We had originally planned to spend today seeing the rock of
Gibraltar and then ferrying across to Tangiers, Morocco, so we could say we had
put our feet on African soil. However, neither of us were feeling it. Adam had
been told that Americans have been kidnapped there recently because American
passports are worth about $60,000 a piece. I just didn’t feel like driving 4
hours round trip to see a giant rock covered with monkeys that steal your sunglasses. We agreed that adding a hill town and more
time in Seville sounded more appealing.
We hit the road, and because Adam is the best BF ever, he suggested
we turn off Spanish radio and put on Taylor Swift. This was both because he
felt bad he had canceled Africa, and because I had watched the Cavs lose from
2am-5am and I was tired and depressed. But like T Swift, I was able to Shake It
Off once I saw the beautiful countryside that spilled out between Ronda and
Seville. There were sunflowers EVERYWHERE. Way more than I have ever seen in
Provence or Tuscany. We were on small back roads, so we could easily stop to
take photos. Which we did three times!
We went to Arcos de la Frontera, which is a cute little
white town with an old center on the tip top of a very high hill. We parked in
the central garage and then took the minibus to the top with the locals. It was
CRAZY! The streets were insanely narrow and twisty, yet somehow the driver
navigated them with just a quarter of an inch to spare. The local women on the
bus laughed at us as we gasped, winced and made wide eyes at each other with every turn.
We did Rick Steves’ walk of the town, making our way to the
viewpoint. But instead of the amazing view, I was drawn to the birds of prey at
the the end of overlook. They were available for people to hold (we didn’t) for
photos. Adam couldn't resist petting them, despite my protests about bird flu.
Adam petting birds of prey
Then we found the convent with the cloistered nuns, which has been
there since 1642. Nobody is allowed to see these nuns, but they make money by
selling cookies through a little lazy Susan device in the wall. It was weird,
but awesome to think about the fact that nobody has seen these women’s faces
since they entered the convent in their late teens.
That's the cookie menu on the left and the rotating window on the right.
Next, it was off for another long drive through sunflower
fields to Seville. When you picture Spain in your head, Seville is what you are
seeing. Flamenco dancers, lacy fans, Spanish tiles everywhere… that is Seville.
It is similar to Granada, in that it was settled by the Moors nearly 1000 years
ago. But it is much larger than Granada, and thankfully, also much flatter.
Lobby of Hotel Amadeus, which is deceivingly cute. Avoid at all costs.
Our hotel, the Hotel Amadeus, was in the winding back alleys
of the barrio, where all the main action was in town. Action, but no parking.
We had to park in a lot about half a mile away and drag our luggage over
cobblestones. This was getting old fast. We went into our room, expecting to
see the suite with a bathtub I had booked. My reservation confirmation
specifically said “room with a view and a bathtub” – it had neither. Instead,
we had a shoebox of a room that barely fit the bed and a window that looked at
a white wall. The pink monster couldn’t even lay down anywhere in the room. We
decided we would just roll with it. We were sweaty and wanting showers, with no
energy to switch rooms. I went first, and discovered there were no towels. Not
one. (It only got worse from there. Later that night, we would wake up to a stifling, awful smell. Like so bad
that it woke us both up. Adam tried to blame my sandals, but we finally sniffed
out that it was the pillows. When they warmed up, the feathers smelled like
death. And to top it off – the wifi was TERRIBLE. I couldn’t even upload blog
photos. Thank goodness there wouldn't be an NBA Finals game while we were there. The moral of this story is…if you are ever in Seville, do NOT stay at
the Hotel Amadeus.)
Seville Cathedral
We left the hotel around 5pm and followed Rick’s suggested walk again.
We saw a million adorable squares and cobbled lanes. We had a dinner of paella,
gazpacho, grilled chicken and on a cute square filled with orange trees. I was
happy it wasn’t tapas again, as I wanted to tapa out from Spanish food a long
time ago. Adam ordered fruit for dessert and the waiter brought him one whole
red apple and a knife. HA! Oh, Spain.
Next would be gelato at Bolas, an artisanal ice cream maker (YUMMY!), and then it was off to our room. My bangs were driving me crazy, so Adam
trimmed them with his beard clippers. I was nervous, but bad bangs are better
than bangs hanging into my eyes. So I dubbed him the new Barber of Seville, and went to bed
with my fresh bangs that were actually just perfect.
Tomorrow: A long, hot day in Seville reveals unexpected
beauty
xoxo
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