Family Sabbatical TravelSpain We were in Santillana Del Mar today and the weather was not particularly cooperative so we had to come up with a plan for what to do. This wasn't so inconvenient since we were all a little worn out and a low key day of checking out shops and churches in a small town left over from medieval times and watching weddings happen in the present seemed like a real possibility. So, we headed out to check out the shops ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150001 where we found warming shoes. Next we made our way to the main church ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150002 that dates from the 12th century. We knew we'd be going back there; we just didn't realize how much time we'd be spending there. We did follow the signs ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150003 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150020 to get tickets with which to visit the church but because acts ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150007 were happening, we realized we'd have to come back later to see the chapel. So, I started taking pictures of the town ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150004 including the watering troth ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150005 at the end of the main street. This inspired Suzanne to buy film ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150006 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150008 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150009 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150012 and do the same.

We went to the back side of the church and started to explore the structure ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150010 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150011 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150015 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150016 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150019 and statues ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150013 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150014 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150017 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150018

By now the acts in the church were proceeding and this sign was posted ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150021 to let us know that there would be excitement coming. Tourists ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150022 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150024 kept coming and going into the church even as the rice throwers ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150023 gathered off the patio ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150025 This car ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150026 gave away what was about to happen (and indeed what the acts were). Suzanne and Sarah watched from the sidelines ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150027 as the crowds assembled ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150028 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150032 and these men ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150029 started to guard the church to kept those assembled ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150030 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150031 from entering.

There was a break in the action, as this car approached ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150033 and out she stepped ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150034 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150035 and prepared to enter the church on the arm of her father ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150036 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150037 with her aides in tow ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150038 But, none of this had any impact on the assembled rice throwers ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150039 so we were left to wonder what was happening ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150040 Two conflicting theories developed – maybe the wedding hadn't happened yet or maybe they were going back in so the photographers could capture the simulated wedding on film. Later when we learned the truth (or so we think) we realized how wrong we were. For now, we occupied ourselves by taking pictures of Sarah's hand ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150041

After a few more pictures of the church ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150042 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150043 and of the house next door ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150044 where the rice throwers were assembled, the newlyweds ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150045 made their appearance ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150046 and got pelted ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150047 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150048 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150049 to the delight of the rice throwers ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150050 With our final glimpses of the scene ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150052 and the assembled spectators ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150051 we realized that there had been 2 weddings and that this bride was different from the one we had seen entering the church.

All of this activity, made us hungry, so we headed to our table at the restaurant ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150056 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150057 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150058 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150059 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150060 where the local stew ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150053 jamon and melon ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150055 and local cheese plate ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150054 delivered by this waiter ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150061 made us happy.

After a long siesta, we headed out to explore the town again. In the clear day, we could see some beautiful street scenes ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150062 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150063 and the phone booth ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150064 in our hotel's lobby before going to the torture museum where these warnings ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150066 were posted. Being tired, we did limited photography at dinner recording just Suzanne's main course ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150067 of smoked salmon and her dessert ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150068 ../../../Sabbat/Pics/07.15.00SantillanaDelMar//P7150069 of chocolate mousse.