Two weddings and (not) a chocolate fountain

It's as if something in the universe knew that my Ugandan chapter is going to draw to a close this year, and did everything possible to prepare me for it - including not one, but straight two retro-acclimatisation trips in a few months to get back the taste of Europe.

Because even though I had gone home (Czecho-Slovak home in this case) this summer, when couple of months ago my Spanish friends Miguel and Laura called me to say they were getting married in September, it was immediately clear there'd be a second trip to Europe for me this year - there was no way I'd miss an event like this! Added to that, my Erasmus friend Andrea was getting married two weeks after them, and my parents planned a trip to Mallorca in between... I mean - what was there to think about?

That's right, nothing at all - and so, after almost two years, I was back in Spain. 

And to make the jump more obvious, it was from the airport almost directly to the wedding.

The thing is, I had completely forgotten how very jet-lagged the Spanish timing is. Coming from my very established African 12-hours-of-daylight-bound schedule, which usually has me in bed by 9:30-10pm, I landed in the Spanish reality of dinner at 11pm, and bedtime... bufff, who knows! - and to make it even better, straight in pre-wedding and wedding festivities. It took me quite a while to get rid of this Alice in Wonderland feeling.

Now the wedding - it was simply lovely. And, knowing Miguel and Laura - well, it was clear it would be quite a bit different from any other wedding I've been to. And for sure they didn't disappoint there :-)

Meet the bride.

And the groom.

And both together.

Javi was the photographer of the great event...

... very dedicated to the cause...

... and with the excuse of being the assistant, I could also share some of the special moments of the morning before the ceremony.

It was a magic day, and I'm so glad I could be part of it (and that's even if my sorely tested stomach, after almost four years of simple food and with the straight landing in the land of abundance, threw up the entire amazing wedding dinner. I don't think I'll ever get over missing out on that chocolate fountain, but alas, I was just far too sick).

And in addition to seeing my friends again...

... I also finally got the chance to meet their little people!

It had been a long time since I enjoyed Madrid how I did during this week - the place, the streets of the centre, the food, the drink, and of course the people :-) Left me with the feeling of wanting more.

After Madrid, it was a few days in Mallorca. Ignorant as I was before about the reality of parts of the Spanish coast (never been a beach person, and in spite of my 4 years in Spain I never actually made it to see much of the coast), in Mallorca I understood what it means in practice being the second most visited country in the world. But in spite of all the Germans filling the island, it was a nice small detour - and it was great to see my parents again!

And there seemed to be some genuinely pretty places on the island.

And though the weather wasn't always exactly great...

... after years of African sunshine I didn't really mind that much.

Yes, my mum is a good photographer :-)

To round off the perfect (albeit rather sleepless) two weeks, the wedding weekend in Sicily proved to be - against all expectations (and in spite of being surrounded almost exclusively by Italians) - just completely lovely. From the high-speed visit above Palermo, through to the seaside-evening and morning, up to the (apparently very Sicilian) wedding of Andrea and Martina and the sunny post-wedding return, it was all just so very nice - and I guess Sicily would be a good place to return to for some proper travel (and I didn't take my camera for that trip, and yes, that was a mistake, so these are just a few robbed shots).

The truth is, this time, I didn't really want to go back much :-)