It’s been a while since we were able to get together with our friends Andy and Danielle so it was great that we were able to see them for four days in Sevilla.
Andy and I go way back. Back to about 1982 when he was living in Hong Kong and I had recently arrived there after several months traveling on the Trans-Siberian railway and across China.
Over the years we’ve cycled thousands of miles together, run marathons, and had a lot of laughs. I was with Andy when we cycled into Prague in early 1990 just after the Berlin Wall fell. Who should be working at our hotel? Danielle! They have been together almost exactly as long as Mary Anne and I. And, Andy and Mary Anne share the same birthday.
Here we are exploring the area near our hotel on our first night together.
The next morning we set off on foot for our visit to the Cathedral. Here are some things we saw before and after our visit.
Venice has its gondolas, Sevilla has its carriages. In both cases you get an elegant ride, but you pay quite a price. While we did not ride, I will say that the horses looked very well cared for. This is not always the case, unfortunately.
We came across the Parque Maria Luisa one afternoon while exploring. It’s a big green space with lots of paths and interesting buildings of one kind or another.
The Princess Maria Luisa donated part of the grounds of the Palacio de San Telmo to the city in 1893 to create the park. The landscaping is by the same guy who laid out the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.
Nothing else in the park could compare to this: the Plaza de España. It’s relatively modern, built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition.
I could tell you more, but I would only be copying from various sources that you can read for yourself if you’re interested. At the time, we had no idea what we were looking at, only that it was extensive and quite beautiful. I was particularly taken by the tile.
Who can visit Spain and not see at least one flamenco performance? We found a small and relatively simple one just up the street from our hotel. The dancers were good, the guitarist was out of this world.
So you’re walking down the street minding your own business when suddenly… WHAT!?
To some, pointy hats mean the Ku Klux Klan. Boy, would that be an odd theme for items in a pastry shop! Fortunately that’s not the case here. This costume is traditional at Easter in Spain.
On that note, I wrap up my posts on our trip to Spain. Thanks very much to those who have have made comments. It’s nice to know that people are reading and enjoying.
