Tag Archive | spain
March 17, 2010  

The Pillars of Hercules

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Yesterday we crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to go from Algeciras in Spain to Tangier in Morocco.  The Strait connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and legend has it that it was created by Hercules.  During one of his 12 labours Hercules had to cross the mountain that was once Atlas.  However, instead of climbing the mountain, he smashed it with his Herculean strength.  The result of this was the connection of the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and formation of the Strait of Gibraltar.  Either side of the strait forms the Pillars of Hercules.  Europe and Africa are separated by about 14 kms at the narrowest point of the strait.

We endured a 3.5 hour bus ride from Seville to Algeciras and another 3 hour ferry ride to get to Tangier.  Though Spain is only just across the water, it feels a world away.  This is the Muslim world, and the architecture, clothing, food, aromas, and daily calls from the minaret make sure you know it.

Jay and Phil have now left us to go home, and we are in a country that feels totally foreign.  This, to me, is the beginning of our adventure, and Di and I are ready to dive in.

March 17, 2010  

Tapas, Tapas, Tapas

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I have to talk about the food we had in Seville.  We ate nothing but tapas every meal, and I think I want to return to Spain just to do an eating tour!  2 restaurants completely blew us away.  One was called Eslava, we just happened to walk by and drop in as it opened.  Luckily we did, because in 15 minutes it was packed.  We later realized that it was michelin rated though the bill would never indicate that.  Between the 4 of us we spent 8 Euros each and we were full.  The other one was called Vineria San Telmo.  This restaurant was truly spectacular.  We let the waitress pick out 5 tapas for the 2 of us, and all 5 were amazing.  Wash it down with a glass of sherry or Tinto de Verano (Di’s newfound love) and you have a perfect meal.  Julia Child once said “Tapas are reason enough to go to Seville”.  You add that to everything else this city has to offer, and you get a destination that you can’t afford to miss.

March 15, 2010  

“Seville is a pleasant city, famous for oranges and women” – Lord Byron

 

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The remaining 4 of us took a 5 hour bus ride from Lagos in Portugal to Seville in Spain yesterday.  Seville is the capital of Andalusia, the southern region of Spain.  For the fans of opera, it is home to Don Juan (Don Giovanni), Carmen and Figaro.  It is also said to be home of the famous Spanish hallmarks bullfighting, flamenco and tapas.  It is an absolutely beautiful and charming city.

We’ve spent the past 2 days wandering the old city.  The 2 biggest sites of note are the Reales Alcazar (Royal Alcazar) and the Catedral de Sevilla which is connected to the Giralda Tower.  The cathedral is the largest gothic building in the world and Europe’s third largest church.  The tomb of Christopher Columbus lies inside.  La Giralda is the Moorish tower that is next to the cathedral and is the city’s most famous symbol.  It was a minaret for when the Muslims ruled here, but was changed to a bell tower when the Catholics took over.  The cathedral is immense!  Right next to it is the Alcazar.  It used to be a Moorish fort/palace (built by the awesomely named Pedro the Cruel) but is now a Spanish royal residence that is still in use today. The building is the result of an interesting combination of Arab and Christian architecture and we easily spent a couple hours here.
 
Like Lord Byron said, the streets and boulevards are filled with orange trees which is actually pretty cool.  Not that Phil or I are noticing since we love our girlfriends, but my friend Jay tells me there are also lots of beautiful girls.  Last night we were in an energetic district eating tapas and drinking beer, walking from bar to bar to check out the scene.  Jay spotted a group of pretty girls to his left…and kept walking while looking at them…straight into a sign post.  Can you embarrass yourself anymore buddy?  Anyways, the nightlife was lively to say the least.  The bar we ended up at was playing a weird mix of disco/funk/golden oldies (it was recommended as having great music by the guy who helped us check in to our place) but the vibe was awesome.
 
Tonight we went to check out a flamenco show.  There were a couple guitar players and singers, but that was about as similar as it got to the fado show in lisbon.  There was a lot of stomping, clapping, and passion.  I know the passion part sounds corny, but I really can’t find a better word to describe it.  We went to a place that supposedly held on to the gypsy roots of flamenco more than the others in town.  I’m no flamenco expert but it definitely felt authentic.  One of the gypsy woman dancers must have been at least 45 but the combination of the deep painful expression in her face, her proud upright torso (almost like a bullfighter’s stance), her flowing arms with snapping hands, and her lightning fast feet made for a bewitching and powerful performance.  No one there could take their eyes off the stage.  What I liked best about the performance though was the fact that all of it seemed improvised between the performers, not rehearsed.   They seemed like they were really enjoying themselves.  And to be honest, so does this whole city.