. We also brought a bottle of wine to share down by the sea which is always a nice time. As we sat and the sun set, we decided to come back the next day for some daytime relaxation. I wanted time to sit with my sketchbook. The night air was warm and inviting and the moon was beautiful overhead. We had to get back to the campsite so we packed up our belongings, trinkets, the empty wine bottle, and made our way back to camp. We spent all night singing and laughing hysterically about our entire trip. It was one of the best nights I have had on a vacation.

The next morning we awoke to some other tourists cooking their breakfast outside our tent. They were German and very pleasant. After they finished their breakfast, they broke camp. Joanna and I just sat and watched them for an hour and they reminded us of circus performers. They had so much stuff to break down, pack up, and were in and out of their tents many times. After they finally left, we were in hysterics again about the whole experience. We decided to walk around the camp, look at the animals, and treat ourselves to the restaurant breakfast with a Café con Leche of course! When we were finished, we sat a bit and took it all in. Camping Barcelona is an amazing place all on its own. Then, it was time to go back to the sea. Thank goodness I brought my bag and had a hooded sweater inside of it. The weather drastically changed from the night before and there was a chill in the air. I love the unpredictable nature of wind. We sat, I sketched, and Joanna marveled at Mother Nature for a while. There was still a good portion of the day left so we decided to make our way to Mataró for some Sangrias at our favorite restaurant.

The owner and his father were behind the bar when we opened the door. This place was amazing and the owner always gifted us a little taste of a drink he really liked. Each time we went there, the drink was different and always delicious. We ordered the White Sangria and some hush puppies. Both were divine. Joanna and I tried Sangria at different restaurants throughout Barcelona and only the one place in Mataró. The clear, or white, sangria was quite refreshing on a hot day and made us feel hydrated. The red Sangria felt like a dance with a loved one. They both were created with fruit, yet the red tasted like a meal, then made us want to Dane, or move about. The white made us feel like relaxing and sitting at the restaurant. We ended up ordering a few more tapas and talking with the proprietor. He and his father had many stories and we ended up staying to meet his mother. We love finding family owned and run businesses when we travel. It is nice feeling like we are helping an actual person over a corporation. The feel of a family owned business also feels more like home. Where is somewhere in the world you would go back to if you had the chance? 

Thank you all for reading and have a marvelous Monday!

-Karen Hilliard