Our Lady of the Rock - Baiona

Our Lady of the Rock is a monument located on the outskirts of Baiona, the best thing about it is the view from the little boat in her hand. It might not seem like it from the picture but it is big enough to fit two people and you can climb to the boat via a circular staircase inside. 

There is a 3 euro fee to climb up but it is definitely worth it for the spectacular views of Baiona and the Cies islands. Below are some pictures from my trip there with Julio back in May of 2015. It was one of our first "dates" when we were getting to know each other, how time flies...

Views of Baiona from the little boat

Julio and I in the little boat

Dayna in the little boat, it was windy!

R.S.V.P.

Coming Soon...

Wedding Menu

Scallops - Hotel Talaso Atlántico

Food, food and more food. If you thought Americans know how to eat, you might be surprised that I think Spaniards eat more than Americans! Spanish weddings, at least in Galicia, are long and all about the food, typically a full service five course meal that lasts anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. Ours will be...

Appetizer/Cocktail Hour
Location: Ocean View Terrace (weather permitting)
5 cold appetizers and 5 hot (including octopus and grilled scallops)           
Beer, wine, and soft drinks 

Dinner
Location: Banquet Salon 

- Cold Seafood Course (crab, prawns, mussels)

- Scallops (baked)

- Sorbet

- Steak 

- Dessert

The north of Spain has some of the best seafood in the whole country. They know it, their proud of it, and they like to show it off. In fact, most Galician people judge a wedding by the quality and abundance of the seafood. Galicia is also very famous for its octopus. We will have both at our wedding. Some of the seafood isn't the easiest to eat, so be prepared to dig in with yours hands and get a little dirty!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Do I need a passport to travel to Spain?
• Yes, you do! If you don't have your passport already, get on it, because it can take up to 6 weeks to process. For more information click here.

• Do I need a visa to travel to Spain?
• No, you don't. The U.S. has a 90 day travel agreement with the European Union. For more information about entry into Spain and the European Union, click here. 

• Should I rent a car?
• It is up to you, but driving in Spain is nothing like driving in the United States. The roads are much narrower, they are not well marked (most street signs are on buildings), free street parking is difficult to find, or you end up paying for parking in a parking garage. 
• My two cents: If you are adventurous, prepared to pay a premium for an automatic car or know how to drive a stick shift and are good with maps, GPS, and parallel parking, go for it, if not I don't recommend it. There is plenty to see and do in Baiona that doesn't require a car and taxis are readily available.

• Do I need an international driver's license?
• It depends on the car rental company, some require an IDL, some don't. You can get one at AAA. 

• Is there public transportation?
•  There are fantastic transportation systems in Spain both private and public. ALSA is the most common private bus for all of Spain and Europe, as well as a public bus ATSA, which travels in our area, and the train . These options should allow you to travel nearly anywhere you want in Spain. 

• Do people speak English?
• It depends, in airports and major metropolitan areas like Madrid, Barcelona, and touristy areas like Santiago de Compostela and Baiona you should have no trouble finding people who speak English, not necessarily well, but enough to communicate. However, if you go off the beaten path to small pueblos the likelihood that people will speak English decreases dramatically.

• Can I visit Portugal?
• Yes, absolutely! Portugal is very close, less than an hour by car, and the borders are 100% open. If you rent a car, or take the train, there is no border check, making travel to Portugal very easy. Julio and I do it at least once a month if not more! Portugal generally has a good English level, higher than Spain, because their economy depends largely on tourism. Another benefit, is that it tends to be a bit cheaper than Spain because the average salaries there are lower.

• When are the Spanish meal times?
• The Spanish daily schedule is a bit different than the U.S. 
• Breakfast: 9:00 - 11:00 am
• Lunch (the biggest meal of the day) 2:00pm - 4:00pm.    FYI: Most stores and shops will close during this time.
• Snack: 6:30pm - 7:30pm (a coffee or a small sandwich)
• Dinner: 9:00pm - 11:00pm (lighter than lunch)

Registry

 

Although the greatest gift of all would be celebrating our wedding with ALL of our loved ones in Spain, we know that for many that simply won't be possible. 

For anyone who would like to send a gift we have thought of the following options:

  

1. Corte Ingles Registry  - available June 2018

This account will be available online starting in June 2018 and will stay open until September 2018. 

Due to the difficult of transporting items internationally, we won't have a gift registry in the U.S. Therefore, we've created one here in Spain at the department store called "El Corte Ingles."

-However, since the El Corte Ingles' registry's currency is in euros, and some banks/credit cards charge additional fees for foreign/international transactions, we have thought of a different option for those guests wishing to send gifts in U.S. Dollars. 

2. Gifts in U.S. Dollars 

We kindly ask that anyone wishing to give gifts in U.S. Dollars, please mail a check made out to Dayna Cleland to my sister's address in Saginaw, MI. 

You may address the envelope to: 

Dayna Cleland

c/o Shannon Robbins

11840 Gratiot Rd. 

Saginaw, MI 48609

We hope this information will be helpful to those who may be curious about gifts. But, as we said before, the greatest gift of all is being able to share this special occasion with all of you, whether it be from near or far!

Where to Stay

Where to stay depends a lot on if you plan on renting a car or not. 

We recommend staying in either: Oia or Baiona

Hotel Talaso Atlántico where we are getting married is beautiful but...there isn't anything to do or see within walking distance. The closest town is 10 kilometers in either direction, so if you stay here it is best to rent a car. 

However, you may want to stay there just the night of the wedding for convenience since the party will go until at least 2:00 or 3:00 am. Our guests receive a 20% discount on rooms the night of the wedding. If you would like us to block you a room, please let us know A.S.A.P because August is a busy tourist month. 


Oia - (Best with Rental Car)



 
Also known as Santa Maria de Oia, it is the tiny rural fishing village where I taught English my first year in Spain. There is a beautiful old monastery, two restaurants, a coffee shop, a small supermarket that Julio's brother in law and sister own, but not much else. Most people in this town speak very little English, so if you don't feel comfortable with that it may not be the place for you. Also, it is best for those who have a rental car and can go explore some of the nearby sites, since there is not much to do in Oia. Parking should be easier because it is a small town.  

Hotels & Inns - Oia  

Dayna's Recommendations:

Casa Puertas

Casa puertas is considered a "casa rural" or in English "rural house", comparable to a quaint rustic Inn. The owner is someone I know personally, and they have the best thick Spanish hot chocolate,  churros, and cakes for miles or in this case kilometers. It is in the center of the village so you can park the car and walk to the restaurants and monastery nearby. It is 15 mins by car, just down the road, to the wedding venue.

Hotel Glasgow

I haven't stayed in this hotel, however, it is 10 minutes from the wedding venue, has a pool, which Casa Puertas doesn't, and is more economically priced than the wedding hotel.


Baiona - (Best w/out a car)




Baiona is medium sized summer tourist town. It has a beautiful castle, beaches, a historic medieval city center, lots of restaurants, shops and cafes, and is walkable from one end to the other. Baiona is a sleepy town in winter, but the population increases ten fold in the summer, which is why we don't recommend having a car here.  It is an easy 15 minute taxi ride to our wedding venue from Baiona and 30 minute taxi ride from the Vigo airport. 

If you do decide to rent an apartment or book a hotel here with a car make sure it INCLUDES PARKING, there will be very little to no street parking available in Baiona!  

Hotels & Inns - Baiona

Dayna's Recommendations: 

Pensión Mosquito 

Best for couples or individuals, not families. This hotel came recommended by our wedding coordinator at the Talaso. Great location, prices and views of Baiona. If you are interested I recommend booking A.S.A.P. because Baiona is popular.

Villa Zoila

These are two bedroom apartments, with a full kitchen,  ocean views, and parking included. FYI: There is a three night minimum stay. Great location on the edge of downtown Baiona within walking distance of everything and 15 minutes by car from the wedding venue. Their website is only in Spanish, but all the reviews are excellent. If interested, I recommend booking A.S.A.P.  If you need help making the reservation contact Dayna.

Other Options:

www.booking.com

I use this site religiously when booking hotels and apartments in Spain and Europe.  This site reviews hotels and apartments on a scale from 1-10. 
FYI: In my experience anything under a rating of 8 can be sketchy, so be prepared.  

www.airbnb.com

I know many people love this site, personally I haven't used it yet. Be prepared that if you book through AirBnb it is with a private owner and most people don't speak great English here. Airbnbs don't typically have a standard reception desk, you will need to coordinate picking up the keys and check-in with the owner. 

Wedding

Date: August 25th, 2018
Time: 6:00pm
Where: Hotel Talaso Atlántico     
As Marinas - Mougas
36309 Oia Pontevedra, España 

Ceremony: 6pm - 7pm
Hors d'oeuvre: 7pm- 8:30pm
Dinner: 9pm - 11:30pm
Drinks & Dancing: 11:30pm - 3:00am

*times are approximate