“How long have we been here?” “Long enough that I’m tired of mayonnaise.”

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This is just one of the many quirks of Spanish cuisine that my parents discovered during their time visiting me. While the Spanish sure know how to cure their ham, they aren’t much for the extra stuff, like sauces. Mayonnaise, olive oil, and sometimes vinegar tend to be their favorites.

Along with our varied culinary encounters, we had a fantastic time traveling around Spain doing things that I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced, since I am now decidedly set against ever trying to drive in this country, especially with little to no knowledge of how to drive a stick shift. But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. I prefer to outline my trips in terms of days to make it easier, so let’s start at the beginning. This tactic might make for a bit more detail than usual, but you’re just gonna have to deal with it. 😊 So, Wednesday. The parents had a touristy day in Sevilla visiting the cathedral and the Alcázar, things I’ve already seen, and we met in the evening next to the Feria de las Naciones, the international fair that just ended on Sunday, so we stopped in for a light dinner. In my never-ending quest for spicy food, we decided on the Mexican booth, which as per usual turned out to be Mexican à la Spain, therefore no spices were to be found. Alas, the tragedies of living in Iberia surrounded by nothing but ham. Having school the next day, I headed back to Lola’s to sleep since the ‘rents were catching a bus to Granada the next morning.

Thursday was of course, if you’ve been following along, the day my wallet disappeared. Moneyless and keyless, I welcomed the folks back to Sevilla after their daytrip to Granada, which sounded like a wonderful success. After a quick introduction to the Sevilla metro and a visit to Lola’s apartment to collect my luggage, we had a relaxing evening in preparation for sleeping in the next morning. Since we did get quite the late start on Friday, we decided to spend it in the city, and I finally got to show my parents where I’ve been hanging out and what I’ve been seeing this past month and a half. Hippie market and Sevici, check! Plaza Nueva and surrounding area, check! Stroll down by the river and through neighborhood of Triana, check! Now this part I can’t believe I wasn’t aware of: apparently Triana is quite famous for its ceramics? Sure enough, we had hardly crossed the river when shops and shops started to appear. My parents looked around with decorating the kitchen in mind and nothing notable was found, but if anyone else is in need of an ornately decorated plate, I am now your woman.

Friday evening held for me something I’ve been waiting on my parents to experience: FLAMENCO! For two hours (and thirty Euros) I was enchanted by the music, dance, and singing of a genre that they say was born in Sevilla. I’m fairly certain that at one point I got goosebumps. What’s important about flamenco is the soul, as many of the songs are about struggle, pain, and lost love, and it emanated from some of the performers. ¿Dónde está mi amoooooooor? Indeed. From previous shows I’d seen, I had decided that I liked the male performers better simply because… how to explain… the females are very sensual in their dancing with a lot of slow twisting and turning. I don’t find that as enrapturing as the deliberate and technical movements that require a lot of skill. That was my thought before this show, but Friday I was mesmerized by one of the women performers. There was not a bobby pin left in her head by the time she finished twirling, that’s how much soul this girl was showing. If I could only dance like that, then I would certainly like to dance.

Up bright and early on Saturday for a fun-filled day on the highways of Spain. With the help of the gazillion-lingual front desk man, we were on our way to see Río Tinto, or Red River. The brochure promised that if you come, “It will surprise you!” We were surprised when our GPS took us to a town with nothing in it. A little bit of paper shuffling, reentering of addresses, and a half hour later, we ended up at the real place, only to realize we had missed the tour. Lack of internet at the hotel had lead to lack of research, and we didn’t even really know what there was to see. After a quick chat with tourist information, however, we were directed to a rather surprising and beautiful view, indeed, though short lived. See photo.

Then it was off to the Doñana National Park, where we joined a jeepful of Germans in a tour across beaches (of which I have approximately 40 photos- same view, only the seagulls are in different positions) and sand dunes, and we even caught a glimpse of some real quicksand. It was like a safari, Spanish style. So amazing. Then- Back to Sevilla where we Sevicied (new verb?) to the Plaza de España to see it by night, followed by the best meal of the trip with one of the friendliest waiters we’ve had, who, speaking no English, was wonderfully patient with my mediocre Spanish and translation skills. Not all experiences are good, but the good ones make everything worth it.

The next day we took off towards the white villages of Spain, and this time got to our destination on the first shot, though it was definitely not a straight shot. The curvy mountain roads did not make me envious of my father, who navigated them with the skill of a professional. 😉 If there is such a thing as a professional mountain road driver. First stop: Zahara, where we saw the city from a castle tower with hundreds of years of history. Then onto Grazalema, which was nice, but what was really memorable were the views on the way there as we increased in altitude. I really think I need to find mountains to move towards; I was born in the wrong place. Nebraska, I love you, but I like my land with more curves. Finally, we headed to Ronda, more of a city than the other two, to see the gorge that splits this white city in two. Oh! I wish you could have seen it!!

Perhaps one of these days I’ll get around to sorting and posting more pictures on Picasa so you can get a glimpse of some of the most beautiful vistas I’ve seen this trip. Some of them came close to Greece, which is truly saying something.

After seeing the amazing sites of the day, we headed back for our final evening together in Sevilla and reflected on the success of the trip. We didn’t even bicker as much as I thought we would! Haha 😊 a little was inevitable, but I think we’re getting better. Aside from the first week or so of the trip, I haven’t been extremely homesick, but knowing I wasn’t going to see my parents for two more months really made my heart ache. I guess I’m more of a homebody than I thought (though not too much, mind you…) All these things I’m learning about myself! I think I’m learning more about myself as a person during this trip than I am learning Spanish. But, also surprisingly, I’m alright with that. Ups and downs, triumphs and heartaches, all of these things make you grow, and growing I am, and growing I need. End philosophical tangent.

So, we spent the last evening seeing the Plaza de España by daylight, and then I finally got to take a ride in one of those horse-drawn carriages that have been making deposits all over Sevilla. It was fantastically relaxing, even though the driver didn’t exactly live up to his promise of speaking English and I ended up playing the interpreter. I won’t lie, though. Sometimes I like it. We topped the night off at the Feria, eating crêpes from the French booth and picking out some gifts, we then collected my things and hailed a cab, and that was that. Parents off to Barcelona, where they still remain until Friday, and I in Sevilla for a week of midterms that I, in a sudden wave of emotions, was unable to properly prepare for. Good news is, I only have to pass the classes, so we should be just fine. Hasta luego, mis lectores. Thanks for sticking with me ‘til the end of this one, I know it was quite long.

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Photos

Colorado Basin?
The short-lived view but unparalleled view of one of the mining basins near the Rio Tinto

Sand dunes
One of the Germans was kind enough to take a family photo in front of all that sand.

Safari
I've never been on a safari, but I imagine it to be something like this, only with a giraffe or elephant or something standing next to the tree.

La Castilla
The Castle overlooking the white village of Zahara, as seen from the windy road.

Winding Roads
Look closely, you'll see them. Scary!