My Trip to España! (Part 12)

NOTE: I know this took forever long, but it's because I've been super busy, and I didn't want to write some lame half-cooked vague description. This is the work of long arduous hours reminiscing about fun times and listening to good music! OK, maybe that doesn't sound so bad... But anyways. I decided to just stop here and go ahead and post it, since I really don't think I can write any more without it taking months more, and that's stupid. So, it's already like a month late, and it's a bit scattered and random, but such is life.
Here it is. Sorry it's so late.
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WOW. I mean, seriously, just wow.

I'm back in Texas now. It's been almost a week since I last posted, but I've spent a pretty large part of that time sleeping and travelling. So, here are my past few days as best as I can recall them.

Friday: We had the rehearsal, which was exhausting and fun and not a thing that they usually do at Spanish weddings. Lots of decorations needed to go up and that kind of thing. Note: It's difficult to be useful when none of the people directing what needs to get done speak the same language as I do. After the rehearsal we had a rehearsal supper, which is not a Spanish tradition either, claro que si. There was SO much food. Little mini breadsticks, chorrizo, breaded fish, uncooked fish, Russian salad, cheese, olives, chips, bread, gaspacho and little crumbly things to put in the gaspacho and then the drinks - champagne, cola, and naranja (which is just an orange soda). Fitting all that on tables that were already over full was a trick, let me tell you! But we managed. After that, the brothers, Lara, and I met some other people by the Cathedral and hung out in downtown Sevilla for a while. We went to a bar (which is a lot less scandalous than it sounds, it was just like a sidewalk cafe) and took silly pictures of each other, talked, and generally had fun. I don't know what time the rest of them got in, but Lara and I left early in order to be back in Dos Hermanas by three.

Saturday: THE BIG DAY. Here we are, frantically getting people to the church in the right dresses and suits, checking one last time (just in case) and then another time after that, that we had the rings, bouquets, etc. There we are waiting for Stina to get back from getting her hair and makeup done so we could put her in The Dress. This is me riding to the church with Ricard, the bridesmaids, and the mother of the bride (all important people!), sliding into a pew just as the music starts and breathing a deep sigh of relief, trying not to fall asleep on Roberto's shoulder. This is everyone, laughing at the bi-lingual vows and a little bit of 'lost in translation' humor, and the way the train kept getting in everyone's way. Everyone was Gorgeous and Handsome, in the appropriate proportions. Whew.
THEN! All the family members had to go Parque de Maria Luisa for pictures, about two hours worth, filled with trying to keep all the girl's skirts out of the mud and trying to keep all the boys from getting distracted, those silly brothers (and fathers!).
THEN! We rushed to the restaurant where the convitoe (reception) was being held, and got there just as they served all the guests who had been waiting for us. Let me tell you, Spanish weddings are not like American weddings, and neither are their receptions. Toasts are more boisterous, and the tables shout back and forth, and (most importantly) shouts of "Viven los novios!" (and viven any one else we can cheer for) and then "Que se besan!". On Que se besan, the novios (or the padres de los novios, or the hermanos de los novios, or whoever) had to kiss, and then we all counted how long they kissed for. A silly and fun tradition, which I think ended up getting on their nerves by the end. In general, the bride and groom would rather kiss on their own terms than on command and with everyone watching. The food was FANTASTIC. We had a five course meal (Can I say wow again?) including lots of cheese, lots of olives, and lots of seafood, classic Spanish cuisine. I loved all of it, except for two things... I tried a sip of each type of alcohol that was served and decided they were all, in two words, Di-Sgusting. Secondly, the shrimp was served whole. Now, shrimp is my favorite food in the world, but this... They each had eyeballs, antennas, and LOTS of legs, wiggling and staring at me reproachfully. I was fine until they set down a big serving dish of them right next to my plate - I nearly barfed. I had to run to the bathroom. However, multiple people kindly peeled shrimp for me to eat. Much love to them - the bride and groom, and two of the bridesmaids. I felt so special that the important people did something sweet for me! :)
THEN! Stina and Ricard cut the cake with a sword. Yes, with a sword. Both the cutting of the cake and the cake itself were far superior to what they would have been in an American wedding. It had lots of layers of awesomeness and deliciousness, including this orange creamy stuff, and what tasted like frozen whipped cream. If you don't know what frozen whipped cream tastes like, I am greatly saddened for you, poor soul.
THEN! There was dancing! Lots and lots of dancing. Dancing in English, dancing in Spanish, dancing in a long conga line, dancing like chorus girls, dancing stupid made up dance moves like the sprinkler and the shopping cart, ballroom dancing with Ange (love you cuz!), dancing Sevillanas (traditional Spanish flamenco dancing, or as close to traditional as a bunch of Americans could get), dancing polkas (traditional Catalonian dancing, I think, taught to me by Lara), and dancing like crazy happy people. It was fast, and sometimes slow. We got sweaty. I collapsed on the floor, exhausted, and then got yanked back up and danced some more. It was Uh-Mazing. The reception ended earlier than a Spanish wedding would have, since they usually go VERY far into the night, AKA after sunrise the next day. How cool would it be to see the sunrise at your reception? OK, maybe not at your own reception, but at someone else's, fo sho!
THEN! Well, then we went home and collapsed from exhaustion.


That's the end of what I'm gonna write up, EL FIN of my trip to España. Love you all muchly, and apologies (again) for how incredibly long it's taken me to write this up.