I'll Never Desert You: Putting on the White Dress

After opening my gift from Mr. C, it was time to get dressed! Unfortunately, I had made the mistake of asking my bridesmaids to get dressed at the wedding venue. I thought it would be fairly simple as Cloverleaf Farm has a large bridal suite with great mirrors and several bathrooms. This was actually a big mistake! There just wasn't enough time or room for all the girls: nine in all including Mr. C's "groomsladies" (his three sisters). Future brides, learn from my mistake and have your wedding party get dressed at the hair salon or elsewhere! 

I spent most of this time sitting on the couch in the bridal suite feeling really numb and overwhelmed. Everything was happening so fast. After such a slow and relaxing start to the day, time was suddenly speeding up! People were buzzing around me, floating in and out of the room. I recall staring blankly out the windows, not sure when I was going to put my dress on or get ready. Nothing felt real. At last all the ladies were dressed and it was time for me to don the Jim Hjelm gown that had been purchased nearly a year earlier. A lot of brides get really emotional when they put on their dress, but I was relatively calm and collected. I was just happy to finally putting on the dress I had waited a so many months to officially wear!

The photograph above is a really special one for me. It shows my mom and stepsister adjusting my dress. It's significant because it shows those two previously separate parts of my life (my mom and my dad's new family) working together for the first time. If you recall from my rehearsal dinner post, my mother only just met my stepmother and step-siblings for the first time. Again this image is symbolic of those two sides finally joining for the first time! 

There was lots of adjusting and fiddling with the sash so that the bow looked just right. I had no idea what was going on, so I just stood still while I let my mom and lovely bridesmaids do their work! 

Soon enough I was handed my gorgeous bouquet of garden roses and delphinium, given a few more adjustments, and then it was off to meet Mr. C for our first look! 

And now a peek into the groom's suite to see what Mr. C has been up to! He actually got dressed before the present exchange, but all the same here are some great photos of him getting ready. I was able to find a tie to match my sash at Macy's! I'm so glad I could find a color that watched so well! 

What a dapper gentleman I married!

Hugging his best man and brother-in-law.

Mr. C's mother pinning his boutonniere.

I love this sweet photo!

Up next is our emotional first look! 

Previously on The Camel Wedding Recaps: 

1) Getting Dressed & Exchanging Gifts

I'll Never Desert You: Getting Ready & Exchanging Gifts

Hello again readers! The official Camel wedding recaps have begun! I hope you guys are ready for wedding photography overload, all thanks to Christopher Helm Photography. Let's get this party started! 

We'll get to this special moment in due time!

After a very emotional rehearsal dinner, all of my bridesmaids spent the night at my apartment. The idea was to have an old school pre-wedding sleepover. I've known most of my bridesmaids since elementary or middle school, so of course we have a long history of sleepovers, usually involving viewings of The Last Unicorn or Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. Mr. C stayed at a hotel in downtown Athens with his best man. There were still a few little wedding tasks to tie up (literally) such as tying thank you tags to each individually wrapped macaron favor. This could not be done ahead of time because the macarons had only just been picked up that afternoon from the bakery in Atlanta. The seven of us made short work of the thank you tags and soon we were off to bed. 

I went to bed a bit later than I had planned. Surprisingly I didn't have much trouble falling asleep, but honestly I was exhausted from all the emotions and tears I experienced earlier in the evening. At around 8:00 am my stepsister (bridesmaid J) shook me awake. "You're getting married today!!" I was groggy but I knew there was a lot to get done (and a lot of girls to get ready) before we could leave the house. We had a 9:30 reservation at a local restaurant for a bridesmaid brunch, courtesy of my sweet grandmother. Once there we were served hot slices of cheese and spinach quiche with freshly baked biscuits, butter, jam, and fresh fruit. It was absolutely divine and such a calm, leisurely way to start the big day. My bridesmaids, mom, two aunts, and grandmother were all in attendance and we sat outside under the shade of some trees, catching up between sips of coffee and orange juice. Honestly, this was one of my favorite parts of the day! Then it was off to the salon. 

Getting my hair done by the amazing Olive at City Salon and Spa.

We had six bridesmaids, three groomsladies, and two mothers getting their hair done at the salon. This took at least a good three hours with three different stylists working nonstop. Then there was me, of course, and I was also getting my makeup done. This all took place at the fabulous City Salon and Spa in Athens, Georgia. We had a great time though and came prepared with champagne and orange juice for mimosas and my amazing matron of honor K and bridesmaid J ran out to grab Panera Bread sandwiches and salads for the entire bridal party.  

Some bridesmaids and groomsladies waiting for their turn at the salon chair.

Mr. C's three beautiful sisters (from left) with my good friend the lovely bridesmaid S on the right.

After hair, makeup, and a quick in-salon lunch we were off to the venue, Cloverleaf Farm. The weather was absolutely perfect. It's been raining nonstop this summer in Georgia, which is great since previously we had been experiencing a drought, but it certainly made me nervous leading up to the wedding day! By the middle of May we had already received more than our monthly average of rainfall and it didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. But as luck would have it, we had a gorgeously sunny day with low humidity. Humidity is another thing you need to worry about in the South as it can make even moderate temperatures miserable (and destroy your hairstyle).  

Arriving at the venue with bridesmaid J, feeling like a rock star.

I called one of Mr. C's groomsmen ahead of time to ensure that he was not wandering around the venue when we arrived. Then the girls were all whisked upstairs to the beautiful bridal suite to get ready. While my bridesmaids were rushing about to get dressed, I was delivered a present from Mr. C's youngest sister. You see, Mr. C and I decided to follow the trend of gifting each other wedding day presents. I couldn't wait to see what he had picked out for me, as he had been giving me little hints leading up to the big day. I could tell that he was proud and excited for me to open my gift! 

Mr. C's youngest sister and niece look on as I read the card.

First of course there was the heartfelt card where he told me he couldn't wait for me to become his wife. Then I opened the present. When I tore open the white paper I found a Little Prince music box. This was perfect as we chose a reading from the Little Prince for our ceremony. Apparently he had it imported from France! When I opened the lid, I found a teal box wrapped in white ribbon: a sight that many a lady longs to see. Who could mistake a box from Tiffany & Co.? 

And inside the Tiffany's box was an elegant pearl necklace. It has a decorative silver pendant that evokes the art deco style of the 1920's. This is very apt as it is from Tiffany's Ziegfeld collection commemorating Baz Luhrman's film The Great Gatsby. Mr. C and I both love the book (but we have not seen the film), so once again he found the perfect, symbolic gift! I wasn't planning on wearing a necklace for the wedding, but this gift was just too perfect not to wear. I swear, Mr. C is one amazing guy. 

Now that I had opened my gift, it was time for Mr. C to open his. I was really at a loss as to what to give my future husband. He doesn't wear suits often so cuff links were out. I had just recently bought him a really nice watch to wear, so a timepiece wouldn't work either. He would never use something like a money clip. Recently his beloved iPod had died and I realized how much he missed having it in his car to listen to music, so I bought him a new iPod, matte black with our initials and wedding date engraved on the back. It's so hard to get a man a sentimental gift! But I did find a really cute pop-up Little Prince card where I inscribed my wedding day message of love for him. 

After opening our presents, it was nearly time for our first look! But I wasn't even dressed yet. Next up, the girls and guys get dressed and ready for the big event. 

My Wedding Dress Reveal

If you recall, from months and months ago, I never actually shared pictures of my wedding dress with you. I wanted it to be a surprise for the family and guests who had yet to see it. Plus the model shots of the dress aren't very convincing and I hated all of the blurry cellphone pictures of me wearing it in a fitting room. Well, now I am very happy to finally be able to share my dress with the hive!

All photographs are by Christopher Helm Photography.

The designer is Jim Hjelm and the style is #8105. The model shot does not do this dress justice. For me, it has everything I ever wanted in a wedding dress: A-line, natural waist, romantic, soft, whimsical. It is comprised of layers upon layers of ivory silk chiffon ruffles. My absolute favorite part is the train, which stretches back behind the dress like the foamy trails of a water nymph.

This is actually the very first wedding dress I tried on, strangely enough at a very posh bridal boutique in Pasadena, California. I was there with three of my bridesmaids and honestly, 99% of the dresses in that shop were not my style and not within my budget, but one of my bridesmaids had once worked there and she was the one who kindly booked the appointment. Everything there was a little too over-the-top for my style and personality. But I figured it couldn't hurt to try on a few dresses. My bridesmaids kept saying they wanted to see me in lace or a fit-and-flare gown but those things just aren't my style. Lace isn't me. Then I saw this Jim Hjelm number, which reminded me of a more elaborate version of BHLDN's Cascading Goddess gown which was my favorite dress at the time.

So I tried on the Jim Hjelm and it was a hit, but of course you never give in after just the one dress. I tried on several more, but in the end I went back to this dress for a final look before we headed off to another bridal salon. But first, it needed a little something extra.

The dress originally had a flowery sequin applique attached off-center to the waistline. I knew I wanted to remove it and for some reason I was inspired to have a wide sash tied around the waist with a large bow in the back. Luckily the salon had a sash I could try on and the moment the bow was tied in the back I was totally sold. My bridesmaids oohed and aahed in approval. My stepsister had tears in her eyes. I had to have it and it had to have a massively long sash with a big bow in the back too. But I had made a very tragic mistake. I didn't ask for the price before trying it on, and it being a designer gown, it definitely had a price tag to match. I left the salon crestfallen, but I thought I might find something better (and more affordable) in the future.

Alas, I did not find anything that captured my heart the way the Jim Hjelm did. But luckily I was able to find a salon back in Georgia (Wedding Angels Bridal Boutique in Roswell) that carried this designer. I grabbed my one Atlanta bridesmaid, made an appointment, and went to try it on again (and was hoping for an Atlanta price rather than an LA price) but unfortunately they did not have a sample available. I was so disappointed. We were just about to leave when suddenly the saleswoman had a thought. They did have this dress but their one sample was for sale in their clearance room. What luck! In just moments my dream dress became a reality, as it was available for a much more reasonable price. Talk about fate!

I bought this dress in June 2012 and I got married in May 2013. I had a number of people tell me that I bought it too early, that I would see something else I liked more and develop the dreaded wedding dress regret. But I have to say that after nearly a year of stalking every major wedding blog you can name and of course the dress forum here on Weddingbee, I never did find a dress that I loved more than this one.

It wasn't until later that I discovered what I believe to be my subconscious inspiration for the giant blue sash. When Marie Antoinette started to spend more time at the Petit Trianon (her small, personal palace outside of Versailles) she wanted a new type of gown that was more natural and easier to wear outside in her private gardens. As you probably know, most 18th century French women (of wealth and status) wore very elaborate, heavy gowns that required corsets, stays, and cumbersome hoops to support the weight and shape of the gowns. I can only imagine how hot and uncomfortable these types of dresses must have been! But Marie Antoinette wanted freedom from her typical restrictive wardrobe and the result was the chemise a la reine - a gauzy white muslin gown that was tied at the waist with a colored sash. This gown quickly caught on and all the most fashionable ladies were wearing them, even if they were likened to underwear or lingerie in comparison to the typical fashions of the day. 

Image source via: The Dreamstress (the last portrait is Marie Antoinette herself)

I think these images must have been floating around in the back of my mind when I suggested wearing a sash with my wedding dress. The sash itself was custom made by my own mother. I bought the fabric in that lovely blue color that so often reminds me of Marie Antoinette, and had her make it extra long so that it trailed the ground behind me. I definitely struggled with whether or not to wear the sash. I realize it is a little unconventional and I didn't want to look back on my wedding photos with regret. Now that the wedding is over, I have to say that I love it and I can't imagine my wedding day look without that big blue sash. It added just a touch of uniqueness, a little dash of me. Plus it tied in so well with our wedding theme. 

Well, that's the story of my wedding dress! And now it sits hanging languidly in my closet, taking up way too much space. I am thinking of having it cleaned and reselling it, because as much as I love it, I feel bad that it will spend the rest of its days gathering dust in the back of my closet. 

What were you looking for in your dream dress? Do you (or did you) plan to sell your wedding dress after the wedding?

Post Wedding Emotions

Just before getting married, I wrote an entry about life after the wedding. I wasn't sure where I would be emotionally after the wedding was over. The idea is that you spend weeks, months, sometimes even years preparing for an event that is over in a single day. Emotionally, it places a lot of pressure on the bride and groom. I felt that I was highly susceptible to experiencing post-wedding depression for a number of reasons, but namely because the wedding was a distraction from my stressful job, an excuse to stay in touch with long-distance friends and family, and a great creative motivator. As of May 26th, all of the crafting, socializing, and planning has come to a screeching halt.

I won't lie, the day after our wedding was pretty rough. Not only did we watch as all of our out-of-town family and friends left, but we also returned to our apartment to find the sad remnants of our special day. After the wedding my family was tasked with clearing all of our belongings out of the venue. Everything was loaded up and dropped off at our apartment while Mr. C and I were at a hotel in downtown Athens. There were boxes of milk glass, a trash bag full of our beautiful centerpiece flowers, unopened wedding gifts and cards, a bag of uneaten macarons. There was barely any space to move around our living room! So we sat down and started to clear it out. We broke down boxes, we tossed out the flowers, we boxed up the milk glass that I spent over a year collecting. It was hard and there were definitely tears from both of us. The worst part is when we opened our photo guestbook for the first time. There were so many great photos and sweet messages. Seeing the photos of guests who only hours earlier had been in our presence totally opened the floodgates. We were both a total mess for most of the day. You see, the major bulk of both of our families lives hours away from us. It was such a treat to have our family all together for the weekend, to watch our family interact with our coworkers and friends. It was hard to see them go and watch life return to normalcy.

Photography by Christopher Helm

This is where I am so very glad that we decided to leave for our honeymoon the day after the wedding. I definitely recommend this if you think you might suffer from post-wedding depression. We had enough time the day after the wedding to see some of our family off, to clean up our apartment, pack a few last minute items, and then make it to the airport just in time for our flight to Paris. But I cried the entire car ride to the airport. In fact, Mr. C had to stop for gas and I had to go into the gas station to buy tissues. I was a hot mess! My head was reeling with so many emotions: the vows, spending time with my dad, seeing my mom and dad chatting together for the first time in 15 years, the total outpouring of love we experienced. But as soon as we were on the plane, it all melted away. We were about to go on a great adventure and see Paris and Malta!

Instagram photo by my stepsister.

By the time we returned home from the honeymoon, the post-wedding letdown had run its course. I felt just fine, no post-wedding depression in sight. Even so, there was definitely a feeling of "loss" -- I kept thinking that there was something I should be doing, some wedding task waiting to be completed. Nearly a month later I still feel the same sense of loss, as if something is missing. But that might also come from the fact I'm a teacher on summer vacation and usually I do have a million things (lessons to plan, copies to make, essays to grade, grades to enter, etc) that I should be doing. But you know what? I'm glad it's over. I'm glad the wedding stress is gone. I'm glad I don't have to check The Knot's wedding checklist anymore (and subsequently freak out over the dozens of tasks waiting to be completed). I'm glad the wedding nightmares have ended. I'm glad a portion of my paycheck is no longer being signed away to wedding day details. The wedding was fun, it was amazing, but it's done and I'm ready to move on. Honestly, this response has really surprised me as I thought I would be an emotional wreck. If we hadn't left straight for the honeymoon after the wedding, I think things would have been much different.

Some post-wedding emotions have surprised me though. I've felt some strange pangs of guilt. Guilt about some family and friends I barely spoke to at the reception. Guilt about all the trouble and expense my brother went through to DJ at the wedding reception (even though people tell me he had the time of his life). Guilt about barely being by Mr. C's side during the rehearsal dinner. Guilt about the time and money some of my friends spent to be a part of our wedding. I realize that people do these things because they want to, but I can't help feeling a little guilty. I even felt guilty opening wedding gifts -- what did we do to deserve them? I also feel bummed out by some things that did not go as planned, which I realize is normal. We didn't get to have a sparkler exit (because I was stupid and misplaced the sparklers). I wish our reception had been even one hour longer or we had started the ceremony earlier. There are some photos we just didn't have time to take. But c'est la vie. What can you do but take the good with the bad in stride and keep moving forward?

Some people have asked me if I feel different now that I am married, or if my relationship with Mr. C has changed. Not so much. But there is that feeling of, "Wow, this person has chosen to stick by me for this rest of his life?" That's a powerful and humbling notion. I can't believe someone loves enough to make that commitment, someone who has seen me at my absolute best and my rock-bottom worst. It's empowering, comforting, and strange all at the same time. But I'm so happy and so lucky to call Mr. C my husband.

Overall, I'm very content with life right now. I can finally rest, relax, and recharge. I'm so glad to be married to Mr. C and we are still enjoying our newlywedded bliss. Plus we now we have our professional photos (as you may have noticed above) and we absolutely love them. I can't wait to start my wedding recaps!

What about you? How did you feel when your wedding was over? Were you distressed or relieved? A mix of the two? Did your relationship with your partner change after your marriage?

Honeymoon Part IV: Love in Paris

Mr. C and I spent two weeks abroad on our honeymoon. The first week and a half was spent on the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo. The last portion of our trip was spent in one of our favorite cities in the world, Paris. I realize that it is rather cliche to gush over Paris, but honestly it's a beautiful place teeming with historical significance.

Mr. C and I got engaged in Paris in March of 2012. Actually, it was at Versailles, but we spent a few days in Paris leading up to the engagement. Again, as someone who loves history, Paris is such an awesome place to visit -- so many amazing things to see and do in such close proximity! And who doesn't love the Louvre or walking the gravel paths of the Tuileries Garden, stopping to an espresso or creme brulee at a park cafe? It is a remarkably beautiful city.

While planning our honeymoon, we were aware that there are no direct flights from the U.S. to Malta. This meant we'd need a stopover city in Europe. We first toyed with Rome but we decided to go with Paris as we wanted to spend a few more days in the city and I wanted Mr. C to see what it was like in the summer, rather than early spring before everything is green. So we added a few extra days to the end of our honeymoon where we could bask in the glory, beauty, and history of Paris.

We stayed at Hotel l'Emperor which is directly across from les Invalides, home of the military museum and also the burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte (hence the hotel's name). On our first day we visited the Eiffel Tower and took a long walk down the Champs Elysees. During the summer months it gets dark very late in Paris. I would say the sun would finally set around 10:00 pm. This meant it was almost too easy for time to get away from us and it was always much later in the day than it actually felt. It also meant that even at midnight, the streets were teeming with locals and tourists and dinner was still being served at 10:00 or 11:00 in the evening. I love eating really late dinners, as I'm a bit of a night owl, so I loved this lifestyle! We would sleep in a bit, go out for the day, and have a very late dinner sitting out on the little cafe tables lining the sidewalks where you can sit, talk, and people watch.

Of course Mr. C and I also visited the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Jardin du Luxembourg. We indulged in ice cream at the world famous Maison Berthillon (you MUST try the vanilla and chocolate flavors) as well as macarons at the famous French patisserie, Ladurée. But you guys already knew about my macaron obsession, right? If not you can read all about how we incorporated them into our wedding as favors here!

I may have bought something like four or five boxes of macarons from Ladurée  I think I have a problem. Actually, I know I have a problem. My favorite flavors are orange blossom, vanilla, red fruits, raspberry, and chocolate. I also have a decent collection of Ladurée macaron boxes (around 10-12 different ones) and I really have no way of displaying them. Let me know if you have any suggestions on how I could best display them! 

One of my favorite souvenirs from the trip is Ladurée's book L'esprit décoration Ladurée. It's entirely in French (I can speak and read some French), but the best part is that it comes with an amazing pop-up diorama of various rooms that are all indicative of the styles Ladurée used to decorate their restaurants and shops. There's an amazing little pop-up rococo room, complete with a tiny tower of macarons on a table. I wish I had snapped a photo of it, but you can see pictures of it here. I love it so much and will always treasure it as a reminder of our honeymoon in Paris.

On the last full day of our honeymoon, we made a stop at our favorite place -- Versailles. I love Versailles so much that we even had a Versailles/Marie Antoinette themed wedding! The best part about visiting Versailles was that the fountains were on. This was actually my third time to Versailles but my first time seeing the fountains! They are only turned on on weekends and Tuesdays and public holidays. 

Versailles is the same place where we got engaged, but sadly the Latona Fountain (behind us) was being renovated on our most recent trip, so it was disassembled. 

2012 - Engaged; 2013 - Married! 

Not only were the fountains on, but there were speakers throughout the gardens playing music. Some of the music seemed chosen for the particular mood or theme for each fountain. There are acres of groves and gardens with dozens of different fountains. One of my favorite fountains is Apollo's Grotto which is a giant man-made cave with waterfalls and a statue of Apollo resting as he is attended to by a number of nymphs. On the left and right sides of Apollo his horses (who helped pull his chariot with the sun across the sky) are also being watered and attended to by more nymphs. It's so cool! 

The fountains of Versailles, in all of their majesty! 

If you ever visit Versailles, you have to make sure that you make the 30 minute walk down to the Petit Trianon to see Marie Antoinette's Hamlet (also called the Queen's Hamlet). In order to escape the rigid court life of Versailles, Marie Antoinette had an idyllic country-style village created outside of her small palace, the Petit Trianon. Now tourists can wander through the fairy-like forest paths and overgrown fields dotted with wildflowers to view the quaint country cottages. There is also a working farm on the property which is operated as a living museum with goats, sheep, ducks, geese, and pigs. The little farmhouses have gardens stocked with vegetables and flowers. The entire "village" is centered around a lake which is full of waterlilies -- it's like a living painting! Really, there's no way I could ever properly describe the beauty of this place.

Beautiful, pastoral scenes from Marie Antoinette's Hamlet

The Queen's Hamlet certainly reveals some of the extravagance of the French court during the 18th century. We all know that things did not end well for the French monarchy as Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI were both guillotined during the French Revolution. We actually saw the darker side of Marie Antoinette's life by visiting the Conciergerie, a former royal palace that was later turned into a prison during the revolution. It was where Marie Antoinette spent her last days before being put through a sham of a trial, declared guilty, and executed. It's a sad place, but a place I wanted to visit as it offers a "full circle" perspective of Marie Antoinette's story.

The lavish rooms of Versailles

Meanwhile, back at Versailles, we rented a boat and Mr. C happily paddled me around the Grand Canal. We also rented bikes and road around the canal and saw how many locals come out to the park on a nice day. A large part of the grounds of Versailles are open to the public. There were families picnicking out on the grass, children playing, lovers reading in the shade of the tall trees. I loved renting the boat and bikes, which I recommend if you visit the palace. We also had lunch at a bustling (and large!) restaurant right outside the back gates of Versailles on the shores of the Grand Canal. It was a truly amazing and magical day and a great way to wrap up our honeymoon. We headed back into Paris just as dark rain clouds were congregating on the horizon. We stepped into our hotel lobby the minute the skies opened up!

Unfortunately after our amazing trip to Versailles, the time had come for us to go home. The next day we made the sad trek to Charles de Gaulle airport for a flight back to Atlanta. We had such an amazing, relaxing, and romantic honeymoon. I wouldn't change a thing about it, except maybe staying for another week and visiting Italy and Greece. And now my imagination is already reeling with plans for our next travel destination for next summer. Maybe it will be Argentina, Greece, or Italy! But beyond that, we loved our trip. If you guys have any questions about our honeymoon, please let me know! I'd be happy to help. 

Honeymoon Adventures Part III: The Simple Life on Gozo

We spent the first part of our honeymoon soaking up the history and majesty of the Mediterranean island of Malta. You can read all about it on my previous honeymoon post here. After three days on Malta, it was time for us to take the ferry over to Malt's smaller sister island, Gozo. 

When we arrived at the ferry port in Gozo we had a new friend waiting for us -- Bunty. Bunty is the reason we decided to come to Malta in the first place, an island that we had never even heard of before January of this year. Bunty is the cousin of our co-worker who works as the social studies coach for the school district. We befriended her ages ago but for some reason in January she was working with us one school day morning when we ended up talking about vacation spots. She mentioned that she had family on Malta and thus visited Malta often. Intrigued we asked for more details and she went on and on about how amazing Malta is -- the beaches, the history, the culture -- and how much she loves to visit and how her cousin Bunty rents renovated farmhouses to vacationers. Mr. C and I became even more intrigued. Suddenly plans for spending our honeymoon in Costa Rica were quickly fading into oblivion. We had a complete honeymoon 180 in a matter of minutes. Our co-worker was suddenly e-mailing her cousin asking about her rental properties. In a week or so we had booked Bunty's three bedroom farmhouse on Gozo, complete with a kitchen, living room, wifi, a rooftop terrace, and a private pool.

Bunty was standing outside in the chill air holding a sign with my name on it. We exchanged hugs and gave our sincere thanks for her picking us up at the ferry to take us to the house. Her husband Anton was waiting in the car and they whisked us away to our private farmhouse, built 300 years ago and renovated into quite the cozy and relaxing oasis of tranquility. When Bunty gave us the tour of the house we were flabbergasted! It is an absolutely incredible place. The sandstone walls, roof, and wooden support beams make you feel as if you are stepping into a castle! The entire first floor was once a barn where the animals were kept. The living room has a TV alcove which was originally a manger. There are several holes carved into the stone which were used to tether animals inside the barn. 

When we opened the fridge there was a bottle of champagne, milk, orange juice, strawberries, and two different kinds of dip with crackers waiting for us. Oh, and the absolutely delicious tomato, cheese, olive, and onion plate you see in the photos. There was also a sweet wedding card sitting on the kitchen table. I was again amazed! Bunty and Anton's generosity is certainly something--all of this for complete strangers! I am still brainstorming a way that we can thank them.

After the tour Bunty and Anton dropped us off at the nearest grocery store, a short ten minute walk from the farmhouse. There Gavin and I bought food for dinner (ingredients for homemade spaghetti), snacks, drinks, and breakfast foods. It was nice to stop eating out so much and actually stay in and cook for ourselves! Plus, it saved so much money.The store was very tiny and simple, but well-stocked with necessities.
Finally after arriving back at the farmhouse we were able to sit down and start cooking our spaghetti dinner. We used homegrown garlic so kindly left by the woman who lives next door. After an hour of so of cooking, the spaghetti was ready and it was absolutely delicious -- or maybe it was just the hard work and day's journey put into it that made it taste so good. Then it was time for a good night of sleep in the quiet little (well, not so little -- with three bedrooms and three floors -- four counting the terrace on the roof) farmhouse.

The Azure Window on a windy, rough-seas day.

We returned on a calmer day!

The first thing we did on our first full day on Gozo was visit a very famous place called the Azure Window. It's only a fifteen minute bus ride from the center of the city and it is a truly magnificent marvel of nature -- a huge cliff jutting out into the Mediterranean with a nature "window" cut into the middle. The first day we went, the wind was intense and the sea was slamming against the rocks and the cliffs with foaming curls of the bluest water I've ever seen. The pictures don't even do it justice! Unfortunately this meant that there were no boats you could hire to take you around the cliffs and no swimmers or scuba divers in the area. The air was salted with sea spray and my camera lens was covered in a thin layer of salty water by the end of our visit. This location also makes an appearance in HBO's Game of Thrones during Khal Drogo and Daenerys' wedding. Usually you can take boats through the natural tunnel and out into the open sea, but because of  the wind and waves, it was not possible during our first visit.

We returned to the Azure Window a few days later, this time on a calm day and were able to take a hired boat out through the inland sea and around the cliffs. The water was so beautiful -- clear, deep, and such an intense shade of blue. We also tried to go swimming out by the cliffs but the water had a really intense pull that made us a little afraid to get in. We did get our feet wet though, and put on goggles long enough to see some fish underwater. Then I saw a jelly fish and I didn't want to be in the water anymore!

We had lunch back on the shore where we ordered a tuna salad and the mixed fresh seafood plate. Both were amazing! The mixed seafood plate had squid, octopus, two different types of clams, mussels, king prawns, and shrimp all cooked in a garlicky white wine sauce with some tomatoes and lemon. It was exactly what I had been craving since arriving on the islands! And for once, the octopus and squid were not chewy and rubbery, but tender and very flavorful. This was definitely my favorite meal on the trip! 

We did end up going to Ramla Bay, a beach famous for its reddish sand. We also checked out the capital city of Victoria and the famous salt flats. Both the beach and salt flats can be seen in images above. 

For dinner on our last night in Gozo, we decided to venture off to a new part of the island recommended by Bunty called Xlendi. Bunty said it was known as a pretty little inlet with great restaurants and she was spot on! I checked out some restaurant reviews on Trip Adviser and we ended up having dinner at Ta'Karolina - one of the highest rated restaurants on the island. We had a starter of freshly caught and fried calamari and for main courses I had the seafood spaghetti (covered with shrimp, mussels, king prawns, and clams) and Mr. C had a steak with peppercorn gravy and potatoes. Everything was fabulous and the food and service certainly lived up to their internet fame. When we first arrived the staff asked if we had reservations, and of course we did not as I only discovered the restaurant online that afternoon. Then we noticed several signs warning that it is best to have a reservation. We waited (and I tried not to get my hopes up as I glanced at a menu) but the server returned and said he would set up a table for us outside on the dock! In fact, it gave a perfect view of the cliffs and the little bay all being lit up in the fading light of the evening; easily the best seats in the house! In the photo below you can see a little cave with a boat and a walkway starting on the right. Well the walkway wraps around the cliff and ends at Ta'Karolina -- we basically had a table set up right on the water! The second photo shows our view from the table. It was a very special way to end our last night in the Maltese archipelago.

It was so nice to finally feel my body relaxing and re-energizing. Travel is fun, but it's also exhausting -- lots of walking, climbing, waiting, reading maps, bus or train schedules. There's a lot of pressure to go everywhere and see everything. It's important to stop and remember that it's meant to be a vacation, to be fun and relaxing. After a very long school year and an intense year of wedding planning, the five days we've spent at the Gozo farmhouse were exactly what we needed. The next day we were up early and heading back to the ferry and then on to the airport on Malta. We were on our way to the Paris portion of our honeymoon! 

Honeymoon Adventures Part II: Malta

After spending one hectic night in Paris, as mentioned in my previous entry, Mr. C and were off to a Mediterranean paradise via Air Malta. 

Malta is a Mediterranean island just south of Sicily and north of Tunisia and Libya. Because of its unique and convenient location between Europe and Africa, it represents an interesting blend of language, food, culture and history. The primary language is Maltese (a strange blend of Arabic and Italian) but many people speak English as Malta was a British colony from 1813 to 1964. Malta is also a member of the European Union and, as such, uses the euro as currency. The country is also devoutly Roman Catholic and there were many festivals taking place honoring local patron saints. Although strangely, its Muslim and Arabic past still lingers in the language and place names throughout the islands. Practically all the buildings are constructed of  the tan stone that is mined on the islands. In fact, it is a law that buildings are constructed of this material, probably for both aesthetic and environmental reasons as there are few trees on the island. It gives the place a very beautiful and unique appearance. 

When we first arrived in the small capital city of Valletta, it was dark and the place had closed up for the night. I was surprised how early everything was shut, as usually most Europeans like to dine late into the night. It's one of my favorite things about traveling in Europe as I'm a bit of a night owl myself. When we woke up on our first morning in Malta, we saw that the city had been transformed! It was alive with tourists and locals, all shopping and eating on Republic Street, the city's main thoroughfare. It was a completely different scene from when we had arrived. The sky was a brilliant blue and we noticed that you could glance down the steep side streets and see the Mediterranean sparkling out on the horizon. 

I took a lot of pictures of the narrow alleyways and quaint wooden balconies for which Malta is known. The balconies sit on stone plinths are are painted in a variety of colors and they come in many shapes and sizes. Some wrap all the way around the corners of buildings, like verandas, three, four, or five stories up from the city streets. Many are peeling paint, draped with old lace curtains, a faded Virgin Mary presiding over the window frame -- all giving a very charming feel to the streets.

On our first full day in Malta we took an adventure to the beach. Getting around on Malta and Gozo is fairly simple as there are buses that run to all the major attractions. They do take quite a while to get you to your destination, as they often take winding, non-direct routes and stop at many locations. Apart from renting a car, there is no other way to get around, and seeing the aggressive style of Maltese driving, I'm glad we didn't rent a car! We decided to visit Golden Bay, with its reddish gold sand and very beautiful water. It was a little busy and the water was surprisingly freezing cold! We enjoyed our time  there nonetheless, especially sitting out on the patio of one of the nearby restaurants to enjoy lunch. 

One of my favorite activities on Malta was visiting the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum. It is a neolithic (i.e. Stone Age) underground necropolis (cemetery). It is, in fact, the only known underground neolithic temple in the entire world. It is carved from the living rock and arranged into three different levels, each created at a different time period. When discovered it was estimated that it contained the remains of around 7,000 people. They were not stacked neatly, but the bodies were left out to decay, the bones collected and all deposited into little "rooms" carved beneath the ground -- all remains were simply deposited into collective piles. Eventually it was forgotten and abandoned, all filled with mud and dirt until the early 20th century when it was rediscovered by chance. Farmers were trying to create cisterns for their newly built homes and broke unto the second level of the temple complex. Now it is a very delicate tourist attraction that only allows some 50 people to visit per day. As such, the tickets sell out months in advance. In fact, it is currently sold out until the end of July. If you plan to go to Malta, you must see this unique attraction, but make sure to purchase your tickets early. You won't want to miss out!

No photography was allowed, which I suppose is fine because it was so dark anyway. The light damages the remains of red ocher paintings on the ceilings, mostly ornate spirals and hexagons. The necropolis was really a marvel of human ingenuity as it was carved from the living rocks only with stone and bone tools. It was utilized for a thousand years and discovered with a number of beautifully carved/sculpted depictions of people-- ancestors, deities? The most famous is a tiny figure known as the "Sleeping Lady" -- a voluptuous Venus of Willendorf-esque woman lying curled on a platform which seems to sag beneath her weight. She may represent an ancestor, a fertility goddess, or perhaps even the sleep of death itself. We will never know! But the fact she exists and was created so artfully is really amazing. I bought a souvenir version to keep in my classroom. I can't wait to share my stories of the Hypogeum to my next round of world history students next semester!

After the Hypogeum we took a ten minute walk to another set of Stone Age ruins, this time above ground -- the Tarxien temple complex. This site was discovered with some very ornate carvings that are now housed in the Museum of Archaeology in Valletta -- including spirals, a scene with domesticated animals, and the bottom half of another voluptuous woman wearing a skirt with dainty little feet. They were removed from the original site in order to protect them but were replaced with replicas. On the way we noticed the small town we were walking through was preparing for some sort of patron saint festival. The streets were bedecked with colorful banners and wooden pillars painted to look like marble. There were several statues of Mary and Jesus waiting to be positioned. We reached the Tarxien temples in the heat of the afternoon. It was not nearly as moving as the Hypogeum but really cool nonetheless. There is something to be said in walking within the remains of a stone temple complex erected around 3,000 B.C.E.

While waiting for the bus back to Valletta, Mr. C and I had a chance to sample one of the local delicacies: a pastizzi. It's a buttery, savory pastry filled with either ricotta cheese or a seasoned pea mixture. Both are delicious, however I favor the cheese variety. Mr. C preferred the pea version. They are so delicious and basically flake apart into buttery bites as you eat them. Wash them down with an ice cold Coca-Cola and it is truly heaven!

You cannot miss a visit to Saint John's Co-Cathedral in the center of the Valletta. Malta is also known for being the home of the Knights Hospitaller who took up shop there after 1530. Mr. C, who read a book about crusader knights, was totally engrossed in the audio tour of the cathedral. I've seen many European cathedrals but this one was certainly something very special. The entire interior is completely covered in ornately carved and painted designs and motifs. It is quite spectacular and it practically glows from the ornate gold leafing. There are alcoves dedicated to the knights from each of the main countries: Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany and a few others. Well some of these were not quite countries yet, but regions and city-states, but you get the point. The English knights had their own order elsewhere (not on Malta), but I'm not sure about the history. The floor is covered in beautifully detailed marble tombs (the coolest ones depict skeletons) where 375 knights are buried. 

We also visited a few museums, like the Museum of Archaeology which was just a few minutes away from Saint John's Co-Cathedral. This is where the actual "Sleeping Lady" figure is housed along with lots of other relics of the past -- neolithic pottery shards, tools, and carvings, Phoenician urns, Roman jewelry. It all gave a great overview of the colorful and vast history that Malta and Gozo have experienced. So much history on such small islands! 

On our last day in Malta we checked out a medieval fortified city called Mdina (or the Silent City) that many people said we must visit. It is a walled city high on a hill and also home to several gates that were featured in HBO's hit series Game of Thrones. I've read all the books and seen both season one and two of the TV show. Unfortunately we only made it two episodes into the third season before school and wedding stuff completely consumed our lives in May.

We spent the afternoon moseying around the beautiful city and stopped to have cafe lattes (a serious addiction) and cake at a cute little restaurant right on the fortified walls of the city. Too bad it wasn't warmer and the weather nicer (it started to rain) -- otherwise it would have been a perfect day! But we were still able to marvel at the narrow little medieval cities where Maltese villagers somehow manage to drive their cars. Only people who live in the village are allowed to drive there, and surprisingly a lot of people still live there, mostly people who have been there for many generations! I definitely recommend a visit. 

After three days on Malta it was time to move on to the smaller sister island of Gozo, where we had a farmhouse rental with our name on it! Stay tuned for our adventures on Gozo and living the quiet, country life!