Barcelona

Another Spanish city conquered! I sound like a moor! I woke up around 6 am to catch my 9 am flight to leave Sevilla and head to Barcelona. I took the airport bus which picks up less than five minutes from my hotel and then it was less than ten minutes to the airport in Sevilla. I grabbed breakfast and took Vueling to travel up to Barcelona. Vueling is a local low cost airline.

In Barcelona, I took the A1 bus into the city, because it leaves from Terminal 1. A2 leaves from Terminal 2. Both bring you straight into the center of the city for less than 6€ and drops you off at various metro stops. I would have taken the metro to my hotel, but as Nakia was waiting and it required a few transfers and learning the system, I just hopped into a cab. We met at the hotel and hung out in the lobby as our room wasn't ready yet.

When are room was ready, we took a siesta and left our hotel around 5 pm. We decided to head to the Parc Güell where Gaudi had incorporated his architecture into the park. It was a bit of an adventure to find the park and the exact place where Gaudi had added his designs. Also, all the literature I had said it was free, but upon arriving we learned now everything requires a ticket as they limit how many people can enter each of the areas.

We couldn't stay long as we had reservations at a high-end tapas restaurant called Tickets. It took two months to get reservations and is owned by the Adrià brothers, the prior owners of elBulli, a 3 Michelin star restaurant north of Barcelona which is now closed. elBulli was repeatedly considered the best restaurant in the world. The food was delicious and we were in foodie heaven. We had an excellent bottle of Rioja and ordered various dishes including: "pizza", two types of poached olives, bread with tomato, ham, oysters with ponzu sauce and salmon roe, manchego cheese balls with hazelnut and caviar, and razor clams with tomato and caviar. A photo collage below:



As we were still hungry, we ordered avocado cannolis and octopus with kimchi purée. For dessert, we had poached strawberries with juniper cream and Toblerone-inspired mousse with gold. Here's a photo collage below along with a selfie with Nakia with our pinchers:



Afterwards, we took the metro back to our hotel and explored the lounges and pool. We ended the night with watching "Pitch Perfect" dubbed in Spanish, with Catalan subtitles. At least the music was all in English as everyone knows I love acappella!

Alcazar-ed Out

In Ireland and the United Kingdom, I was castle-d out. In Bali, I was temple-d out. In Peru, I was ruin-ed out. In southern Spain, I'm officially Alcazar-ed out. The agenda for today was to see the third and last Alcazar of my trip, having seen one in each of the Andalusian cities: Córdoba, Granada, and now Sevilla.

After a long breakfast and sitting on my balcony at my hotel, I ventured out to the nearby Plaza de España which is adjacent to the Parque de María Luisa. This massive building was the place of the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929 and also the setting of several scenes from the recent Star Wars movies.

There was a lovely fountain, bridges, and tiles that incorporated the mudéjar style. True to Spain, as in the name, there were tiles representing each of the different provinces / regions of Spain. I took a photo for an Italian couple and they returned the favor here and also an homage to Madrid:



After leaving the park, I walked by the University which is housed in an old tobacco factory and made my way to the Real Alcazar. This royal palace converted from an Islamic fortress and has similar qualities as the Alhambra. Supposedly pieces that were made at the Alhambra were brought here. Here's a photo of the front part of the Palacio de Don Pedro:



The ceilings, tiles, and details were incredible. Similar to the Alhambra, the arches, patterns, and detail was incredible. Here's a photo of various ceilings:


I overheard a tour guide mention the Medina Azahara, and here's a photo of various arches, including the horseshoe arch when in 3's represents power of the Caliph:



Also, the gardens were quite lovely with its fountains and hedges. Here's the Mercury Pool that's next to the Garden of the Dances:



Underneath, there was the Baños de Doña Marí de Padilla, where supposedly they swam and tried to escape the heat:

 

I left the Alcazar and wandered over to Barrio de Santa Cruz, the old Jewish neighborhood. I wandered in and out of shops and through the narrow streets. I secretly really want an apron that looks like a flamenco dress and was tempted to buy one. But I'm sure it won't come in handy as I hardly wear aprons even when I get a rare chance to cook! I also hope that my godchildren's parents appreciate I didn't buy the flamenco clappers called castanets.

In the Barrio de Santa Cruz, I stumbled upon the Murillo Gardens. Supposedly it was originally a part of the Royal Alcazar gardens, but they gave this section to the city people. I sat here and enjoyed the people watching and the fountain.

I chatted with fellow tourists. My Spanish has been getting me into trouble. I haven't practiced in awhile and stopped classes about two years ago. When I went to Argentina, it was great because I was still taking classes and I had to really use it in Patagonia. By the end of the trip I was thinking in Spanish! Here, I think people have such low expectations about my ability to speak any Spanish, they are really surprised. But I can only say a few things really well and the other parts are improvised and riddled with mistakes (even though Jamie says I'm understandable). However, people get initially impressed and excited, they start launching into what feels like a mile a minute and then I'm lost. Managing low expectations is hard, but I'm trying!

I then made my way back through Barrio de Santa Cruz to Bodega Santa Cruz which the Peruvian American family from Granada had also recommended. I walked by it earlier, so I knew exactly where it was. I had a tinto verano and my first dish was the Lomo Al Pedro Ximenez. I didn't know what to expect as I just usually ask for the house speciality and the bartender said it was this. But it ended up being beef with potatoes and carrots in a brown sauce. I think mine was the last one as they wiped it from the menu board after I ordered. I then had tuna in tomato sauce and a meatball montadito. Like Bar Casa Eme, they use chalk to remember everyone's tab, but here they throw tip into a basketball net over the bar.

After eating, I walked and window-shopped some more. I passed by the Cathedral and the Iglesia Sagrario and the line to see La Macarena was twice as long as yesterday!I guess word got out. I literally tried to just walk around without my map and get lost with a brownie ice cream cone. The warm weather and sunshine of Sevilla will be hard to leave.

I made my way to Casa de la Memoria where I had bought a ticket for a flamenco show yesterday. Tickets were sold out for last night so I bought one for tonight. One of the interesting things I've read about flamenco is how soulful it is that they don't typically teach young kids. Unlike other forms of dance and sport, people try to start young to take advantage of the strength and agility of the youth. But in the flamenco tradition, you have to have duende or soul and a young person wouldn't have seen or experienced enough in life to know the feeling. So they said most don't really hit their prime until they're in their 30s and practice well into their 50s. I guess that's true about being in your prime!

The performance was considered very pure. There are three expressions of flamenco: song, guitar, and dance. It was fantastic, but they wouldn't let us take photos until the very end. The expressions were intense and soulful which you can't really tell here:



Afterwards, I walked back to my hotel, grabbed my stuff, and headed to the #28 bus. I had a reservation at an Ibis near the airport as my flight to Barcelona is so early!

In Barcelona, Nakia will join me for six nights. I don't think I've ever stayed in one place so long on vacation, but I'm psyched! I suspect my posts may be less detailed as I'll have company, but hopefully they'll have more adventures? Who knows, I mean you can all imagine what doesn't go into the blog... ;-)

Sevilla

I woke up and had breakfast at my hotel, Mélia Sevilla which was excellent. I wanted to plan out my day by the pool (as I hadn't prepared that much), but the deck wasn't getting enough sunshine. Consequently, I actually sunbathed on my hotel balcony that was drenched with sun. Although it's only like 65 degrees, the Spanish sun is very strong.

I decided that I wanted to grab food at Bar Yerba which was recommended by the Peruvian family. I researched that I could take the #1 bus that picks up from my hotel and drops me off in the neighborhood, called La Macarena. After walking a few blocks, I found the adorable tapas bar. I decided to go now as it's closed on Sunday evenings and all day Monday, so this was my one chance.

I had several tinto veranos and asked for the best tapas. The waiter brought me a grilled tuna with razor clams in a beet sauce along with complementary potato tapas:



Afterwards, I walked down to the Plaza de la Encarnación, known for its shopping, but more recently the Metropol Parasol which has been nicknamed the "Flying Waffle". It covers old dead space and is a divisive topic. The analogy used in my guidebook is a modern day Eiffel Tower. Here's a photo of one part of it which is held up by five pillars:



I then walked down to the Cathedral which is the largest gothic cathedral in the world and third overall. When they decided to build it, they supposedly said "let's construct a church so large, future generations will think we were mad." It opened at 2:30 pm on Sunday and the line to get in was very long. Here's a photo of the entrance and a copy of the weathervane that sits on top of the Giralda:



On my way in, I observed they didn't let a girl in who was wearing a tank top that was split in the front so you can see her midriff. Yeah missy, you can't wear that here! If I know I'm going to a church, I always bring something to cover my shoulders and no shorts! Although they don't specify in the instructions, your midriff is NOT okay in European churches...

One of the first highlights is the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Some question if it's really his remains, but these remains whomever they may be, were brought to Sevilla in 1898:



I then walked into the Sacristy of the Chalices to see a Goya painting of St. Theresa, and then the Main Sacristy which housed a beautiful painting of the Immaculada by Murillo under the dome:



The main altarpiece is under renovation, but I think you can tell how massive and ornate it is. It has over 1,000 carved biblical figures:



The Royal Chapel was closed, but I did find the Chapel of Saint Anthony where a famous Murillo painting, "Vision of Saint Anthony" hangs. A cutout of Saint Anthony had been stolen and returned in 1875 after a New York art dealer bought it and returned it to the Spanish Consulate. When I took a photo with my camera, held down the button to focus, and an initial flash starts, I could see two light blue laser beams across the whole chapel in front of the painting. At least I think it was... Here's the painting with some lights:



The second part of the Cathedral is the Giralda, a minaret tower that was part of the original mosque that the Cathedral was built on top of. There are 34 ramps to get to the top where you can see sweeping views of the city. This has been converted to a bell tower and has a weathervane at the top called "El Giraldillo" which represents faith and is a symbol of Sevilla. Here's a collage of the view (you may be able to see the famous bull ring), the bells, and the actual tower:



As I left the courtyard of orange trees, I was struck by the fact large groups of people were leaving the Iglesias del Sagrario just next door and there was a massive line outside. I had originally gotten confused this was the Cathedral line earlier today. Through my limited Spanish skills, I learned it was the 50th anniversary or Jubilee of the canonical coronation of La Macarena, the holiest effigy of Mary in Sevilla translated as the Virgin of Hope of Macarena or also called La Esperanza. It's interesting that this 17th century statue has glass tears and five emerald brooches given to her by a famous bullfighter. Here's more information that explains Sevilla's adoration for La Macarena:

http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/a026rpMacarena.htm

Interesting fact, even during the Spanish Civil War she was buried in a coffin and protected by the Brotherhood of La Macarena who are sworn to protect her. This statue is usually in the Basilica of Macarena and once a year in December, they bring her down so Sevillanos can kiss her hand. Since it's the 50th anniversary, they had an 11 hour procession to this church and will be available for a day for folks to kiss her hand. Then it will go to another church and then back to the Basilica. I now realized her platform used to carry her was inside the Cathedral and I was confused why so many people were around it, but wasn't on the guide map.

Many of the cities in Spain are very religious and there are clearly a lot of churches, but Semana Santa, or Holy Week in Sevilla and other cities in Andalusia are supposed to be one of the biggest celebrations in the world. As I didn't have anything on the agenda except explore, I decided to join the other Sevillanos and partake. I stood in line for about two hours and kissed her hand. Here's a photo of the experience including me with all the Sevillanos in line and a selfie with a green pin from the Brotherhood of La Macarena:



Afterwards, I celebrated this experience with a mango sorbet and made my way in and out of shops. As I was walking, I stumbled upon a holy parade. A lady told me it was for the Cruces de Mayo, the Cross of May, yet the interweb tells me it's usually in the beginning of the month. I felt lucky to watch a local Sevilla parade as during Holy Week, they are supposed to be inspiring. You can see in the photo collage there were lots of people in front of and behind the cross and a school band that followed. Furthermore, I learned these processions are not very technical and "leaders" tell the bearers which direction to move. You can perhaps see the holes on the sides and the people talking through them and the feet / sneakers of the young folks underneath:



I finally made my way up to Puerta del Osario where Bar Casa Eme was located which was recommended by the Peruvian family I met in Granada. The bites were super tasty! Should have known as they were people waiting before it opened and they continuously ordered tapas, snails, and beers. The barkeeper keeps track of all the orders by chalking up the counter. Coincidentally, the bar was covered with photos of La Macarena.

I asked him to bring whatever he thought was best. I had a sirloin with whiskey on a montadito (tapas bread), montadito de gambas (prawns), and shrimp in garlic. The sirloin with whiskey was so good, I had two! The salt that was in these dishes was crunchy, but not overdone. Peruvian family suggestion for the win! Also, when I asked the owner where my check was because I wanted to see the chalk, he said it was in his head and smiled. I ate and bopped in this tiny bar to what I like to call and remember it as, Spanish Abba. Here's a photo collage of the experience:



A block away was the #1 bus stop so I took it back to my hotel. Had a drink at the bar to end a surprising day in Sevilla!

No Rally

On my last day in Granada, I got up, packed, and headed down for breakfast. I left my luggage and took the #5 bus to Basilica San Juan de Dios. The bus driver was super kind in waiting for me as a ran to the bus and telling me where I should get off - I was in a less familiar area of the city than I was used to.

A patron of Granada, San Juan worked with the mentally ill and the sick. Specifically, he founded the Order of Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God and the church is connected to a hospital. I was planning on having a lazy day, but the Peruvian-American family I hung out with last night raved about the church. The church was indeed incredibly ornate, gilded gold, and intricate. They had a free audio guide which was super informative. I don't really get audio guides unless they're free, but this wasn't too cumbersome.

What is also interesting about the church is the main altarpiece is in front of a large enclave and tabernacle. This tabernacle holds the remains of San Juan de Dios. Only at certain times are you allowed to enter and go up and behind the altarpiece to see the ornate tabernacle that is the reliquary of San Juan de Dios. At this point, the audio guide was a little too informative. There were also the skulls of other saints that were supposedly sent from Rome to make the church even holier. Here's a photo of the main altar (you can kind of see the tabernacle behind it) and the gilded pulpit:



Afterwards, I headed to San Geronimo Monastery which is one block away. There were holding a concert in the church as part of the International Dance and Music Festival of Granada, so I didn't get to go inside the church. As such, they only charged me half-price and the courtyard filled with orange trees were lovely as you can see from the photo:



I then walked up to the Triunfo Gardens, walked by the Royal Hospital, and over to Elvira Gate. This is all part of Nueva Granada and near the large university campus here. There were college buildings sprinkled around in the neighborhood with students walking around as well.

As I was walking, I saw a bachelors party walking by. I was warned by the Peruvian family that the traditions were interesting. Earlier yesterday, I saw a group in animal costumes - the lobster dancing to La Bamba comes to mind. Today, this group was wearing a white shirt, black pants, and the groom-to-be wore a black tube top, a blonde wig, and was carrying a blow up doll. Why they walk around during the day beats me!

I then walked down to Gran Vía and stopped by Mercado San Augustin suggested by the family I met yesterday which was more of a real market than a food court that I was used to. I didn't see anything I wanted to eat, so I headed to Via Colon, a restaurant we walked by yesterday and has a large projection screen. The family mentioned they wanted to watch the European Champinship game here which was on tonight. I ordered a tinto verano and a BLT.

After lunch, I took the #1 bus back to my hotel and rested in my hotel lobby. My train wasn't until 5:30 pm, so I caught up on the interweb and then got ready to leave. I was originally planning on taking a taxi, but since I had a lot of time to kill, I decided to take the #5 bus to the train station. In getting off the bus and as I was walking to the station, I thought I was in a bad neighborhood, as all the shops were closed and there was graffiti everywhere. And then it dawned on me they were all closed for the midday break!

The train took over three hours to Sevilla and my train was over 30 minutes late. I got off at the Sevilla - San Bernardo stop and walked a few blocks to the Hotel Mélia. Here's a photo of the southern Spanish countryside:



The lateness of my train cramped my plans to go find a cool bar to watch the European Championship League soccer match between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. I got to celebrate with the Atlético Madrid fans near my hotel last week when they advanced.

I ended up going to the hotel bar / restaurant that was filled with Real Madrid fans. I had a local beer called CruzCampo and a hamburger. The game was super exciting as if it were the Yankees playing the Mets in the World Championship! The news showed pictures of the empty streets of Madrid as presumably everyone's watching the game. Unfortunately, Fuente de Neptuno where Atlético Madrid fans celebrate, won't have the rally like I experienced last week. But I hadn't been excited for soccer in a long time, and with the World Cup in Brazil just around the corner, hopefully I'll get more psyched! The game is indeed exciting, but the guys are pretty cute too!