Obrigado!

Actually, if it's me saying that it would be obrigada, since I am a female. Regardless, in Portuguese or English, thank you. Thank you for bearing with me while we have been galavanting around the Iberian Peninsula. We returned to DC late Saturday afternoon to find that spring has finally arrived in full force and our neighborhood is suddenly very, very green. I, unfortunately, brought a cold back with me, and so I haven't gotten much accomplished aside from unpacking and laundry. There are tons of photos. Between the two of us and our two cameras (and my habit of clicking uncontrollably), I will admit to there being around 1,488 photos. I'll take some time over the next week or two to share the very best with you. For those of you connected to me on Facebook, 3 of the 4 albums (Barcelona, Madrid and the in-betweens) are posted, for your viewing pleasure. Sorry that the rest of you will have to be patient.

In short, the trip was pretty fantastic. It was frustrating at times, but fantastic. There is always stress where there are language and culture differences but it makes for an interesting experience. Barcelona was beautiful, quirky and relaxed. And very much full of charm. I wouldn't mind spending some more time there. Madrid was lively, crazy, busy, but also fun and opulent. Lisbon is an experience. The elevation, the tilework, the individuality that this city holds is amazing. The best part is the kindness of its inhabitants. We enjoyed many delicious meals and lots of wine along the way. We saw more castles than I thought we would. We drove up many mountains and saw many bulls. Most importantly we made each other laugh and enjoyed each others' company immensely.

So speaking of photos, I start my next photo class this week. For the next 5 weeks I will be diving into the art of low-light photography. I'm going to learn how to maximize my settings and use a tripod to capture light in different ways. I'm very excited. This class is being offered by the Arlington Arts Center, where my previous one was also held. It is being taught by two different instructors however. I was actually sad to receive an email while I was away that Steve Miller, who taught my previous class, is actually moving to Philadelphia and will no longer be teaching photography in the DC area. I wish I could have gotten in at least one more of this classes.