Backyard Pickles

When the hubs and I first moved into our house, we were excited to do some digging and start a backyard garden. Last summer was a time of learning which plants thrived in the DC humidity, which were more delicate, and which we wanted to try out in the future. This summer, with more knowledge and savviness, we expanded our vegetable garden to a second bed and resumed the backyard experimentation.

Our cucumber plants have to be one of our biggest successes this summer. Every day, it seems as though a dozen new cucumbers are ready to be picked, and as we gather them and swat away mosquitos, we discover a dozen more hidden amongst the leaves. These little green cukes have gone into salads, gazpachos, and, now, pickling jars!

Last weekend, we chopped up a batch and divided them into various mason jars. This first batch was a vinegar-based brine, enhanced with pickling spices, salt, garlic, dill, a pinch of sugar, and serrano peppers, also from the garden. 

We have already opened up a jar, and I think that they turned out really well! When we repeat this recipe, we might decrease or nix the sugar, but overall, these are delicious spicy pickles. Our next batch will be a small round of salt-brine with backyard jalapeños, pickling spices, and garlic. We like our spice. :)

My mother has already requested a jar for Christmas, and since we have so many cucumbers to use, we will likely store a few jars to give as gifts over the next few months. It is very special to us to be able to grow these treasures in our backyard and share these treats with our friends and family. As if there weren't already a million reasons to love having a garden, the ability to share fresh (and pickled!) vegetables with those we love makes it even better.

Are there any other good cucumber recipes that we should try out? We would like to try a simple cucumber salad and would love other ideas!

Michigan Details

Michigan has never been my home, but after all of these years, the wistful tug is there. It appears when I see a photo of the Upper Peninsula or daydream about that great, snow-covered historic home with the wrap-around porch in Sault Ste. Marie. It's there when we drive by a crumbling house in Detroit and when we see how people are saving those spaces and making them whole again. The tug is there.

It's there in the big dreams, and it's there in the little details. It's in the soft light whispering through the window, and it's there in the crackle of the fireplace, so welcome when the cold winds outside numb my toes. It's there in fallen leaves and birds' nests and that wild turkey that waddles down the street every now and again.

Could this all be home one day? I don't know. And in some ways, I'm okay with not knowing. Until then, I'll keep dreaming and savoring these small moments that we get every now and again. I will plan our getaway to more northern lands and dream of the house we will fix up one day-- hardwood floors, fireplaces, and snow outside. And quiet. It will be so so quiet.

 

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La Sagrada Familia

You have never been to anything like this before. I don't care how many soaring European cathedrals you have dutifully visited in your lifetime-- if you haven't seen La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, you haven't truly felt awe.

The hubs and I were so lucky to have found an apartment just a block away from this soaring cathedral. We could look out our bedroom window and see the scaffolding around one of the towers, and it was so cool to stop by the little park in front of La Sagrada Familia on our way back from a full day of walking around the city. This is Gaudi's masterpiece, even if several artists have put their own interpretations and styles into the design. The cathedral is planned to be completed in 2026, but who knows if that will actually be the case. Regardless, it was very cool to know that we were seeing history being built before our very eyes. How often do we get the chance to see the "Before" shots of a historical, architectural masterpiece?

Truthfully, I don't even know where to begin for this post. There are so many details, so many wonderful parts of this place that it's hard to sort through them all. But here goes! The religious icons all over the cathedral are heartbreakingly emotional, and the Passion Facade was one of my favorite aspects of La Sagrada Familia.

Inside, it's though you've stepped into a magical forest, with trees arching up over you with whimsical treetops forming a canopy overhead. You can't help put stop in your tracks and let your head fall back as you try to take in the details around you.

The soft sunlight filters through the windows, filling the archways and spilling beautiful warm light inward. The stained glass casts an especially beautiful glow, and the rainbow light makes you want to stay there a while, trying to understand how something could be so beautiful.

The Nativity Facade has such a distinct look. While the familiar scenes of the nativity are recognizable, it's the dripping wax look of the overall facade that really captured my attention. It has such a distinct look, almost unsettling, yet so cool regardless.

There are so many details to take in that it's impossible to remember them all. I just know that this was an unforgettable experience, and I will absolutely return one day. Barcelona spoke to me on so many levels, and La Sagrada Familia is too magnificent not to visit again. Who knows when it will actually be completed and what our lives will be like at that point, but no matter what, we'll be back to bask in the stained glass sunlight.

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Gaudi's Barcelona

At last, the final phase of my honeymoon recap from Barcelona! I can't believe that I have let it drag on for this long, but I suppose it's better late than never.

Barcelona enthralled us, and we both fell in love with the city-- hard. There's something about Barcelona that just makes you want to swirl a glass of wine, linger over tapas, and rave about Gaudí, no? Our apartment happened to be just down the street from one of the city's gems, La Sagrada Familia, so we were treated to a bit of modernism at its best every time we peeked out our bedroom window. Hey, life could be worse.

While I cannot do justice to an explanation of modernist architecture, let me just say that it is magnificent. While art deco can woo me and make yearn for Gatsby, art nouveau, with its swirls and incorporation of natural lines, is just another world. I love how the modernists like Gaudí took those lines and transformed them into such a distinct style.

We began by touring the Palau Güell, the mansion of the Güell family, who were Gaudí's benefactors. It was amazing to see how the family lived, and I enjoyed seeing their main parlor where people were invited to Mass and could hear the giant organ playing above them.The hubs and I opted to do the audio guide tour, and I'm glad that we were able to learn more about the history of the home and the family as we walked around. I would definitely recommend the audio tour!

 

After our peek into the lifestyles of the rich and famous, the hubs and I wandered around the city to catch glimpses of more modernist architecture. It's amazing that what we consider to be amazing art from the sidewalks actually serves as a home to many Barcelonans. Can you imagine being able to look out at the city from one of these ornate windows as you sip your morning coffee? Casa Batlló is one of the most dramatic, and the balconies remind me of theatre masks.

Casa Milá was next on our agenda, and while it doesn't have the same pizzazz as Casa Batlló, it's still a beautiful building, and I love its soft curves. These works of art stand proudly along the streets, reminders of the artists who have called Barcelona home, and I would be totally okay with marveling at them all day long.

We could have walked the streets of Barcelona for days on end and still been amazed by the architecture around us. It is an artful city, and the spirit of Gaudí lives on. I would love to learn even more about modernism overall, as I certainly like what I know of it thus far. Then we will just have to go back to Barcelona and revisit our favorite places with our newfound knowledge. Great plan, right?

As wonderful as our architecture tour was up to this point, the best was yet to come with our tour of La Sagrada Familia, the famous cathedral begun by Gaudí that is yet to be completed. That, however, is a tale for another time and another post.... stay tuned! :)

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Barca, Barca, Baaaarca!

I must admit that the entire reason Barcelona was part of our honeymoon plans was because the hubs insisted we go there to see FC Barcelona play a match. When he first proposed the idea, I whined a little bit about how I didn't want it to take away from our time in Morocco, but I eventually caved. Best. Decision. Ever.

We loved so many aspects of Barcelona, and seeing FC Barcelona play was a unique, fun experience. I love soccer, despite my own limited athletic abilities, yet I've rarely gone to a major team's stadium outside of the United States. The major differences I can tell so far? First, beer is not allowed to be served in the stadium, likely out of concern that drunk, rowdy fans will get out of control in the heat of the moment. Luckily, you can pick up a six-pack at a corner store just outside the stadium and get in your beverage-drinking before entering the stadium, if you so desire. (That is, unless you are in Buenos Aires, in which case no alcohol may be sold or consumed within a ten-block radius of the stadium.... those fans are in a whole other level of rowdy!!) Second, the stadiums are gigantic. GIGANTIC. Third, the fans come in all shapes and sizes, and they are committed to their team in ways that Americans just haven't internalized yet when it comes to soccer. They are extremely passionate about this game.

So with all of that knowledge, imagine being at the tippy top of an enormous stadium, surrounded by die-hard fans cheering and shouting in Catalán, downing a water bottle to try to cool down in the early June heat. Then imagine doing all of that while the best soccer team in the world works their magic on the field, right before your eyes.

Thanks, hubs. Good call on this one.

We won that day. The stadium exploded in celebratory cheers with each goal, and we even learned the fight song in Catalán, with the help of the jumbo-tron that projected the lyrics. It might be a while before we see FC Barcelona play again in person, but that afternoon will stick with us for a very long time.

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