What's it all about?

Hello friends, family, and fellow travelers!

Thanks for following our blog, we love hearing from you and hope you are enjoying our stories and travel tips.

Our main purpose for writing this travel blog is to keep our friends and family members updated as we spend the next five months galavanting around Europe. We will post some of our favorite photos as well as a "His and Hers" perspective of our adventures.

In addition to general updates, we are also including general travel tips and entries about eating a vegan diet while traveling abroad. During my own research when planning our trip, I depended a lot on various blogs to find much needed information about traveling around Europe as well as gather ideas about vegan recipes and restaurants that would be able to accommodate this type of diet. Because of this, I wanted to share the wealth with other travelers too!

Feel free to use the links on the right side of page to select the types of posts you would like to read :)

Thanks again for following us!

Recipes

Simply Vegan.

There are various types of foods that will be readily accessible to you while traveling in Spain. Lucky for us vegans, there are produce markets stocked with many of your favorites in every neighborhood. In addition, there are large mercados that will carry a larger variety of "frutas y verduras" (as well as meat, poultry, and fish).

In order to maintain fresh produce, shop every few days and just buy what you need for your next few meals. In addition to fruit and veggies, grab some other "staples" that will help meal-planning a bit easier for you. Bread, pasta, and rice can be found in any grocery market in Spain. Legumes are generally not canned, but you can find some types in jars or buy them dried and make your own! Keep your eyes peeled for health-food stalls in the larger markets and you should be able to find organic products and more luxury items such as quinoa and herbs.

Definite musts: Olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper
Bonus: Hot sauce!

Note: Each of these recipes should be simple to prepare with the typical kitchen utensils in a rented flat or hostel.

Easy breakfast.
 Grapefruit, kiwi, and banana.
Bonus: Top it with raw or toasted quinoa.

Soup for those chilly Madrid nights!
Ingredients: 1/2 head of cauliflower, 1 sweet potato, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 box of vegetable broth (serves 4)

Boil or steam cauliflower and sweet potato in a large saucepan with 2 cups of water and vegetable broth.
Sauté carrots, onion, and garlic and then add to the saucepan.
Continue to steam until all veggies are soft enough to stir.
Option: garnish with quinoa.

Veggie Stir Fry
Select any of your favorite veggies! I chose sweet potato, red and green bell peppers, red onion, and garlic.
Sautee in a pan with olive oil and then serve with couscous, rice, or quinoa.
Bonus: Add your favorite hot sauce!

Travel tips for day trips from Madrid! Toledo and Segovia

We stuck mainly to the bus system for our day trips from Madrid in order to save a few euros ;)

Toledo: A definite MUST!

Traveling to Toledo is pretty accessible as buses run all throughout the day, leaving the bus terminal every 20-30 minutes or so. The ride is about 1 hour on the direct bus from Madrid.

Directions:

Take the metro to Intercambiador de Plaza Elíptica and take the Alsa bus line. (Metro lines 6 and 11 will take you there). Alsa provides comfortable charter buses with AC/heat. Round trip to Toledo costs around 14 euros. You can buy an open-ended return ticket at a discounted price. Check the time of the last bus before you leave for Toledo to be sure you have given yourself enough time to explore the town.

- Once you get off the metro, follow the green signs to the bus terminal.

- You can purchase your tickets from a ticket machine or from an Ansa employee.

- Look for your bus’ platform #

- Once in Toledo, the bus drops you off at the bus station at the bottom of the hill of the old medieval town.

- A taxi to the top will be around 4 to 5 euro. Pinching pennies? We met a nice couple on the bus that we split a cab with to the top. Ask to be dropped off by the cathedral for an instant impression!

- The walk downhill back to the bus station is pretty easy and you get a great view of the city below.

Segovia: Don't miss this adorable mountain town!

The Sepulveda bus line travels to Segovia about every 30-45 minutes throughout the day. The ride is about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes.

Directions:

Take the metro to PRINCIPE PÍO and take the Sepulveda bus line. Purchase an open-ended return ticket in order to have a relaxing visit in Segovia. Round trip costs around 14 euro. NOTE: You will only be issued one receipt. You can exchange this receipt/ticket in Segovia for your return ticket once you select your time of departure. 

- Once you exit the metro in Madrid, follow the green signs to the bus terminal. Go up one level and walk towards and past bus platform 7 to purchase your tickets from the ticket machine.

- Wait at your assigned bus platform (this is often a different platform than the one listed on your ticket)

- Enjoy the views along the ride or take advantage of the free WiFi offered by Sepulveda bus line.

- Wait until the bus arrives at the bus station in Segovia to exit. 

- Grab a free map and bus schedule at the information booth near the exit of the bus station. Great service, and most of the employees speak English :)

- It is a pleasant and short walk (under 10 mins) to arrive in the city center. Be sure not the miss the Aqueduct, Cathedral, and Alcazar!

Bonus:

- There is a vegetarian-friendly restaurant in town on Calle Marques de Arco 3, called La Almuzara, near the cathedral.

- The cafeteria near the Alcazar is a great place to grab a cafe (around 1,50 euro) and use a clean restroom before purchasing your tickets to visit the Alcazar.

- Once back at the bus station, Cafe del Mercado, has great espresso and service with a smile if you find yourself with some extra time waiting for your return bus to Madrid. 

Segovia

Today we had the opportunity to visit Segovia, 

a gorgeous mountain town about an hour north of Madrid. 

This city is famous for its Aqueduct, The Alcazar of Segovia, 

and its amazing cathedral and local churches.

Segovia Roman Aqueduct. Constructed during the late 1st century or early 2nd century!

Segovia's Cathedral and Plaza Mayor

He Said, She Said- Madrid and Toledo!

His:

Well, after a few days now in Madrid we are starting to get the hang of things.  It was a little bumpy but it's been awesome.  On our third day here I decided to venture out on my own while Jennison caught some more sleep.  I decided to go to this place that claimed the best orange juice in Madrid!  It was pretty crowded with all the tables being taken so I sat at the bar. After about 10 minutes of no one helping me I noticed a small table opened up so I decided to move there.  Shortly after, the server came and took my order.  I decided to try something that looked good in a picture, pretty sure I was getting a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, along with my cafe con leche!  Boy was I wrong!  I was served two pieces of toast with two thin slices of prosciutto in between and nothing else, haha! No sauces in it, no cheese, literally two pieces of bread and some meat.  Luckily they served a small little fruit smoothie with it that was the size of a shot glass and I figured they were promoting their smoothies.  I take a swig of it and damn, wrong again!  It was the only thing I hate, it was a tomato smoothie or something.  I quickly took a drink of my coffee to prevent me from spitting it out!  I scarfed down the bread sandwich, paid, and got out of there, forgetting to order orange juice.  Other than the ordering, I was quite pleased with myself!

Meals in general have been kinda rough for Jennison. I end up with two huge plates of food and she ends up with a plate of lettuce and tomato.  I thought it was funny the first couple of times (I'm not too fond of her recent switch to the vegan lifestyle), but now I just feel bad and wish she could order a real meal.  We did come up with a solution of cooking at home and Jennison can finally get a full stomach.

Holy Toledo!  We visited the city of Toledo which was awesome. It was this very old city that was surrounded by castle walls and I really like this type of history.  We had to take the Metro which I was having a little anxiety about, but it's not bad at all when you're not carrying 100 pounds of luggage!

Yesterday was awesome, possibly the best day yet.  There was this huge outdoor swap meet type thing on our street.  Jennison's eyes lit up and she started hopping up and down, this is her favorite type of shopping.  I ended up getting my first scarf which was badly needed.  One more step to looking more Euro, haha.  We then decided to look for this Irish pub that claimed to be viewing the NFL games, but I wanted to make sure...we found it, had a Guiness, and received confirmation that the games will be on.  The Niner game started at 8:30pm which was interesting, but I had a blast and can't wait to go back and order buffalo wings!


Hers:

Hola amigos! Well, we have definitely begun to adjust to the Spanish lifestyle- late night dinners, sleeping in past noon, coffee all throughout the day, wine all throughout the day….need I say more?

Food, for me, has been the biggest struggle. As expected, it has been pretty difficult to eat a healthy, balanced, vegan diet abroad. The Spanish waiters are not quick to accommodate (or even answer your questions really). It is as if as soon as you sit down, you have about 2.3 seconds to look at the menu and select what you will have to eat before the waiter is standing over you with their pencil and pad saying, “dime, dime” (“tell me, tell me”). Panic mode sets in. About ten minutes later, I am staring at another pile of lettuce with a couple slices of tomato.

The solution? Cooking at home! We’ve had more fun shopping at the local markets, buying meat and produce for dinner, and have stirred up some delicious concoctions at home. I am still trying to convince Brian that it is totally normal, and not a tad bit trashy, to include a box of wine with dinner ;)

A highlight of the past few days was visiting Toledo. What a cool town! This town has been populated since the Bronze Age and was a former capital of the Spanish Empire. My favorite part? Being dropped off by a cab at the top of the hill, heading up an alleyway, turning a corner, and seeing the magnificent tower from the cathedral peaking through the narrow streets ahead. It just blows my mind that this type of architecture and history exists just around the corner- literally!

My favorite day yet would have been yesterday. We walked out the door of our apartment building and walked right into Madrid’s most famous flea market, El Rastro, which dates back to the 16^th century. For those of you who know me well, you know I LOVE searching for treasures hiding amongst a bunch of junk ;) After each buying a new scarf (it’s freezing here!) we headed out for some coffee and breakfast sandwiches and then out for a beer at an Irish Pub in one of our new favorite parts of the city, near Plaza del Sol. Afterwards we went to the adorable Mercado San Miguel for some vino and produce for dinner. (Have you ever been to the Ferry Building in San Francisco? The Ferry Building is modeled after these awesome indoor mercados- one of my favorite parts about Europe!) We cooked some dinner at home and then headed back out to O’Connell St. and Dubliners Irish Pubs for none other than the 49ers game! I was able to FaceTime with one of my best friends from home (a huge Niners fan) while we were both rooting on our California team. What a small world!

Needless to say, we are absolutely loving our time in Spain. We had planned to go visit Segovia today, but since it is the first sunny day since we’ve been here, you may just find us enjoying some café or sangria on one of the sidewalk patios in Plaza Mayor.

Beauty around every corner 

Holy Toledo!

Best day ever :) El Rastor Flea Market!

We've got FOOTBALL!! Dubliner's Irish Tavern and Pub

El Rastro Flea Market, Madrid

Madrid's most popular flea market, located on Ribera de Curtidores.

Every Sunday morning, the street is lined with Spaniards and tourists alike, searching for the latest treasures. From antiques to books to the hottest fashions, El Rastro will keep you coming back every week!

HOURS: 9:00- 15:00 Sundays and Holidays

(Be careful as this is a prime location for pickpockets!) 

Mercado San Miguel

Calling all vegans!! (And pescetarians, and meatetarians, and vegetarians....)

Mercado San Miguel is not to be missed. Located near Plaza San Miguel, this is a typical European market place. Grab a glass of vino (~3 euro) at one of the stalls near the main entrance and enjoy a walk around the many stalls of fresh seafood, meat, cheese, dessert, and fruits and veggies. Spend your lunch break enjoying freshly made hamburgers, oysters, pizza, sandwiches, paella, and best of all- fresh squeezed juices!

Nuts keep your heart healthy

It's hard to juice while traveling. 

Head to Mercado San Miguel and leave the juicing to them! (3 euro)

Puerta de Toledo, Madrid

Nothing says, "Europe", like walking out of a stuffy Metro station and seeing this amazing work of architecture. 

This city gate was erected in the 19th century in honor of King Ferdinand VII. 

Lucky us, it is just a couple blocks away from our flat in Madrid :)

Holy Toledo!

Brian got to see "The other side of Europe" today. 

Cobblestone streets, endless alleyways, and rainy sidewalk cafes. 

We loved the picturesque, medieval town of Toledo!

Not all who wander are lost...

... but sometimes they are.

Roaming the streets of Madrid. Somewhere near Plaza de Santa Ana...

First 36 hours

Our first "His and Hers" post on our blog about our adventures around Europe! Read more to find out about each of our perspectives regarding our first 36 hours in Spain.

His:

Alright where to begin... lets start with...  Well, I am a Biology major so sorry if my writing skills are a little (or a lot) suspect, I am by no means a writer.  Also, my traveling experience is that of Mexico and a family trip to the Dominican Republic when I was younger, so this trip should be very interesting.  

First thing that comes to mind is the transit system or the "metro," THERE ARE VERY FEW ESCALATORS AND A CRAP TON OF STAIRS!!!  I'm talking like 10-25 or more steps per stairwell and we probably went through 15 stairwells from the airport to our apartment.  This is a problem because we are carrying at least a 100 pounds of luggage, and not once were we offered any help!  I know I am a little out of shape, but this really gave me an idea of how out of shape I am.

Once out of the metro system, we were met by a nice girl who walked us to our apartment.  There our next fun adventure was getting from the street up the three flights of stairs that anyone much larger then me may not be able to get through.  By now my arms, back, and legs feel like they are going to break. We reach our front door walk in and I immediately sit down on the couch out of breath.  We get a quick tour and I think to myself, thank goodness Jennison had me watching that show called "House Hunters International" because this place is not large.  Mainly the kitchen is the biggest surprise as I'm bigger than the fridge, there is a clothes washing machine in which could maybe fit one outfit of mine, which is next to a tiny stove.  Once the nice girl left we unpacked and I was eager to get my first run at the streets of Madrid!

We step outside, look left, look right and of course Jennison says let's go this way, pointing to the left which is straight uphill.  "Ugh", I think to myself, smile and start to the left.  We walk maybe a mile or two, walking toward whatever buildings look the coolest.  We finally come to a plaza called Plaza Mayor which is this huge, open square surrounded by about 4-5 story buildings.  This is really cool and I get my first, feeling of being outside of the U.S.  Now to find some food, wine or beer!  We first check out this place that looked crowded, the menu wasn't exactly what we were looking for and they only served one type of bottled beer, so we quickly disregarded this place.  Next choice was this place that had a bar with a bunch of alcohol and wine behind it, good enough for me!  We sit down in this booth that had wooden seats that I called sled seats and quickly ordered Sangria which looked delicious as we could see several pitchers on top of the bar.  We both went with the safe route with dinner as I ordered the spaghetti bolognese and Jennison ordered a potato pancake thing and some spicy fried potatoes.  Everything tasted good, my pasta was pretty average and tasted different then spaghetti in the US, but was still good. After finishing Jennison's meal for her I look up and she has this blank stare on her face and I think she must be sleeping with her eyes open.  Time to go!  We then head home stopping for some bottled water and a bottle of wine!

We spend the rest of the evening catching up on sleep. Luckily, I wake up early, take the first shower and get all the hot water (in which lasts about all of three minutes). We spend the rest of the day aimlessly walking and touring the city.  To my surprise I actually enjoyed getting lost and trying to figure out our way home.

Hers:

As the plane landed in Madrid, my first thoughts were, "was it really that easy?" You know when something is meant to be when things just kind of fall into place. Sure, there were many hours of planning put into this trip and yes our wallets have a little more room in them than five months ago....but, nonetheless, it truly feels as though we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

There is a serious lack of escalators in Madrid's Metro system. At first, we found ourselves each carrying about 100 lbs of luggage down a few flights of stairs. We looked at each other and laughed. After a couple metro stops and transfers, we found ourselves looking up what seemed to be endless flights of stairs. We looked at each other and almost cried. We made it though. We stepped out of the metro station, onto the rainy streets of Madrid. After Brian spotted a library (biblioteca) nearby, we were able to connect to WiFi and use Skype to call someone to meet us and walk us to the flat we rented near the city center.

It is amazing how your mindset changes as soon as you step onto European soil. No one in America, in their right mind, would walk a mile to their accommodation, in the rain, carrying 3 heavy bags.... uphill.   But, this is Europe. And in Europe, you don't think twice about those things. 

We arrived to our adorable little flat, unpacked and then headed out to check out our neighborhood to grab a bite to eat. Due to our jet-lagged state, the whole afternoon felt a little fuzzy. We stumbled upon the gorgeous Plaza Mayor and ate at a cute taberna nearby. We were so exhausted from the trip, we weren't really sure whether to speak in English or Spanish, how much to tip, not to mention- what to order! We managed to order some spicy potatoes, and of course, Sangria. 

We slept the rest of the afternoon and night and woke up this morning ready to explore and wander! So far, Brian, although a good sport, does not seem to enjoy the aimless wandering (aka getting lost) as much as I do ;) 

Highlight of the day: In the craziness of packing I left Brian's warm jacket behind. We managed to find a good looking jacket for him (seen below in the photo at Parque del Retiro). Next is the hat. Then the shoes. He'll be looking like a true Spaniard in no time!

Papas y papas

Well, to say the least, we have not gotten the hang of ordering food in Spain. Although we speak a little Spanish, we are not exactly sure what are getting ourselves into when ordering traditional Spanish dishes. However, I do know what "papas" are, and I do know what "papas fritas" are. So... for dinner (and breakfast) Papas Bravas it is! These fried potatoes are served with a delicious spicy, red sauce.

(Brian did branch out for lunch today ordering "shrimp pancakes", which are similar to a crab cake. Bonus points for Brian though, his shrimp still had their eyes and tails attached!)

After two straight meals of fried potatoes, we were in search of some "frutas y verduras" in order to add a little nutritional value to our meals. Lucky us, right up the street was an awesome market, Mercado de la Cebada, with stalls packed with fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish! It's like having a farmers market right up the street from your house, open every day of the week :)

A little taste of home...

Starbucks!

After wandering the streets of Madrid and testing our luck with various "tabernas" and cafes, we were desperately craving some familiarity- a place where we knew how to order, when to pay, and where to sit. As we gazed across the bustling street we saw just the place!

Bonus! For free WiFi, ask your friendly barista for a receipt with a username and password to access the internet :)

All our bags are packed...

... And we're ready to go!

After many hours of cleaning, packing, and moving (with the help of amazing parents) we are packed up and ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime! It is difficult to imagine what this adventure will bring, but we are excited, anxious, and eager to find out. 

He Said, She Said

Our big adventure abroad according to me (and him)...

What the fridge am I gonna eat?

As a vegan (married to a meat-a-tarian) we are very interested to see how our family meal planning works out living in another country, out of a suitcase, and without speaking the language. We will be posting about our encounters with great restaurants, homemade recipes, and suggestions for meal planning while traveling abroad.

Worth 1,000 Words

“The Earth is Art, The Photographer is only a Witness ” 
― Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Watch out Europe!

Getting an international driving permit was pretty much as quick and painless as  the 
flu shots we also received today. AAA took great care of us (photos and all) for under 
$25! Best part- you don't even need to be a member!

Where in the world are Jennison and Brian?

Here we go!