Are you guessing? If so, I’m dying to know what you think it is. Or maybe you’re dying to know what it actually is? Either way, I wish we could have this conversation in person over an Aperol Spritz (I will definitely be bringing the joy of spritzes back with us).
To choose just one thing is quite difficult. There are so many physical “things” that we can’t get at home in the US or that are of completely different quality.
Food is the perfect example. We’ve sampled many local dishes that I’ve never heard of and probably will never eat again. Shopping for groceries is one of our favorite events when we arrive somewhere new. It’s interesting to wander the aisles and markets and see what’s local, fresh, and popular. (One random find. Anyone remember Melody Pops from the 80’s? The lollipops that are shaped like a whistle and play music. They still exist here, and I now know the torture of multiple children “playing” them on a road trip. Sorry Mom and Dad.) The twins eat everything when we’re traveling and it’s miraculous. Whole fish, eyeballs and all? No problem. Fresh red peppers, cucumbers, and carrots without anything to dip them in? Yes, please. The attention to food, its quality, freshness, and origin inspire me, and I hope it will continue to when we come home.
(Were you guessing I would bring home Spanish jamon? Specifically, jamon iberico de bellota? If so, great guess! But that’s not the answer.)
One regret I have about traveling light is that we don’t have room for many mementos. We buy small things like magnets, beaded bracelets, and knick-knacks; but I wish I could fill our future home with remembrances that bring our trip to the front of our minds. Instead, I keep a journal of everything we do (it’s a 330-page word document so far!) and write these blogs so that Ollie and Elsie can look back and remember where we traveled. Our photos are a true treasure, but they never fully capture the beauty of nature or of the spectacular buildings, museums, and palaces.
(Were you guessing I would bring home the colorful hand-painted tiles throughout Spain and Portugal? If so, good guess. But those aren’t the answer either.)
No, the one thing I wish that I could bring home with us isn’t really a “thing”. It’s something that has made us happier, healthier, and more connected to others in our short time in Europe. I believe it could change the lives of so many by reducing social isolation, and it is a prominent part of Spanish culture (although we’ve seen it in other countries too). I didn’t even know there was a specific name for it until recently.
The answer is…..Paseo. Yes, like the parkway in Kansas City.
Except paseo isn’t a place, it’s a culture—the culture of strolling. In Spain, people of all ages get outside to stroll, usually in the evening. And while they are strolling, they meet their friends, chat, and stop for a drink or a small bite (this may be why they don't eat dinner until after 9 or 10PM!). They stroll for the sake of strolling, not for the sake of going somewhere. They aren’t counting steps, or listening to a podcast, or dictating text messages to Siri. Getting outside and connecting are the whole point. When was the last time you did that? It definitely wasn’t a part of our daily life at home.
Before our gap year, I woke up at 4:45 A.M. because it was the only time I could find to workout. I really tried to get daily exercise and relieve some of the stress of my job and the demands of being a Mom. I tracked all my efforts on my watch and checked it often to see my status. If I did go for a walk, I was going somewhere specific, or multitasking. I was usually walking alone. I hated talking to strangers. The thought of staying at a Bed and Breakfast while traveling made me cringe. (I liked the anonymity of a hotel room and an elevator where you could rapidly push the “close door” button before that other person in the lobby gets in.) This makes me sound antisocial, but I’m really not. I truly enjoy connecting with people and didn’t realize how many opportunities I was missing to do it more.
Now, we stroll. We go out without a specific plan or a destination (except when hiking) and without airpods in our ears (unless listening to an audio walking tour). We look and listen. We strike up conversations with strangers. We sit on a bench because we find a beautiful spot, or the kids find a random playground. We stay with families in remote areas of Albania (ok, this still made me a bit uncomfortable). We are healthier because we are outside and moving and because we aren’t trying to multitask—it’s a myth that anyone can or should multitask as much as we do.
It may all be a less efficient use of our time, but we don’t care. That mindset is truly a gift and a complete change in perspective. I’d actually argue that it makes us more efficient. We’re choosing time over everything else. Our old life feels completely insane now.
Paseo is undoubtedly easier here in Europe, but I’m really going to try and bring it home with me. And when I think I don’t have time, I’m going to start tracking how much time I spend scrolling on my phone and replace it with strolling. I’m going to strike up conversations with strangers (and get over the feeling of being a weirdo) and make a bigger effort to meet up with friends and family.
Paseo is my favorite part about Spain. But there is so much more that we have enjoyed in this beautiful country. I’m going to share a few of our experiences now. It’s a bit random, but we’re “strolling” baby, and coming across some unexpected things.
Sevilla
Orange trees line the streets of Sevilla. I truly felt like we had been transported somewhere new and different. (Until I saw the Cathedral of Sevilla. The Kansas City Plaza is modeled after the Cathedral’s bell tower, and it felt warmly familiar.) The orange trees continued to feel enchanting until Ollie started kicking the oranges that had fallen to the ground like soccer balls. That quickly got very old and very sticky.
We loved Sevilla and its very palpable soul. It was our first opportunity to see the Moorish architecture of the Andalusian part of Spain. I’ve wanted to see if for as long as I can remember. The Real Alcazar (official royal palace in Seville of the King and Queen of Spain) and the Cathedral are unforgettable. We listened to the Rick Steve’s Audio App for a walking tour and wished we had been doing it all along (guess we’ll have to start our trip over). We learned so much!
Winner of best tomb we've seen so far goes to Sevilla. Christopher Columbus' remains are in the Cathedral and his tomb is epic. The bronze memorial features his casket being carried on the shoulder of the 4 Kings of Spain that ruled during his lifetime. It leaves such a huge impression.
We enjoyed tapas more in Sevilla than in any other city. The pedestrian street just outside the Cathedral had many options and we tried a few. We dined al fresco and sampled local dishes. But when we ordered several dishes (four to be exact) all at once, an elderly man walking by our table felt the need to yell “tanto come!”; it means that we eat too much. We were mortified! It didn’t seem like a huge amount of food, so we asked our waiter why he said that. The waiter motioned as if he was putting food in his mouth. Then he said, “Well, you are American, and Americans eat too much!”. ( I couldn't believe it! Especially because I wasn't judging THEM on the serving size of their gigantic sangria glasses!) We laughed the whole way home (thanks to the sangria) and started only ordering two plates at a time.
Cordoba
We stopped in Cordoba on our way from Sevilla to Granada. Our destination was the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. We watched a National Geographic special about it a few years before and I couldn’t believe we were visiting in person. We have toured so many churches, but this one is entirely unique. It is a very old mosque from the time of the Moors that was later converted into a church. At one point, both a mosque and a church existed on the site together peacefully. The mosque was built with double-arched interior supports painted in red and white stripes. We’ve never seen anything like it, and it was an engineering feat at the time. The building has been added onto and modified over several centuries. The most unique change is the cathedral that was built right in the center of the mosque, like a hidden easter egg. It is so different than the rest of the building, it’s almost jarring.
Granada
Our road trip to Granada made me wonder if every olive in the entire world is grown in Spain. Olive trees lined the hills as far as the eye can see for the entire drive. It’s breathtaking. Arriving in Granada, however, felt like a big city. The Alhambra palace was the primary reason for our visit. We couldn’t wait to see more of the Islamic architecture, and it didn’t disappoint. We also managed to find a carmen where we could sit with a drink and watch the sun set over the Alhambra. It was a dream.
Unfortunately, our Airbnb was one of the worst we’ve rented. The power went out constantly and turned off the heat. There were water leaks, and it smelled like smoke. The icing on the cake was the parking garage. We laughed out loud when we saw it. Our car was not large, but we were certain it wouldn’t clear the roof above the ramp to the garage. When the Airbnb host suggested that we “just try it”, we realized that we were going to have to solve this problem on our own. Thankfully it cleared but getting the car out of the garage when we left was one of the top 3 most stressful moments of the trip. After spinning tires and a lot of back and forth between Henri and I (aka yelling), he was able to make the turn up the ramp but also nearly ran me over. When we were finally out, we jumped in the car and never looked back.
Madrid
We had just arrived in Madrid. As I stepped out of the door of our apartment to let Henri in the building, I promptly slipped, falling down an entire flight of stairs. I wondered in that moment if I was going to enjoy Madrid at all. It happened in slow motion. I remember thinking that I wouldn’t be able to throw my phone that high in the air and have it land on my head again even if I tried. Not a good start.
But things started to look up. Another Rick Steve’s audio walking tour under our belts, we hit the major sites. The kids were particularly excited about a Flash Mob in front of the Royal Palace! I personally loved the Royal family's Stradivarius collection because I'm a huge nerd. Another highlight was chocolate and churros at San Gines. It looks like a tourist trap but isn't, and is totally worth the wait.
We also found a neighborhood restaurant called Mamua where we ate every night and visited with the warm and friendly staff. They were so kind that they didn't even scold us for trying to eat dinner at the unbelievably early hour of 7PM.
I was in Madrid 20 years ago on a day when the famous Prado Art Museum was closed. I’ve always felt like I missed out and was really looking forward to it this time. Overall, though it wasn’t my favorite. The art was dark and a few of the famous pieces by Goya truly scared the kids. At least now I know.
We spent our last day in El Retiro Park. Despite it being winter, it was lovely. We enjoyed (you guessed it) strolling and visiting some of the unique buildings, including the Crystal Palace.
Valencia
Next on the list was Valencia; it surprised us! We chose it because it broke up the train journey from Madrid to Barcelona. We did not expect to fall in love with the city and the incredibly friendly people. We wished we could stay much longer than our 3 days.
The Old Town is still partially fortified by towers and gates. The Central Market in the heart of the city is one of the best we’ve visited in Europe. It was here that we had our first taste of jamon iberico de bellota. At $130/kg, we savored our few slices knowing that it was a one-time thing. We also found a hole-in-the-wall tapas joint frequented by locals. I never thought sardines could be so good. It turns out that lamb neck, though, is as disgusting as it sounds.
Our favorite restaurant, though, was Desempanadas in the Old Town. Their selection was huge and the empanadas were absolutely amazing. We were back the next day, especially because the owner and his family were the nicest and I wanted to drink the chimichurri sauce.
The Church of San Nicolas (also known as the Sistine Chapel of Spain) is shockingly beautiful and La Lonja, the old silk market, is a fascinating UNESCO world heritage site.
We enjoyed paseo here more than anywhere else. We discovered a modern and beautiful shopping district and a large city park. For the kids, the highlight of Valencia was the Gulliver playground. It features a massive model of Gulliver laying down in the sand. His arms, legs, belt, hair, and hat all form huge and fun slides. The kids played for hours.
Valencia is a gem. It was much cheaper than other destinations in Spain and has so much to offer including beautiful architecture, shopping, and incredible food. Put it on your list.
Barcelona
What more can I say about Barcelona, except that it is fabulous. Compared to Valencia, though, it felt busier and touristic. We took every opportunity to see the modernisma architecture, especially by Antonio Gaudi. Elsie is very imaginative and creative, and Barcelona really resonated with her.
Of all the dozens of magnificent Catholic churches we have toured in the past 9 months, none compared to La Sagrada Familia. I’d seen the exterior but never been inside. It took my breath away. I felt like I was walking into heaven. The stained glass flooded the space with color and the massive pillars made us feel like we were strolling in the forest. Words and pictures cannot do it justice. I will never forget it or the awe it stirred in all of us.
We ate at some amazing restaurants in Barcelona. One place I have to mention is actually a cafeteria at the top of a Spanish department store called El Cortes Inglese. The 9-floor shopper's paradise is right on Placa de Catalunya in the heart of the city. On the top floor, is a self-service cafeteria. The prices are amazing and you can try traditional Spanish dishes (several varieties of paella, spanish tortilla, jamon). The views are stunning! You can see all of Barcelona from the seating area. We loved that view so much, we visited 3 days in a row!
The End
Ok, that’s it for Family Funishment paseo through Spain. Our trip was a whirlwind (sort of like this blog post). But we don't regret trying to cover so much ground. Each city and area of Spain has its own energy and we are grateful to have experienced so much. Above all else, the Spanish culture of connection is inspiring. I’m going to hold that close as I continue to focus on healthy priorities and less on productivity.
Thanks for reading. Wishing you all a day of more strolling and less scrolling; it might just change everything.
Love,
Steph