Spanish Trees

Turns out there are palm trees in Spain. Which may not seem odd to many of you, but for some reason, I had never even considered this possibility, and so it took me by surprise. Especially when I was walking through the very narrow streets of Old Town Barcelona and came upon a palm tree there, just hanging out in a sunny corner, hugging the charming buildings where the cobblestone alleyway opened up just a little bit wider than too-narrow-for-a-car. I'm telling you. It was strange. And delightful. I think because I grew up in Central New York—and to this day have never been to Florida—that I still have this perception of Palm Trees as exotic and other-worldly and endlessly fascinating (as can also be noted here). And this is why I took too many photos of palm trees on my recent visit to Barcelona and Bilbao.

Here is the aforementioned tree, happy in it's cosy surroundings:


And a few more palm trees scattered around this beautiful city:




Peeking above the buildings! So great. And because I wanted to bring them home with me, here are a few more that made me smile. For your enjoyment, as well. The final tree (below) lives in the mountain town of Bilbao, and was enjoyed with a glass of red wine, of course.

Tribute to a Magical Winter

And by "magical," I mean long, cold, bitter, miserable, blah. But it has come to my attention that it is now mid-March, and this means that spring is just around the corner (right??). So here's a look back at a couple picturesque "tree" moments from this endless winter. The above photo was taken out my kitchen window on a particularly pixie-land-fairytale sort of morning. (Also, introducing my Hipstamatic obsession).




I went snowboarding in Vermont (above), and spent a good deal of the time at the top of the mountain, just looking around like a kid in a candy store. Seriously. I think these trees were plucked right off a german gingerbread house. I couldn't get enough!!







And always, I adore the beauty of trees against the backdrop of my beloved Brooklyn or Manhattan. How many blizzards did we have this year? I don't even remember. But the trees were perfect.

Also, a warm, exciting welcome to all my new friends and followers! I've had so many new visitors and comments over the past 6 months, and it makes me so happy that Trees, if you please can bring delight to others. And of course, my dedicated old friends who have been waiting with baited breath (yeah right) for a new post. This is for you.

xoxoxo.