The day after Christmas we took the AVE bullet train from Toledo to Madrid, and then Madrid to Sevilla. We didn't have our Madrid-Sevilla tickets reserved in advance, so by the time we made it through the line, first class were the only seats available. SCORE!! The journey was just under three hours and included a hot 3-course meal, an Ed Norton movie, and no traffic. I'd say it was worth the extra euros.
We picked up our rental car (a.k.a. The Biggest Car in Europe, a.k.a. The Party Bus, a.k.a. I Was Often Scared For My Life Because Jay Drove the Whole Time) as soon as we arrived, couldn't figure out how to work the reverse, and nearly wrecked in the parking lot. That international driving test that Mom took really paid off...(not). Jay took over driving responsibilities and we eventually arrived at the San Gil Hotel without ending up in a ditch or hitting any pedestrians. We dropped off our luggage and made our way to one of the main plazas/parks in Sevilla where there were several tapas bars. Sevilla is one of the "tapas capitals" of Spain and offers some of the best the country has to
offer. Tapas, for those who don't know, are small portions of food (usually cheese, olives, or bread with meats) served with beer or wine. We went to a place called Casa Paco and chowed down on everything from bacon-wrapped dates to fried cheese (accompanied, of course, with a few bottles of red wine).
The following day, we took a cheesy, double-decker tour bus around the city to see the sights. We saw the famous bullfighting ring where the best matadors in the world have fought, then made our first stop at the Cathedral. I thought Toledo's Cathedral was impressive, but this place was massive! So far, it's the most stunning religious monument I've been to in Europe. The details, the ornate figures, the sheer size was breathtaking. Christopher Columbus' tomb stands proud off to one corner, and the baby Jesus in front of one of the altars. The Orange Tree Garden is in the courtyard. After over an hour of wandering about the halls and rooms that seemed to never end, we had somehow lost Jay. The next 45 minutes were spent trying to find him (with no luck). Dad had given up and seemed confident he would know
to meet us back at the bus stop - so he left and told us he'd see us there. Mom wasn't so certain. We women stayed a little longer searching for my very curious brother. He was nowhere to be found. We went back to the bus stop, hoping maybe Jay was already there - because if not, Mom threatened to "open a can of whoopass" on him. You can't tell AT ALL we're from Appalachia!!...
...and he wasn't. We waited and waited until I decided it would be best to walk back alone and search again. We were beginning to get worried and we were missing the bus! As I'm crossing the street to walk back to the Cathedral, we pass each other! As I suspected, Jay blamed us for wandering off instead of the other way around. Idiot. Oh well, the Griswalds were back together again and could finally get on with the bus tour. The next stop was the Plaza de España - the main plaza of Sevilla. It was built in 1929 for the Spanish-American exhibition, so it's relatively new compared to the rest of Sevillian architecture that's been standing for centuries. The plaza is
a huge semi-circle with a fountain in the center. When we were there, there was a huge indoor nativity scene (Bélen in Spanish, which means Bethlehem) in the center that you could pay to go in and see. There was a line a mile long outside of the building! For each one of the 52 provinces in Spain, there is a bench dedicated and decorated in accordance with the culture from that region. It was really cool to see Toledo's bench - so pretty!
Our last night in Sevilla we went to a flamenco dancing show that included a delicious meal. I was so excited to see live flamenco performed in the city of its origin. Flamenco is a traditional, passion-filled dance that was brought to Spain by the gypsies of Northern Africa centuries ago. The dance has changed over the years as it now incorporates influences from other cultures. It's a really beautiful dance with intricate hand and footwork (that I couldn't do if you paid me). They dance to Sevillana music that has a rhythm I find impossible to keep a beat to. All in all, it was the perfect way to end our
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