New Site!!

due to the limited mobile access, I've switched host sites. New blog address:

CoffeeCraftsandConvo.wordpress.com

Xoxo,

Abby

Spain || Week Three

Monday, July 25th

Adventure of the day: It was a relaxing day after getting in late from spending the weekend in Cadaques. Marta and I rode bikes into town, went to a craft store and spent time at our favorite cafe reading and doing homework.

Tuesday, July 26th

Adventure of the day: Mount Montserrat! In Montserrat, nature, spirituality and culture join together to provide a transcendent visit. According to legend, originally a cave with holy artifacts, sculptures & drawings was miraculously discovered by shepherds over 1,000 years ago. Since then, this site has grown into a Monastery that still houses 60 monks who run the facility in addition to their regular duties of prayer and service. The amount of hand carved, gold plated, hand painted detail and mosaic floors inside the basilica is incredible!"The pilgrim who walks up the mountain to the sanctuary, the stranger who discovers it's beauty and spirituality for the first time, the worshipper who makes an offering to the patron saint, the guest who finds the longed-for retreat.. All visitors will find in Montserrat an outstanding site where the geographical formations encourage us to give free reign to our imaginations, where the holiness of the sanctuary fosters devotion, where culture finds sublime expression."

Overlooking the Monastery

Wednesday, July 27th

Adventure of the day: taking a 5 hour bus tour of all the AMAZING landmarks worth seeing in Barcelona. There are so many pictures and coordinating historical stories to share... But the favorite of my eyes today: Palau Nacional & the fountains. The Palace was built around 1900 and is now home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Palace & Fountains

Palace

La Familia by Guadi

Whole bus to myself #flyingsolo

Thursday, July 28th

Adventure of the day: Farris Wheel Ride on top of the mountain overlooking Barcelona

Tibidabo Basilica 

Tibidabo Basilica

Mirror on the roof of our ride

Friday, July 29th

Adventure of the day: Aquarium! Albert was concerned why anyone would want to swim with sharks - so I explained to him what adrenalin was and how crazy people (like me) LOVE doing dangerous things. #teachablemoment? Heading to Cadaques for the next 3 weeks!

Saturday, July 30th

Adventure of the day: Octopus Fishing. Well, Jorge did the fishing - I only held it. 

Sunday, July 31st

Adventure of the day: kaiaking! ...I can't get over the view of the city. Pictures can't capture the magic of this village ❤️

after a light rain, God showed us His most beautiful promise

Sunday Night Sunset

_____________

XOXO,

Abby

Spain || Week Two

Monday, July 18th

Adventure of the day: baking muffins with the kids, building a castle fort, cooking lunch for Mama and shopping in town. One thing I learned in the City Center today, body language does not need to be interpreted. 

Makeup free. Sea-salty hair. Gap cap.

Tuesday, July 19th

Adventure of the day: hiking 4 miles with Marta & Albert and taking a slight (2.5 mile) detour... Tonight, I went to the Barcelona History Museum. The museum brings you underground where they have excavated an entire town with artifacts dating back to 15BC. It was incredible!

At the History Museum, located in the Gothic District, I learned that some of the first humans settled in this area - they have artifacts from 4,000+ BC. 

Monestir de Montserrat

Wednesday, July 20th

Adventure of the day: Pajama Pamper Party with Marta while Albert was at a doctors appointment and then attending the mid-week church service overlooking the most beautiful mountain range! 

Thursday, July 21st

Adventure of the day: falling in love. His name is GAUDI and he was an architect, painter, sculptor, creator, innovator, philanthropist and proud Catalan. The kids and I spent a few hours at the Gaudi Museum and a new friend took me on a walking tour of Guadi's Art throughout the city. We ended the tour by climbing to the top of the 2nd highest peak for the best view of the city lit by the sun setting. 

Unfinished Church by Guadi

Two Guadi Buildings in Barcelona

Friday, July 22nd

Adventure of the day: taking the Telefèric de Montjuïc (cable car) to the top of a mountain overlooking the sea with beautiful panoramic views of the city. At the top of the mountain is a Fortress built in the 11th century that was upgraded to a castle around 1700AD. 

Castle/Fortress

So excited for our cable car ride!

Saturday, July 23rd

Adventure of the day: Exploring Cadaques and hearing so clearly from God! This village is paradise ❤️

Playing in the Mediterranean Sea

Sunday, July 24th

Adventure of the day: admiring Marta play violin in the village while the sun set & assisting Albert sell lemonade! 

"Paradise"

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This week I had a couple of really remarkable moments and had the opportunity to pray for two different strangers! To be across the world and in just the right spot for God to move is an incredible experience. Isolation and being out-of-routine is exactly what the doctor ordered to refocus my mind and life. #sograteful

much love!

Abby

Spain || Week One

Wednesday, July 13th

Adventure of the day: getting lost in the streets of Barcelona and ending up in front of the Cathedral.

Marta, Albert and I ventured into Barcelona on our own today which take about 20 minutes by train. We got off in the center of the city and started walking toward what we thought was the Museum of Ideas and Inventions. We walked 20 minutes in the wrong direction before we stopped and asked for help. With the guidance of a handful of helpful natives and Marta's interpreting, we made it past the Cathedral to the museum behind it. 

Thursday, July 14th

Adventure of the day: biking to San Cugat City Center, admiring the Monastery, eating ice cream and drinking espresso with Marta. [Thank you, Brice, for the American Eagle backpack!]

Albert had piano class today so Marta and I took bikes to the Sant Cugat City Center which is centered on a Monastery that was built in the 6th Century. Marta and I found a cozy cafe and read for a while before heading back home by bike.

 Friday, July 15th

Adventure of the day: going to an art store in Sant Cugart with Marta and then getting an amazing coffee. Also, taking the train to Barcelona and wondering the streets all by myseeeelf! [I did miss my stop on the way home but for a girl who has never used public transportation.. This is a big feat!!]

In the afternoon, I was some time to myself and decided to head into Barcelona and do touristy things - took pictures of every building, admired the sea and the sail boats, watched street performers with awe and popped in and out of shops. There is so much history and art around every corner!

Saturday, July 16th

Adventure of the day: going to the BEST market in Barcelona called La Boqueria. We purchased fresh fish (which had been swimming in the Mediterranean yesterday), veggies, fruit, beans and, of course, an espresso. 

I learned the ins and outs of buying from this type of market - I completely underestimated the price we've paid to replace this experience with convenience. 
Jorge, the kid's dad, took Marta and I to the biggest market in Barcelona this morning. He pointed out the different shops and types of food available. Afterwards, we went to meet Albert and his mom, Anna, for a piano recital. 

Sunday, July 27th

Adventure of the day: venturing into Barcelona for church in the morning, beach in the afternoon, and then traditional Spanish dinner with extended family.

It was an hour commute and 7,000 steps, but I made my way to International Church in Barcelona for a 10AM service. I got a little teary eyed toward the end of the service feeling like I have a community to belong to in Spain! I had been speaking to Brice about feeling all alone so I'm hoping to make some connections here. ICB is a lot like Passion Church with enthusiastically welcoming atmosphere, great worship and an inspiring message. In the bottom picture, it's the Mediterranean Sea on the left, the city of Barcelona in the background and a sailboat port to the right. ⛵️

Adventure: Arrival, Local Parks & City Center

(If you are new to Coffee, Crafts & Conversation, here is the basis of my recent posts: My next great adventure is beginning on July 10th, 2016 when I'll be flying to Spain for the summer. July & August will be spent with a wonderful family serving as their aupair and the last month I'll be hiking El Camino de Santiago [which is a 500 mile pilgrimage] through the country with a friend.)

Flight Itinerary

I said my final goodbyes on Sunday morning, 7/10/16 and left for the airport at 11AM. Made it through security with only one minor misunderstanding - long story short, TSA gained a brand new swiss army knife (sorry dad) and they now know I wasn't hiding anything else!

My flight from MSP to NYC took off at 1:30PM CST and the flight from NYC to BCN took off at 10PM EST. I felt SO blessed when I realized that my seat-buddy wasn't flying with us so I got both seats in the row to myself! It was ideal because I was able move to the window and stretch out for the entire over-night flight! #favor
We landed at 11:30AM EUP timezone on Monday, 7/11/16.

Barcelona!

After getting my passport checked, I gathered my bags and headed towards the exit to meet my new host family... Anna, Marta and Albert where in the front of the crowd waiting with a bouquet of candy flowers and signs with my name! They are such a warm and welcoming family!

Made it!

Anna suggested I stay up all day in order to avoid jetleg so after lunch, we took a car ride to see the city from the mountain top.

Albert, myself and Marta

Barcelona

I wish you could see the vintage flats, 

colorful buildings, fast motorbikes, lush 

green mountains, and the perfectly blue ocean. 

First Full Day

Our big adventure for my first full day in the country was visiting a local park! Parks are ALL the rage in Barcelona with some pretty impressive arrangements. Albert and I visited one near the house while Anna and Marta ran an errand.

We met a new local mom from Oregon with two young daughters whose husband recently accepted a job with HP Corp in the area and two other aupairs.

After the park, Anna took the kids and I to the City Center to explore and get ice cream! It's walking only in the City Center between shops, movie theater and restaurants. The streets are narrow and old, built centuries ago with such careful craftsmanship. The character & beauty is unparalleled. As the main focal point of the City is an old Cathedral built in the 9th Century (front is pictured below). Monks lived on the complex up until the late 1800's and now it's used for Mass and tourism.

Cathedral - more photos to come!

The rest of the day consisted of avoiding the direct sunlight (okay, thats impossible) and relaxing.

Enjoying a great book, Spanish coffee and the hot sun!

So, when in Barcelona

• Take in the view
• Visit a park
• Admire the architecture
• Wear sunscreen

God Bless America

XOXO,

Abby

Moving & Learning Along the Way

Learning the Way of St. James

(If you are new to Coffee, Crafts & Conversation, here is the basis of my recent posts: My next great adventure is beginning on July 10th, 2016 when I'll be flying to Spain for the summer. July & August will be spent with a wonderful family serving as their aupair and the last month I'll be hiking El Camino de Santiago [which is a 500 mile pilgrimage] through the country with a friend.)

In order to be honest about this season of excitement, expectation and uncertainty - I want to share what was put on my heart the last couple of days.

In addition to flying over to Spain for the summer, I am moving out of my current apartment and into a new one. I've been preparing my belongings, planning the next steps, donating clothes, moving boxes and this week my brother and boyfriend moved my dressers and bed out.

As I was putting together my last box and packing up my clothes for the summer, there was a lot of huffing & puffing... Not physically but emotionally. My little sister kept asking, "Are you doing okaaaaay?" (She nannies 3 year olds so this is a normal conversation for her...) Oddly, I felt sad and hesitant to leave..

So... In spite of my feelings, I pulled my suitcases up the stairs, loaded my car and drove away.

That night, sitting by the pool at my parents house, I was asking God why I was feeling upset/overwhelmed. In the last 4 months of prepping, this is the first time I've had any type of negative feelings. God poked my spirit and pointed out that leaving my current place makes my life shifts so much more real! With the season of uncertainty beginning.

Uncertainty means no control. It means learning trust.

---

This shift got me thinking about James, the Apostle who we are walking the Camino in honor of.

James' family was in the business of fishing. He was in a boat with his dad & brother, John, when Jesus called James & John into Ministry with Him [Mt 4:21-22]. The bible says that James IMMEDIATELY dropped everything and began following and serving Jesus.

James was eager to be called! Eager to fulfill his purpose. So eager that he left his family's business, left his father and the places he was most comfortable with.

James becomes one of Jesus' closest friends and part of the inner circle along with John & Peter. James, John & Peter witnessed Jesus' transfiguration [Mk 9:2-13], saw Elijah and Moses and heard the voice of God [Mk 9:2-13], had a lot of personal time with Jesus [Mk 9:2-13, Mk 1:29], witnessed MANY miracles including healing, deliverance and raising people from the dead [Mk 5:37-43]. James went with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was arrested [Mt 26:37] and saw Jesus after the resurrection [Jn 20:19-20].

Maybe James had hesitated in the past and missed opportunities but when Jesus invited him on His journey in Mt 4:21-22, James did not hesitate.

Studying James encourages me to go boldly towards where God calls - this is the Way of St. James!! Serve well, ask questions, honor God and He will bring you to places you never could have imagined.

All this to say, I am James. and I hope you are too!

XOXO,

Abby

Training for the Camino (Pt 1)

Preparing for El Camino de Santiago del Norte
(or lack of preparation)

(If you are new to Coffee, Crafts & Conversation, here is the basis of my recent posts: My next great adventure is beginning on July 10th, 2016 when I'll be flying to Spain for the summer. July & August will be spent with a wonderful family serving as their aupair and the last month I'll be hiking El Camino de Santiago [which is a 500 mile pilgrimage] through the country with a friend.)

El Camino de Santiago del Norte is also known as The Way of St. James - northern route.
In preparation for our 500 mile hike across Spain, Debbie and I got in one good practice hike in addition to the training we've been doing separately, as an indicator of where our endurance is.

Debbie and I @ the beginning of the walk

Feeling strong 1/2 way through!

We wore our hiking shoes and backpacks that were purchased for the trip. Debbie bought a 25L REI Daypack and mine is 40L REI Trail Pack - we were professionally fitted at REI and choose the backpack that was most comfortable. They will only weigh 12-15LBS with minimal supplies, clothing and only one "luxury" item. I haven't decided if my luxury item will be mascara or a light scarf. (I'll post our packing list when it gets closer!)

Practice hike on 6/18/16

We made 12 miles in 3.5 hours stopping for a 30 minute break twice. It was a good pace - one I think we'll be able to maintain for the entire 26 day trip. Our best-case-scenario goal will be to walk 20 miles per day.

We made it!

We came out of the woods looking a little delusional but EXCITED for the trip! The journey is not about getting to the end or reaching the daily goal, the journey is about.. the journey. It's about deepening our friendship with each other, seeking the Lord and hearing from Him along The Way.

I've heard it said that on the Camino 3 things, at the very least, will change from within.

1. You'll be reminded on one thing
2. You'll learn one thing
3. You'll let go of one thing

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We'll be walking Camino del Norte (806KM)

T

he Northern Way follows the gorgeous Northern coast of Spain starting in Saint-Jean-Peid-de-Port and going through Bilbao, Laredo, Santander, Gijion and then to Santiago de Compostela which is approximately 500 miles.

"The Camino del Norte starts in the Basque Country, in the chic sea-side city of San Sebastián (Donosti in Basque), a real paradise for foodies: it is in fact in the top 10 cities with highest number of Michelin stars in Europe. The Northern Way follows the coast line for most of the way so you can discover charming fishing villages, swim in beautiful sandy beaches and taste delicious seafood. Feel inspired at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao; stroll by the elegant royal palace in Santander; sample Asturias famous cider; stay in lively seaside towns and admire the natural beauty of the Northern coast of ‘Green Spain’." (http://caminoways.com/ways/northern-way-camino-del-norte)

Pilgrims have been trekking this route or a variation of it for over 1,000 years with anywhere from 100-1,500 starting at different points each day! Some walk it to honor the Apostle James and others in the midst of their own spiritual journey. Along the route are centuries of historic and religious European architecture.

Debbie and I will be starting the day with a devotional based on a book from Tony Stoltzfus called Questions for Jesus. At the end of the daily devotion are 3-4 big questions for Jesus to meditate on during the day.

After all, Matthew & James were disciples of Jesus together and Matthew 7:7 says, 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, and it will be opened to you."

James is talking to early Jewish Christians in James 1:5 when he says,

"If any of you lacks wisdom, 

you should ask God, 

who gives generously to 

all without finding fault, 

and it will be given to you."

Thanks for joining me along The Way!

XOXO,

Abby