I'm waiting...

every year as my birthday approaches i get antsy. not only because i love birthdays, especially mine, but because spring is on its way! well the first day of spring has come and gone and just like every year i am disappointed. nothing has changed. it's still freezing. i know, i shouldn't be surprised but part of me always hopes that on march 20th i will wake up and magically the snow will be gone and the flowers will be blooming. the worst part is knowing that in other parts of the world it is spring. i saw the little leaves and buds in madrid and they made me so happy. and even though some people in tallinn are talking about the effects of spring, i am incapable of seeing any supporting evidence.

as you can see in this photo, that's ice and snow covering the gulf of finland. looks like winter to me. at least the days are getting longer. the sun rose at 614 today and won't set until 1842. the extra daylight is beginning to wake me from my winter lethargy. i seem to have more energy and am beginning to naturally rise before noon. with just three months left in estonia, i'm happy knowing that each day will be longer and (hopefully) warmer than the last. in fact i'll be here just long enough to experience the summer solstice. a day that will last almost nineteen hours! i can't wait.

Lanzarote de Gran Canaria

estonia's frozen tundra had become too much to bare, we needed an escape plan. sunshine, beaches, and fruity drinks with umbrellas were top three on the list. then came the cost. after speaking with a few travel agents around tallinn andrew and i were on our own, determined to find cheap flights to paradise. after five hours online, lots of map checking, and a few bright ideas we had purchased a week of unlimited vitamin D consumption in the canary islands. these islands are an autonomous region of spain located off the northwestern coast of africa. weather conditions are considered perfect as are the beaches.... jackpot.

the only catch... two nights in madrid to break up the total of six flights we would be taking.

some highlights from our trip:



our flight out of tallinn was delayed by two hours due to a blizzard. the plane was de-iced twice with orange foam and they attempted to clear the runway three times before the snow let up and we could take off for amsterdam. you may now understand why we so desperately needed to leave...

here we are in madrid at 11pm. a few hours late but so happy to be
wearing t-shirts outside for the first time in almost five months.

plaza mayor by night

time for a cup of coffee at the hostel
before our morning flight to lanzarote

the walk to the subway revealed
signs of spring in madrid

we have arrived

costa teguise, lanzarote

a carnival parade on my birthday

fancy costumes

happy birthday to me!
#3 on our list... check!

teguise sunday market

cacti

a camel ride

bitsy loves andrew

and i love mittens

the view from a camel's back

a green lagoon

black sand beaches

timanfaya national park

a crater

geothermal cooking over steam vents

back in madrid:
palacio de comunicaciones

inside the museo del prado

one night in the airport and we're home

we had such a wonderful time! now back in estonia where spring is far away (it's snowing as i write this) i hope that the warm memories and golden tan will last at least until the thaw.