The Wedding Weekend

We arrived in Salamanca friday afternoon and the festivities started soon after.  Although the Spaniards can find any reason to celebrate, they especially love big occasions.  The first night we went with the bride and groom for a pre-wedding celebration with friends.  Unlike in America, there are no rehearsal dinners or wedding parties; something my cousin Andrea would find refreshing.  

Salamanca is a university town, housing the oldest university in Spain.  We headed to a bar in the plaza mayor.  I love the plazas in Spain.  They are filled with so much energy.  

Everyone drank, ate tapas, and danced. Two of their friends showed up and announced they were expecting a baby.  This only fueled the excitement and joy. 

We woke up the next day and prepared for the wedding.  The family had lunch at the hotel before going to get ready.  The bride and groom were there, relaxed, not the least bit stressed for the upcoming night.  I had a wonderful flan for dessert. 

The wedding was at the bride's family farm.  It was beautiful!  They had a tent set up on the property.  Everyone greeted each other with kisses; families catching up after time apart.  Without much fanfare, the bride and her father approached the tent.  Casually they walked in and went to meet the groom and his parents at the front.  A ten minute ceremony took place, they exchanged rings, kissed one another, and that was the end.  

Following the ceremony, the guests walked up the street to the bull fighting ring.  The father of the bride, a former bull fighter led the way.  They invited any and all guest who wanted to try.  For safety purposes, these were calves, but they did have horns.  The crowd cheered on the brave men, boys, and women willing to give it a go.  I sat on the sidelines and watched.  I had been wanting to see a bull fight and now I had.  

 We went back down to the tent for a tapas style dinner. 

All of Mercedes' cousins were together for the first time. 

We danced and danced and danced some more.  The D.J didn't arrive until 12 and the party lasted until 6 am.  . 

The Saulsbury Family who so graciously included me in their family visit. 

Today we spent recuperating.  We had lunch and dinner at the bride's family farm.  It was very relaxed.  Her father showed us pictures of his bull fighting days and the first bull he ever killed, mounted in their entry.  He also let us try on his old matador jacket.  Super cool moment. 

We head to southern France tomorrow.  This is the last leg of our trip, Paris being the grand finale. What an awesome time we have had in Spain.