It seems only fitting to end a week of posts about a great food-lovers’ trip to Spain and Morocco with a shot of something sweet. Jaime and David Caldwell had an a “fascinating cultural experience” on their adventure. I’m so happy to be able to share all of their incredible images.

For some couples, travel at the holidays and being away from family would be hard. But from the looks of it, these two had an amazing time just being together in a gorgeous setting. That’s the fountain of Plaza del Triunfo below.

Jaime talks about how they decided on a honeymoon destination, “Spain is always great (David had been before but I hadn’t) and we were both excited to visit Morocco as neither of us had ever been. A friend of ours spoke very highly of Morocco and we couldn’t wait to dive in!”

She adds, “We originally wanted to take a grand tour of Africa – Namibia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Seychelles, but once we took a hard look at flights and due to David’s limited vacation days (due to school), we realized we needed to scale back to a smaller geographic area. Spain and Morocco had the food and culture we were looking for and were very easy to navigate.”

Lots of couples struggle to decide if they should travel right after the wedding or wait a while to take their honeymoon. Jaime’s very glad they pushed their trip off a bit. “Due to David’s school and summer job schedule, we delayed our honeymoon by nearly 6 months. This turned out to be the biggest blessing as we were able to spend time planning and anticipating our trip completely apart from our wedding. Ours was a destination wedding (in New Orleans) with 175 people which required a lot of planning and preparation (as all weddings do) and in the end, we were so glad that we didn’t have our honeymoon right afterwards as it would have added that much more planning. We were able to focus 100% on our wedding and making it a great event for our friends and family and then 100% on our honeymoon and making it a great trip for us. Whether it’s for scheduling reasons or financial reasons, I cannot stress how great it was to separate these two events. It made everything that much more fun and enjoyable for us!”

Thanks again to Jaime and David for sharing their story with us this week. Here’s wishing everyone a Merry-Christmas-in-April!

Honeymoons are definitely the time to splurge. Treating yourself to a fancy suite or a first class seats can make your trip even more special. And splurging on food — really, really good food — can mean one of the most amazing meals of your life.

When Jaime and David headed to Madrid, Spain, on their December honeymoon, they had to dine at La Terraza Del Casino. And these foodies had to try the incredible 23-course tasting menu. Creator and 3-starred Michelin chef Ferran Adria designed a menu that is always original and creative. Head chef Paco Roncero runs the kitchen and plates the incredible foods. Some of the innovative courses include alga lollipops, liquid fritters, marrow with caviar, liquorice cake with ice cream and tonka toffee with redcurrent.

Jaime says, “We enjoyed a remarkable 23-courses with each course topping the last. It was a truly memorable experience in a beautiful setting. The staff was warm and made us feel truly at home.” She warns other to plan ahead, “Be sure to make reservations well in advance of your trip (at least 1 month).”

La Terraza Del Casino is also know for it’s elegant decor, panoramic city views and exquisite French champagne and Spanish wines. Jaime and David know this is a meal they’ll never forget.

Jaime and David’s honeymoon took them to Spain and Morocco. The ancient city of Fez (also spelled Fès) was a true adventure for these two. The crowed, crooked winding streets, the shouting shopkeepers and hawkers, the smells and tastes of exotic food transport visitor to not just another culture, but another time as well.

Just wandering through Fez is a lesson in Moroccan architecture.

Jaime says, “Fez’s Medina is labyrinthine with no street signs and winding, path-like streets running in all directions, therefore, having a guide is absolutely essential. Beware of unlicensed guides who will waste your time and money.” They were lucky enough to find Mohammed (a local history teacher and native of Fez) spent an entire day giving us the historian’s view of 5,000 years of Fez. Others interested in arranging a tour can email Mohammed directly.

Above are images of local pottery and mosaic tables being created by highly skilled artisans.

You can’t visit Fez without checking out the leather tanneries. The cow hides are cured and dyed with a mix of pigments and – ahem – pigeon poop. Visiting a tannery is a smelly, but unmatched experience.

On to something much more appetizing… food! Jaime is a food lover for sure, working in the industry. So checking out the local grub of Moroccan was a huge part of their travel. Traditional meals at local spots let them feel like locals.

As Jaime and David know, the best way to learn about a culture is often to skip restaurants and check out the local food markets.

For a true taste of Morocco, these honeymooners sampled from the shops and stalls of the Medina. Jaime says that in the ancient walled city, “there are no cars or motor bikes allowed, this is Morocco 2,000 years ago in the days of Aladdin.”

The Medina is more than just food, too. I absolutely love her shots of local handicrafts like the rugs above.

Being forced to stay close to home for a honeymoon doesn’t have to be a bummer. Roadtrips can be very romantic if you’re in the right place. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? Or, just drive your lemon down the highway. Yeah. We weren’t sure what was up with this one either…

Happy Friday everyone!

The Finger Lakes region offers so much for mini-mooners and travelers who need some time to relax and unwind. 38-mile long Seneca Lake, the biggest of all the lakes, offers shores packed with activities. There’s obviously the wine we’ve been mentioning, but there’s also plenty of hiking, antiquing, history, boating and fishing to keep you busy, as another couple Mark & Christi discovered.

Getting tired of wine? Check out the Crooked Rooster Brewery in Watkins Glen, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. With eight varieties of their own beer, they’re a great alternative to the wineries. Their Wildflower Cafe next door offers a great range of foods to suit burger lovers and vegetarians alike.

If you’re up for a sail, check out Schooner Excursions which runs boating excursions from Watkins Glen June through October. Morning, afternoon and sunset sails are available and you can BYO favorite wines.

All of the wineries we visited had spittoons on the counter for tasters to spit out their samples. This avoids any change of dangerous driving.

But let’s be honest, most of us want the full experience. Hiring a limo or bus to do the driving for you is a great way to relax and taste all you want and be responsible. Consider some of these companies to haul you and your sweetie around:

• Finger Lakes Winery Tours
• Caz Limousine Service
• Finger Lakes Limousine & Coach
• Grapevine Country Tours

Our last stop of the day was Rock Stream Vineyards in Rock Stream, NY. Tim loved this place because they server complimentary cheese with your tasting. Can’t go wrong with free cheese!

This place is best known for their grappa, a Pomace brandy liquor made from grape skins. It’s meant to be served chilled and sipped slowly, so it’s not for the novice. The 80-proof liquor will put hair on your chest. It wasn’t for me, but Tim’s now a fan.

We took home a bottle of Cabernet Franc which didn’t last the week at our house. It went great with the Italian dinner we cooked a few nights later.

As you drive down Rt. 14 along Seneca Lake, there are wineries lining either side of the road. Some offer free tastings, others charge a small fee per pour. Our next stop was Torrey Ridge.

We each chose six wines to taste. The staff at all of the wineries are helpful in picking what you might like. The more questions you ask, the more you learn about their particular varieties.

This stop is actually two tasting rooms in one. Adjacent to the Torrey Ridge building – which houses the huge, two-story tasting facility seen at the top of this post – is the Earle Estates Meadery.

Legend has it, the term “honeymoon” originates from an old Irish tradition in which newlyweds drank honey wine, or mead everyday for one full moon (a month) after their wedding. That makes Earle Estates a must-see for any honeymooning couple. We may not have been “just married,” but it made us happy anyway.