Liz Lantz | Photography | Blog

Sevilla - the last batch

2012-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Art installation at the contemporary art museum in Sevilla, created as a commentary on the looting of ancient columns and architectural pieces from throughout the city, before various sites were protected.

Provoking question at the contemporary art museum

Typical entryway in Spain

Ancient columns in the Barrio Santa Cruz

Soaking up the sun in a plaza

Hotel still life

Coastline

2012-01-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some more images from our first jaunt into Portugal, taken just down the coast from Vila Real de Santo Antonio. I think the town was called Monte Gordo, but I'm not 100% on that. It was really interesting to see the forest pretty much right up against the sea.

I think I miss the ocean so much when I'm not near it that my mind completely shoos it away to prevent me from being too sad. I don't think about too much while I'm out in the streets of a city, but as soon as I see the sea, I'm overwhelmed to the point of tears and I just want cry, laugh, splash and surf. This happened to me when I took these photos, which was the first time I saw the ocean since we left San Diego, and has happened to me every time I've seen the coast since! Most recently in Manarola, Italy. Damn I love the water. We'll be on the coast of Morocco for about 18 days within a week or so and I can't wait.

On another note, do these pictures look really blue to you? I am posting from a less-than-desirable laptop and I don't trust the color as far as I can throw it. It'll be good to get back to my calibrated Mac eventually :)

Let's go to Portugal

2012-01-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some images from our first trip in Portugal, when we rented a car and drove from Sevilla to explore for a few days. These were taken in the first Portuguese town we stopped in right over the Spanish border, Vila Real de San Antonio.

Streetview

2012-01-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

We are nearly reaching the end of the Sevilla pictures! I enjoy them but I'm really excited to take you to Portugal...

a couple of more pictures from the soccer match, sevilla vs cadiz

2012-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Mas retratos, Sevilla

2012-01-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

The two guys with the canes are German carpenters in the midst of their Journeymen years. You can read more about it here, but the gist of it is that these guys are literally walking around the world for 3 years, with nothing more than what you see in the picture. Pretty cool, huh?

Italia

2012-01-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

My many posts from Spain may lead you to believe I've gone back there or something, but we're currently living it up in Florence, Italy. Since Spain, we have been to Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic! I'm just really slow on posting. Plus, I don't like to post a ton of images in one post...you do have other blogs to read, I know. Anyway, I thought it would be good to take a break from Spain and show you a slice of our life at the moment.

We have an apartment in Florence and will be here for a total of 3 weeks when all is said and done. Then Rome until the end of January, and then we're off to Morocco!

Agua de Sevilla

2012-01-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Rowing and tennis along the Guadalquivir River

Plaza de Espana

Parque Maria Luisa

There is actually a cocktail called Agua de Sevilla, but these have nothing to do with that. Just some random water shots around the city. I think I've said this before but if you go to Sevilla, definitely carve out some time for the beautiful water fronts and parks in the city. Especially Parque Maria Luisa - it makes you feel like you've escaped the city and headed back in time.

Interiors, Sevilla

2012-01-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

A mixture of interiors; tapas bars, markets, my friend Lola's house, and a random hotel.

Portrait, v2

2012-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Another view of the tobacco man in Granada

candy from a convent

2012-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

One of the interesting experiences we had in Sevilla was buying candy at the San Leandro convent. They're famous for a candy called Yemas, which are...different to say the least. The exterior is a really, really dense sugary crystalized shell with a liquidy "yolk" (yema means yolk in Spanish) inside that tastes really buttery and sweet with some very subtle caramel taste. To get the yemas, you have to go through a special door of the convent, through a courtyard to a wooden turnstile window. You ring the bell and a voice comes from the other side and says something like Ava Maria Purisima. There is a proper response but I didn't want to misrepresent myself as a Catholic to a nun, so I said, "Can I please buy 2 yemas?" and the answer, 3 times in a row, was, "No, sorry, we are all sold out. Please come back tomorrow."

Yep, they're that famous! They sell out before noon almost every day if you want to buy them individually. They do sell boxes by the pound, but my waistline does not need a pound of candy sitting in my apartment.

Finally, on the fourth try, the answer was yes, so we got to put our money on the turnstile and spin it round. Lo and behold it was turned back to us with candy on the tray! What fun. I would have really liked to meet the nuns who make the candy, and of course take their picture, but that's not how they roll. It was a really cool experience and I suggest you stop by there if you're in Sevilla. Personally, yemas are not my favorite sweet, but they're worth trying. In fact, they're so popular among Sevillians that even the major grocery stores stock the 1/2 and full kilo boxes and sell them for a hefty price. Unfortunately, I can't find the photos I took of the actual candy, but you can have a looksie here.

mmm....love

2012-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

3 views: art outside

2012-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

Graffiti in Sevilla...well, almost. The middle piece is a bold statement at the contemporary art museum.

Evora #1

2012-01-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Greg told me that it's really funny to watch passerbys watch me take photos. He said they do a double take, and look really hard with an expression that says, "Huh? What is she doing? What am I missing?"

I was tickled to hear this, because that's always what I strive for in my photography - to show people the every day stuff around them that is worth paying attention to. Cheesy as it may sound, there is magic and beauty to be found 'round every corner. Even on an average day.

One afternoon I went for a walk around Evora (Portugal) and saw the scene above as I turned the corner. I think this is a great example of an every day scene worth a second look.

Details, Espana

2012-01-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Alcazar

2012-01-07T06:44:00.000-08:00

Spanish fans from the 16th century

I really enjoyed the shapes and forms within the Alcazar, as well as the history that sparked my imagination. Who's idea was it to line the fountain with these beautiful tiles of birds and ladies? I couldn't help but wonder about the people that used those fans when I saw them. I'm a sucker for history and fancy dress. You can read all about the Alcazar here and here if you're interested.

Good idea

2012-01-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

A simple suggestion from Portuguese hotel soaps. It's so obvious but sometimes we lose sight of the obvious, don't we? Enjoying life is the general idea of my new years resolutions, and also my wish for you in 2012. Enjoy your life :)

Happy New Year!

Found: foliage and other bits of nature

2011-12-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

Some photos from Spain and Portugal exploring the natural surroundings and representations of nature found along the way. I'm writing this from Berlin...man I miss the sun!!!!

Two arches (inside the Alcazar, Sevilla)

2011-12-28T07:45:00.000-08:00

Inside the Labryinth of the Alcazar

2011-12-27T08:15:00.000-08:00

Batata doce and purple biscuits

2011-12-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

I headed out one evening for a photo hunt at sunset in Odeceixe, Portugal. The skinny trunks of some trees lining a field caught my eye, so I pulled over and hopped a fence to make this photo. The mud was like quicksand, really sticky and wet, so I literally ran right out of my shoe while heading back to the car.

As I was heading back to the car I noticed a truck pull up to the trees and a man got out...I didn't pay much attention but noticed he had some character as I drove by, and I saw piles and piles of purple skinned somethings on the ground and in the bed of his truck. Always interested in food and farming, I pulled over again and had a chat with the guy.

Sounds simple, but I speak only very, very, very, broken Portuguese and he spoke Spanish slightly better than my Portuguese (no English). However, we could communicate enough for him to let me know he visited Florida and New York and really liked the United States, and that he had spent the day harvesting the sweet potatoes. I told him about our trip and that I'm a photographer who loves to cook. He was kind enough to send me home with a big bag of sweet potatoes. They were like candy...seriously the best sweet potatoes I've ever had. I used them to make sweet potato biscuits for Thanksgiving that were outta sight!!

If I had known sweet potatoes were exotic and hard to find in Northern Europe, I would've picked some up in Portugal for the road. When we got to Belgium, I planned on making these same biscuits as part of a meal we were preparing for our hosts. I found some purple potatoes in the store (where everything was in French, which I don't speak), and thinking, "well, maybe the skins are just more purple here, since in Portugal the skin was purple and not orange," I bought them for the biscuits.

Turns out those were just straight up purple potatos, and let me tell you, they made hilarious looking biscuits. They were tasty but ugly as hell....some reaction created green flecks in the purple dough too! Our hosts were brave enough to try them, thankfully. Anyway, meeting this farmer, cooking with the potatoes, and then following up the experience with a purple potato mishap has been one of my favorite experiences on the trip :)

Granada #2

2011-12-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

It's a little strange not to be with family during the holidays, but we're still getting into the spirit, Euro-style. It's been so interesting to learn about different traditions and see how the holidays are celebrated abroad. I grew up celebrating Christmas, so my attention has largely been on that holiday...and frankly, I don't think you can ignore Christmas, even if you're not Christian. I'm really behind on editing, unfortunately, but I put together a small selection of images to share some of what we've seen.

The Christmas market in Sevilla, Mercado de Belenes, was all about nativity sets. Every stall had accessories and figurines to personalize them. Here we see a lovely display of miniature nativity sausages.

So many cities we've been to have Christmas decorations hanging over their streets. Most have lights, but are rarely lit up. Tonight (Christmas eve) was the first time we've seen any lit up on the trip. This image was made in Sevilla.

Greg hanging out in a sand dune pit, trying to stay out of the cold winds in Peniche, Portugal

Display in a church yard, Peniche Portugal

Grocery store tree, Evora, Porgual. Yep, those are little bags of bread hanging from the tree!

Bar interior, Brussels, Belgium

Christmas flowers at the Blomenmarkt, Amsterdam

Random ornament hanging in Vondelpark, Amsterdam

Amsterdam holiday window reflections

And here are some snapshots...the first nighttime Christmas market we went to was in Brussels. It was fully of lights and holiday spirit! Since then we've hit up markets in Gent, Antwerp, Amsterdam & Goslar, Germany.

The mannequin-pis is a famous tourist attraction in Brussels, and you can see he got into the holiday spirit on the side of this booth.

Greg and I were wandering around Brussels and night, and happened to get to the Grand Plaza in time for a light/music show and Christmas tree lighting ceremony. It was one of the best most Christmas-y things we've ever experienced. The lights went along with the music and were choreographed to match the texture and sculptures on all the historical buildings on the square. It was SO cool. The tree is above, and there we are enjoying the show.

Gent, Belgium at night in the rain (but it looks like snow, right?!)

Snow! So far we have just had COLD rainy weather, but our Couchsurfing host (and now friend) Quint took us up into the mountains outside of Goslar for some sleighriding. These are some of the first snow covered trees we saw.

We had an amazing time sleighriding, and wrapped up our sesh with a snowman! Here we are with Quint and our cold friend.

I hope you have a very happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate! We are celebrating with our good friends, Tina and Jesse, in Berlin.

Granada #1

2011-12-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Looking up

2011-12-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Granada, Spain

Arch detail, the Alcazar, Sevilla, Spain

Trees in the courtyard of the Alcazar

Steps leading to a secret garden (I didn't get to discover the secret as I shot this through a locked fence)

Architectural detail, Alhambra, Granda

See the little archway covered by a partially opened curtain between the two blue pots on the left? That's the entrance to someone's house! One of the gypsy caves in Sacromonte, a neighborhood in Granada. People have been living here for centuries. I would have liked to have been invited in but this is all I could see from the street.

the Alcazar, Sevilla, Spain

I really liked this tapestry in the Alcazar, Sevilla, Spain

the gardens of the Alcazar

Outside the contemporary art museum, Sevilla, Spain

Christmas market with cathedral in background, Sevilla

This one is for you Rachel J! xoxo (autumn leaves, blue sky)

Retratos en Espana (Portraits in Spain)

2011-12-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Granada, Spain

Painter in Granada, Spain. We followed signs on the street in Sacromonte (Gypsy cave house district) to an art exhibit, which lead to his living room. He kept asking me for 5 euros to buy tobacco in exchange for me taking this portrait. Even though I didn't have 5 euros to contribute to his habit, he still obliged...but wouldn't stop asking me for tobacco. It was an interesting exchange.

Sunday morning walk in Granada.

Chef, Tapas de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

Gregaroni in Spainaroni

Fishmonger at the Mercado de Triana, my favorite market in Sevilla

Boy with pheasant, Mercado de Triana

J. Alfredo of Charcuteria J. Alfredo in the Mercado de Triana

Soccer fan, Sevilla vs Betis, Nov. 18, Sevilla.

Interrupted breakfast, Italica, Provence of Sevilla, Spain

Students on a field trip, Roman ruins in Italica, Provence of Sevilla

Road to Granada

2011-12-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

I've never seen so many olive groves in my life! These images were taken during the overcast but beautiful bus ride between Cordoba and Granada.

Looking down

2011-12-15T06:34:00.000-08:00

Over the cliffs in Odeceixe, Portugal

Granada sidewalk, Spain

Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Dancing lessons in a tapas bar, Sevilla

Ancient columns, Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla

River, Sevilla

Just us :)

Cleaning clams for paella

We are having so much fun

2011-12-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

it's been a little stressful at times but for the most part this trip is INCREDIBLE. Above you see Greg showing some excitement while searching for some megaliths in Portugal. Alas,we did not find the megaliths.

American food?

2011-12-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Part of the fun of this trip is that I'm learning a new recipe in each country, taught to me by a local resident. I want to teach them something "American" in return but have realized that a lot of the food I eat is Asian, Mexican, European, etc! What is "American" food? Roasted chicken, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, hot dogs, hamburgers...they have all that here.

Chili is one I can think of...and so far Apple Crisp has been my fall back, but many people don't have an oven here so I can't rely on that all the time.

Got any suggestions for some simple (as in basic ingredients) American dishes I can share with Europe? Of course I'll keep racking my brain but I'd love to have your input. Appetizers and desserts get bonus points! Send me an email or leave a comment on this post.

And for some totally un-American food:

Breakfast in Spain: Churros. Heartclogging and delicious.

Not for decoration: Jamon Iberico. These are all over the place in Spain.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. I can't tell you how much I love cafe con leche.

Cordoba

2011-12-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

On the train to Cordoba

Did you know that shoes on the wire mean drugs are sold in the area? I had no idea.

When I first walked by this doorway, a woman was sitting in the other chair - very obviously a hooker. The woman here is a madam, and she would only allow me to photograph her if I didn't show her face. She reviewed the images on my camera afterward to be sure. The hooker left the scene immediately.

After some delicious cheese, and while enjoying some equally delicious wine in our hotel room, Greg and I decided to have a tinfoil sculpture contest and then commemorate it with this photo.

Constantina

2011-12-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

Our teacher took us up to this little town called Constantina outside of Sevilla, so we could get an idea of life and cuisine outside of the city. It was awesome and the food was delicious. I'd share the food photos with you, but I ate them ;) Instead I have some portraits+ for you.

Religion

2011-12-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Side of the Mezquita, Cordoba, Spain

Looking through the keyhole of an abandoned convent, Cordoba, Spain

Bridge altar 1, Cordoba, Spain

Bridge altar 2, Cordoba, Spain

La Giralda

I'm not entirely sure what was going on here. We stopped in while walking around Sevilla and the church was filled with smoke, and music, and people were taking turns walking up to this alter, touching it and sometimes bowing and kissing it.

Statues of nuns at the Centro Anadluz de Arte Contempareno which is the contemporary art museum in Sevilla. I'm not big on video/installation art so I didn't care for the exhibitions, but the architecture and structure of the museum itself was worth going to. It's housed in an old monestary. Cool to see the contrast between old (ancient?) and new.

Protesters in the cathedral. Sevilla, Spain

Tomb, Catedral, Sevilla.

3 details from the Sevilla Cathedral, Spain

Looking out at the city from La Giralda, the tower in the Cathedral.
Sevilla, Spain

Climbing up the La Giralda

In the bell tower of La Giralda
Sevilla, Spain

La Giralda's shadow, Sevilla, Spain

Sevilla, Spain

Interior of the Catedral, Sevilla, Spain

Religion plays a major role in Andalusian society. There are cathedrals and churches everywhere, and even those that seem understated on the outside have elaborate altars inside: huge murals, golden facades, velvet, embroidery, flowers, and a giant statue of the Virgin Mary in one of her 12 states. Locals explained to me that it's not just a Sunday visit to church in Sevilla, religion (Catholocism, to be specific) plays into most aspects of life. I noticed many churches that had mass 3 times a day, and most times we stopped into a church to take a look, at least a few people were inside praying. It's why we couldn't buy groceries on Sundays - apparently it is illegal in Sevilla to sell most products on Sunday. The only places open are certain bars, tapas restaurants, and the "Alimentacions" (convenient stores) owned by rebellious Chinese people who don't adapt their work ethic or schedules to match that of Spain.

One of my favorite experiences in Spain was stopping into the San Leandro convent on a Friday night - totally randomly - and listening to a choir of 20 nuns sing hymns with organ music. It was so dark and peaceful in the church. The way their voices echoed with the huge ceilings, combined with what seemed to be 500 year old paintings and altars, felt like we traveled back in time! It was pretty magical.

I found it to be really challenging to make great photos in the cathedrals and churchs, partly on account of it being dark (no tripod on this trip) and also because many of the thing I'm interested in are so high up - the repeated viewpoint of looking up bored me after seeing so many pictures. Religion does not appear to be so prominent in Portugal but maybe I can find some churches where I can continue to rise to the challenge of making photos I like in churches. It's good to be out of my comfort zone.

Cadiz #5

2011-12-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

Abandoned theater near the waters edge

Very typical charcuteria (deli counter) in the mercado. The big legs of ham hanging behind the counter are typical, as are the mid-day cervezas.

Somewhere near the roman theater. I liked the roof tops peeking above the stone building, and the billboard in front.

Saw these guys at the end of the night, keeping each other warm in a pet shop window.

Quick update: We left our apartment in Sevilla on Friday, and now we're in Peniche, Portugal, north of Lisbon. Got to surf this morning, hiked through sand dunes and took some interesting walks around Penishe and Obidos this evening. Portugal is very different from what I imagined, and I love it. The tiny towns aren't as polished as in other European countrysides I've explored and thus feel very authentic and local. It's odd that many of the beach towns here have a bit of a Daytona Beach, FL thing happening - lots of high rise apartments, touristy spots, and just a generic "beach town for tourist" vibe. Even with that aspect, there is SO MUCH rugged, natural beauty here, it's really incredible. You should come see for yourself if you haven't already :)

It was bittersweet leaving Spain - I feel like there was so much left to do and see, but at the same time, I'm excited to see something else and learn about a different culture. Tomorrow we're heading to Sintra, then Evora, and then we fly to Belgium on Thursday.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Cadiz #4

2011-12-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Soccer and the Sea

2011-12-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Cadiz #3 - It's in the Details

2011-11-30T15:45:00.000-08:00

Cadiz #2 - Aquatic Awareness

2011-11-27T08:30:00.000-08:00

Cadiz #1

2011-11-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

Cadiz is a Spanish province (kinda like our states), and it's also a small city on the coast of Spain, south of Sevilla. Check out the map below. The orange part is Andalucia, the region where Sevilla and Cadiz are both located. Cadiz (the province) is the red part at the very bottom.

It's beautiful. When we first arrived, I thought it was very similar to Sevilla. At first glance, it was...but then I looked harder. It's less traditional, more hip (check out this amazing store I found), and infused with the relaxing vibe you find in most coastal cities. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that we got to surf, thanks to the folks at Solo Surf, so that was definitely a highlight of our visit. But, I really enjoyed seeing the city on foot, checking out the castle, eating the best, cheapest olives I've ever had in my life, and people watching at the flower market. So far, if I had to pick one city to live in (out of those we've visited on this trip) Cadiz would be it.

On a funnier note about Cadiz, we went to a soccer match of Betis (Sevilla's team) vs Cadiz. The Betis Ultra Supporters had a hilarious chant, "Puta Cadiz, O ey!" Which bascially just means, Bitch Cadiz! They had drums and kept chanting it at Cadiz. It was hilarious! They also had another insulting chant which basically said Cadiz is a suburb of Jerez, which is apparently very insulting. Or at least our Spanish friend Jaime explained it to us that way. Totally entertaining. Betis beat Cadiz in the LAST SECOND of the game, 1-0. Captial :)

(photos from the match coming soon...)

Sevilla streets 3

2011-11-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

I've gotta tell you, it's weird to be traveling during Thanksgiving. Being the lover of family and food that I am, it's strange to think I won't be seated at big table with the people I love, eating, drinking and being generally merry. Now, I will be seated at a small table with the person I love the most, so that is still something pretty special :) We'll have chicken instead of turkey, sweet potato biscuits, and maybe something Spanish in honor of our current home.

Since Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and food, I thought I'd share a little bit of both here. I'm so grateful to be able to make a long-time dream come true, and that I have someone to share it with. I'm also grateful that we have the support of our family and friends - amazingly, not one person poo-pooed us and said it was a bad idea. I'm thankful for all the welcoming people we've met along the way, and for so many other things...COBRA, my health, my parents for teaching me to save money so I could spend it all in Europe ;)

I'm also so thankful for food. I love to eat and it's been so fun exploring a new culture through the cuisine. Here are some of the MANY snapshots I've taken on the trip. Although they're not all *technically* great images I want to share them anyway. Why circles you ask? Tapas are mostly served on circular dishes. I thought the shape would bring you one step closer to being here.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

A linear investigation

2011-11-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

Plaza de Espana, el Estacion de Autobus y la Alameda de Hercules

2011-11-21T10:20:00.000-08:00

Update

2011-11-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

Flamenco dress shop, Sevilla

After friend of mine ended an email with, "I'll go check your blog for an update after I send this email," I realized I haven't really made any solid updates here in a while, if at all...just a few random things here and there. Here are some updates and highlights to date (pictures will come along, you know I'm slow. ):

We went to Cadiz a week ago and checked out the Spanish coast. Beautiful with a totally different vibe. Got to surf! Thank you Jesus and Ana from Solo Surf. We scored about a pound of incredible olives for $2 and had one of our best meals in Spain at Las Flores Freideria.
Climbed to the top of La Giralda and went through the Catedral de Sevilla. Absolutely incredible.

La Catedral, Sevilla

In Sevilla, the convents sell baked goods to help bring in some money. El Convento de San Leandro is famous for their yemas, and I have no idea what they are but yemas are supposedly delicious. Last Friday we tried to buy some yemas, but walked in during the Eucarista mass and got to hear a choir of 40 nuns singing with an organ during an evening mass. Hardly anyone was in the church and it felt like we walked into another century. Obviously, we did not interrupt them to inquire about yemas, but we will not give up!

Street musicians, Sevilla

We're talking a spanish/culture class with Ivan from Global Language Training and it's going really well. I had to conduct an interview and write an essay about it in Spanish and it was hard as hell. But I did it, and it was fun! Greg is learning some Spanish vocab, and best of all, Ivan is teaching us all about the culture, mostly through food. We had these amazing tapas the other day - wild mushroom cakes topped with egg yolk, drizzled with a carmelized sweet wine sauce. You bet your bottom dollar I'm going to figure out how to make them. Today is our last class and Ivan is taking us to see some ancient Roman ruins and then to a small town in the mountains to see how the cuisine is different there.
Our friend Lola invited us for a traditional Spanish lunch at her house yesterday and we got to make paella with her mom. It was SO delicious and very interesting to participate in a lunch like that vs. the 30-min sack lunch I'm used to in the US. Gracias Lola :)
It's officially the longest I've ever stayed in one place that I don't live. I'm learning a ton about Spanish culture, cuisine, and even a little bit about myself. Good things all around.
Tomorrow we head to Corodoba and Saturday to Granada. Woot woot!!!

Valentin, El Rinconcillon

2011-11-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

An admirer gave me these at the bar and totally made me blush, even though he was probably 92 years old:

He gave me the one on the right first. It says something like: She has hair the color of a chesnut, and she is so pretty like the sun, and so pretty like the flowers of my Sevilla. Kisses, Valentin

Well, I had to make a picture of him, so I went to talk to him and I told him my name and offered to take a photo with him and send it to him later if he gave me his address. We took photos, then he handed me the napkin on the left, and the flower petals, before we walked out: Her name is Liz Lantz, and she is so nice and as beautiful inside as she is on the otuside. a million kisses, Valentin

Ha! I was flattered :) I have a feeling I'm not the only one getting barside love notes and flowers from Valentin (um, he had a supply of petals and leaves on his table) but it was still really nice and blush-inducing.

Sevilla streets 2

2011-11-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

Puddle

2011-11-15T02:29:00.000-08:00

Along the Guadalquivir, #1

2011-11-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Guadalquivir is a beautiful river in Sevilla; it's the 2nd largest river in Spain. These photos are from our first walk alongside it.

Un retrato (a portrait)

2011-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

I think she looks a little scared or weirded out or something, but I like the picture anyway. It's really hard for me to talk to people in another language, and get them to relax, while making their portraits. Even though I speak Spanish pretty well, the difference between the Sevillian accent and my Mexican accent is enough to make things hard for both parties. I'm going to keep trying though :)

Nuestro barrio, Sevilla

2011-11-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

Metropol Parasol Super-Post

2011-11-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Metropol Parasol is the largest wooden structure in the world and is located right here in sunny Sevilla! It was built over the Plaza de la Encarnación and serves as a beautiful, functional addition to the historic part of the city: it's an archeological site, farmers market, elevated plaza (that's where I took the photos from) and has multiple bars and restaurants. I'd highly recommend checking this out if you're in Seville.

I had a hard time editing, obviously....this might be the winner for "Most Pictures in a Post" on my blog so far! Enjoy :)

La Iglesia de los Terceros

2011-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

Las calles de Sevilla, v. 1

2011-11-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

El Rinconcillo y Valentin

2011-11-06T03:40:00.000-08:00

Greg and I stumbled upon the oldest bar in Sevilla our first day here. We were drawn in by the dark wood interior combined with the cozy warm light emanating from within. The wine and cheese were both excellent! I'm getting over my Spanish language shyness so I'm planning on heading back to see if I can do more details shots and portraits there. It really is a cool place.

Founded in 1670, El Rinconcillo is a must-stop if you are in Sevilla. If you're lucky, maybe Valentin will give you a love note like he gave me ;)

London

2011-11-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

The 4 hours we were in London were fast and furious. We got off the tube at Picadilly Circus and had 2 hours to catch our shuttle to the next airport at Baker Street. After our encounter with border control, we realized we needed to get to an internet cafe ASAP and print out some proof of our finances & trip plans. So, the 2 hours we had to explore were spent internet-cafe hopping, eating at a yummy place we read about on spottedbylocals.com and then taking in what we could on our brisk walk to the shuttle. Not ideal, but I'm glad we didn't opt to take a bus straight from one airport to the other. Now we have a very tiny sense of what London is like.

I'm still getting used to color correcting and image prep on a laptop, so please excuse me if these look crazy on your end :)

We made it!

2011-11-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We made it. Got to Sevilla late last night and it is freaking amazing. I can't believe I'm going to be here for a whole month! I haven't had the time/desire to sit in front of the laptop long enough to edit photos yet so no photos to share of the trip at this time...but soon, I promise.

Our trip was relatively smooth. There was some freaky turbulence on the way here (literally lifted from our seats and the whole plane exclaimed in unison) and we almost didn't get past border patrol in the UK ("3 months is a long holiday. How will you finance this? Do you have proof of your finances with you? No? You are ill-prepared. I must speak to the Chief Immigration Officer. [Upon return on the desk] Well, he agrees that you are ill-prepared but since you are going straight to Spain, we will let you pass"). But we made it!!!! HELL YEAH!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I will be trick or treating with my lovely niece and sister in Loveland, CO.
Tomorrow, Greg and I are flying to Sevilla to begin our journey :) AAAHHAHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Have a lovely Halloween and November...next time you hear from me I'll be in a whole new world :)

Chicago surf!

2011-10-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Boards on our car, driving past the forest preserve.

Greg and I made it safely to Chicago last Thursday in our 16' truck with all of our possessions packed inside. Our cat Charlie even did OK after the first day! That was a pleasant surprise. An even more unexpected, pleasant surprise was that there were WAVES ON LAKE MICHIGAN THE DAY WE GOT THERE!!! Can you believe it? What a great omen. We got to surf Whiting, IN after we unpacked the truck Friday morning. It was freezing, small, and incredibly fun.

Path to Shooters

Pre-surf, so excited!

Innovative wetsuit drying technique, courtesy of my Momma

This morning we're taking off to Denver for a friend's wedding and a visit with my sister...then off to Sevilla on Tuesday. Finally!

Victorian, Downers Grove

2011-10-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

mailbox detail

2011-10-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

aj, the hunter

2011-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Our route

2011-10-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're curious...the purple line represents our Fast Track to Store Our Shit and have one last hurrah with family and friends in Chicago before we take off. The pink dots represent the Adventure Trail we will take when we look for our next home. Beep Beep!

Saying goodbye

2011-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

Lately we've spent a lot of time surrounded by friends, laughing, enjoying delicious libations, reminiscing...you know how it goes when you're moving. Times like this make me wonder if we're doing the right thing. As does taking in the amazing scenery when I go running. Or watching a flock of brown pelicans fly overhead as I pull on my wetsuit to surf my favorite break. Some not so positive things like the fact that I never made Sirens what I truly wanted it to be or the reality of being unemployed also make me question this crazy trip we're about to take. I know, ultimately, we are making the right choice. We are embarking on an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and making a dream come true.

But, San Diego is the only place I've called home outside of Chicago. A significant chapter of my life is wrapping up. Greg and I got engaged, and married here. We had our first home here (the tiny, scary apt in Logan Square doesn't count). I buried my best buddy here. I got WAY better at surfing here! And of course, I met some incredibly kind, fun, genuine people along the way.

I am really going to miss this place.

I keep reminding myself - we'll find a home in a new place where we can actually afford to buy what we want. Our new place will be closer to family, which is always important and will becoming increasingly so when we start our own family. More friends will be made, and current friends will have a super sweet place to come visit us. Also, it will be refreshing to start over somewhere new...all the MS BS we went through last year kinda put a damper on things for us.

Eeech, I could keep babbling. It's a tough thing to say goodbye. My point is that I've loved this place and all the people who have been a part of our lives here made it extra special. Farewell, SD! Thanks for being so good to us. It's been real.

A beautiful day

2011-10-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today IS a beautiful day! One of my best friends, Sartaj, is marrying the love of her life. Greg and I are really excited to witness their nuptuals, especially since it'll be a traditional Indian wedding and neither of us have ever been to an event quite like that before. I have lots of portraits of Sartaj but the one below is one of my favorites.

Today is a bittersweet day too; tonight is our last night in San Diego. The moving truck is just about all packed up and ready to go. Tomorrow the biggest adventure of our lives (so far) begins.

I hope you have a beautiful day, and many, many, many, many more to come.

encinitas tree

2011-10-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

one of my all time faves. bye bye friend!

carlsbad tree

2011-10-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks Jon!

2011-10-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Jon is throwing us a going away party and I just wanted to give him a shout out here and let him know how much we appreciate it. It'll be so nice to see all of our friends together, one last time. *Sniffle. I hope I can keep it together!

I made a print of this image for Jon to say thanks. The mural in the image was actually a 6 panel glass mosaic installation under a freeway overpass in Encinitas. The city had it removed within a couple of months, but thankfully, they removed it in such a way that it could be preserved and I believe it is now in an art collection somewhere.

Holding hands

2011-10-08T08:07:00.001-07:00

Lahaina Tree

2011-10-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

Anza-borrego #1

2011-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Handmade

2011-10-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Did you know I love to sew? I'm no seamstress but holy crap do I have fun doing it!

Check out these potholders I made out of tea towels my grandmother picked up in Portugal and Brazil. I'm trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible, and also save money, so I made these using only things I had on hand. I didn't have any heat-resistant batting around, so I used too-old-towels as the filling. I'm totally satisfied with the results.

It's surreal to think that I'll have a chance to go to Portugal pretty soon too :)

Avila Beach, fish market

2011-09-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

Hi

2011-09-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you have a great week!

Maui #1

2011-09-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

(the last one was actually over LA, on our way to Maui...

don't views like this soften the blow of a 6am flight?)

any thoughts on the new blog header?

Creativity

2011-09-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent talk by Elizabeth Gilbert about the creative process - highly recommend it to anyone out there who makes things: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

One thing leads to another

2011-09-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Like my last post, here is another one with a funky neg - I know why this one is weird though. It's because I left my camera in the cold for too long and didn't let it warm up properly before taking this picture. How could I pass up this shot though? Sometimes dawn patrol takes it out of ya.

This seemed appropriate, seeing as how this guy also likes a natural setting for his rest:

And then this image came up. This photo always makes me laugh! That's my Tia Gloria, and her dog loves to drink from the hose, mostly when it is sprayed directly into his face.

From a series I started working on investigating people living on the road:

And finally...Paris 2010. I have no reason for including this image other than I enjoy the colors and the layers. Sometimes that's enough :)

Charlie

2011-09-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

I didn't post this picture when I took it years ago because something is funky with the scan. I could never get the color the way I wanted or seem to find the negative to re-scan it. But what the hey...it's just a blog and Charlie is one cool cat.

Bookshop, Munich

2011-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Big News

2011-09-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Greg and I are taking off and making a dream come true. I'll keep it short and to the point:

We're packing up and leaving San Diego mid-October. After dropping off our remaining possessions, and our super sweet cat Charlie in Chicago, we'll use one-way tickets and check into the apartment we rented for about a month in

Sevilla, Espana!

In early December, we will head to Morocco, and things are kind of up in the air after that. We have some ideas of where we'll go :) Upon our return to the US (late Spring 2012?), we will explore the Eastern seaboard to find our next home!

San Diego has been amazing; we're definitely sad to be saying good-bye. But ultimately, we want to be closer to family and live somewhere that we can afford more than just a condo. And what better time to travel than when we are both between homes and jobs?

I'd love to hear from anyone with experience living abroad, suggestions of places to go, where we should look on the East coast when we get back, or if you have friends we should look up when we get to XXXX....any of it! Write to me.

One of my dreams is to get into the kitchens of the locals who live in the places we're visiting and learn some new recipes - any help in making that happen would be AWESOME!

Oh, and if you have any need for a freelance web producer, photographer or SEM specialist, let us know. We'll need some funding for our trip :)

I'll leave you with some pictures from our last trip. Can you believe I'm still going through them? Almost a year....one of the many reasons I've decided to leave the film behind and shoot digital on this trip.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Near Kula, HI

2011-09-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

ads...

2011-08-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

i decided to try to make some extra cash and put ads on my blog. do you hate them? i like you better than money so if the collective voice of blog subscribes nay-says the ads, i'll take 'em down. they probably won't bring in a whole lot anyway.

lemme know your thoughts...

Don't you love dogs?

2011-08-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

I do too! So, I have a couple of dog-centric things to bring to your attention, just for fun...and to ask you to help out two people I like a WHOLE LOT.

First, I want to give a shout out to my sister Jennie who recently opened her own grooming salon and doggy day care in Loveland, CO. The Loveland Dog Club is without a doubt the BEST place to take your dog for grooming, training, and daycare, and the BEST place for you to go to grooming school! Jennie been refining her expertise since 1988 and is the most dog-loving person I know - which says a lot because I work with a lot of dog peeps at Petco. She's a patient, kind, thoughtful person which makes her an excellent teacher and person to leave your dog with. If you live in the Loveland area, stop by and say hi to her!

Even if you don't, do me a favor and like them on Facebook. It'll only take a second and will really help my sister out. You're probably already logged in...just do it!

Second, check out my friend Anja and her badass dog Petey in their video, My Dog Plays Volleyball Better than You! (and it's true!)

Anja and Petey want to become YouTube partners, so help a sister out by subscribing to her feed and like the video on YouTube. Petey is super stoked to finally have his athleticism recognized and is hoping Anja will help him show off his basketball and soccer skills. Personally, I'm rooting for a surf video :)

Thanks for reading. My next post will be all about photography, I promise!

Oregon, Cannon Beach

2011-08-18T19:14:00.001-07:00

Oregon

2011-08-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Sept 28, 2005

2011-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

I was going through my old pictures and came across these from an epic day of surf in Gary, Indiana. That's right. An Epic Day in Gary. I vividly remember waking up in what felt like the middle of the night so I could drive the 60 miles to this spot and be in the water at the first hint of sunrise. It was slightly offshore and probably 3-4 on the best sets! Bonus: the water wasn't freezing yet...got to wear a 3/2!

This was one of a handful of times I ever saw other surfers in the water. I really regret not ditching class that morning - it was starting to clean up nicely right when I had to leave. Still, so glad for these pictures and the memories :)

Somewhere between Anza Borrego and Blythe

2011-08-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Mmmm....

2011-08-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

Beaumettes, Hiking

2011-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Exploring the countryside

2011-08-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Seconds before the rottweiler introduction

2011-07-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Bridal Veil Falls

2011-07-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Beaumettes

2011-07-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to go back

2011-07-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

New Bavaria, OH

2011-07-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Glamis / Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area

2011-07-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

tree study - joshua tree #1

2011-07-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

Sea Creatures on Lenscratch

2011-06-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

Lenscratch is such a wonderful photography blog, and I feel privileged to be mentioned in today's post! Head over there and check it out by clicking here: http://lenscratch.blogspot.com/2011/06/sea-creatures-joni-sternbach-liz-lantz.html

Oh my...

2011-06-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I know the overall tone isn't very uplifting but I can't help myself...I crack up looking at this! Thank goodness I had my tripod or I'd have some serious camera shake from laughing so hard when I made this one.

Tribute #1

2011-06-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the opening of Sea Creatures yesterday! Last night was a very special, happy night for me; there was such a great turnout - good friends and new faces. It means a lot to me that so many of you stopped by to see the show. THANK YOU!!

If you didn't get a chance to see it, Sea Creatures is up until August 13 :)

PS In case you're wondering, the image above was made at Courtesy Coffee Shop in Blythe, CA. It's a tribute of sorts, to many things and people that inspire me.

Moonset/Sunrise + Sea Creatures

2011-06-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sea Creatures opens tomorrow at Joseph Bellows Gallery! The artist reception is from 5-8pm at 7661 Girard Ave in La Jolla.

Please come by and say hello if you are free. Have a great weekend!