Hair Fascinators - Tocados

Perhaps no one has made them more fashionable then the one and only Kate Middleton, but yes hair fascinators are a thing here in Spain too! Many guests, and immediate family members of the bride and groom wear fascinators at weddings, it's quite common. So ladies... if your feeling like getting your European style on get one, I mean where else will you get the opportunity to feel like Kate Middleton or Meghan Merkle for the day?!?!

Although maybe not like this... 

Or this...

Registry Live / Lista de Boda Activada

Our registry is now available online at the following link until September 2018:
Name: Julio
Surname: Perez Diego

Corte Ingles Registry - English 

Nuestra lista de boda esta activa y estará hasta septiembre de 2018
Nombre: Julio
Apellido/s: Perez Diego

Corte Ingles Registry - Español 

Marisco = Seafood

Buey - Brown Crab

Dayna with a Centolla = Spider Crab

Seafood is a BIG part of the culinary tradition here in Galicia, obviously because we are located right on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The fishing industry is also an important part of our economy and if you ask any Spaniard where you can eat the best seafood in Spain they will most likely tell you Galicia. 

Over the course of my 4 years here in Spain I've eaten so many things that I'd never tried before in my life, most of which is seafood and fish. Seafood is also a very important part of the Christmas & New Year's eve celebrations and surprise surprise Weddings... 

No Galician wedding would be complete without plates and plates of seafood. Galician people are extremely proud of the quality of their seafood and their culinary tradition. In fact, most people judge how good a wedding is by the quantity and quality of the seafood. 

Here is a list and photos of some of the seafood we will be having at the wedding. These pics are from our New Year's Eve dinner with Julio's family! 

Centolla = Spider Crab
Buey = Brown Crab
Langostino = Prawn 

Dayna with a centolla (spider crab)

Underside Buey

Dayna with buey (brown crab)

Santa Tecla

photo credit @turismoaguarda.es

Santa Tecla is a mountain on the Spain-Portugal border. It costs 1 euro and it's a 30 minute drive from Baiona, but it's definitely worth it. The panoramic views from the top are absolutely breathtaking, showing Spain on one side of the Miño river, and Portugal on the other.

photo credit @spainisculture.com

In addition to the spectacular views, there are also Celtic ruins that date back to the 4th Century B.C.! The remains were discovered in 1913 during construction for a new road. There is also a bilingual museum with more detailed historical information about the area from B.C. to modern day.

For more info (times, directions, etc...) check out these websites:

http://www.turismoaguarda.es/monte-santa-trega/?lang=en

http://museos.xunta.gal/en/masat

Parador - Baiona, Spain

Photo Credit @parador.es

Want to visit a castle that dates back to the 12th century? And the first place in Europe to receive the news of the discovery of America in 1493?

Look no further than the Parador in Baiona. Spain has converted many old castles into luxury hotels, spas, and restaurants. The parador in Baiona is one of many throughout Spain, but it is the only one with ties to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. For more information about the history click here. For more photos and videos click here. 

Dayna's Recommendation: There is a 2-3 kilometer walking path that goes around the outside of the castle wall, with beautiful views of the ocean. Or you can go inside the grounds and have a meal or an afternoon coffee in the restaurant. The meal or coffee will be expensive, but it is definitely not something you can do in the U.S., and the views must be breathtaking. Sadly, we haven't done it yet, but it is on our list! 

Fun fact: Julio and I walked around the castle at three o'clock in the morning after one of our first nights out. We got stuck in the rain, and our first kiss happened under the roof of the security area just inside the gate. It was magical...

Faro Silleiro

Photo credit @ http://vueltaibericafaros.blogspot.com.es

Faro Silleiro is the lighthouse right next to the hotel where we are getting married and it has spectacular views of the coastline. We are planning on taking pictures there during our "trash the dress" photo session with our photographers after the wedding. 

It has a 3,000 watt lamp that can be seen for 40 miles. Parts of it date back to 1862 and it was originally lit with vegetable oil! The majority of the structure standing today is from 1924. 

Definitely worth the drive up the hill to see the views if you have a car, or have a taxi take you up on the way to the wedding!

Photo Credit @ http://www.farosdegalicia.es/faro-de-cabo-silleiro-baiona/

Photo Credit @ http://www.turismo.gal/

The lighthouse is even more beautiful at night. 

Photo credit Diego Charlon Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/diegocharlon/

Above it there are some old remains of artillery batteries, canons and a military headquarters. During the day its neat to explore the old graffiti covered buildings and take advantage of the gorgeous views. 

Photo Credit @ https://www.flickr.com/ph

Café con leche

photo credit @ www.thespruce.com Lauren Aloise/ Spanish Sabores

Listen to our conversation about this word here:

The literal translation for this is "coffee with milk" but that definition doesn't really do it justice. It is similar to what Americans would call a latte, but it's got a little bit different flavor, and like all things European much smaller in size, typically 6 oz - 10 oz. It is my favorite coffee here in Spain and it's typical for breakfast, mid-morning, and in the afternoon. Prices usually range from 1 euro to 1.50 

Pro - tips: 

I usually ask for a "café con leche grande" to get the biggest I can! 

Unless you specify it will come with whole milk, to get it with skim it's "cafe con leche desnatada". 

The world of ordering coffee in Spain is quite varied with lots of options, for more coffee types and ordering info, check out this blogpost by Trevor Huxham, another American who did the same teaching program. He also has lots of great information about Galicia worth checking out.