Spain: Part 2: Seville

A two hour flight brought us to Seville. Ryan's friend Erica greeted us at the airport and after a quick stop at her apartment we were off to the city center. 

A bit of history: The motto of Seville is No8Do. The 8 is shaped like a skein of wool, or, madeja in Spanish. The motto is a rebus, reading "NO madeja DO", a play on the sentence, "No me ha dejado", she (the city) has not abandoned me (the king)". The motto refers to the city's support of King Alphonse X in a 13th century war with his son. This symbol is seen all over Seville and on manhole covers, grates, etc. 

While in Seville we toured the university, formally a tobacco factory. Plaza San Salvador offered a lively gathering of Sevillans on their "siesta" and had a small exhibit of Salvador Dali's statues. The Cathedral was monumental, one of the largest in Christendom and the long walk up El Giralda- the cathedral's tower (shown here), offered spectacular views of the city. 

We attended a Flamenco show- a very passionate female dancer performed to live musicians. Many tapas, tinto de verano (a mix of red wine and club soda) were consumed during the trip. Our favorite place to eat was Cerveceria 100 Montaditos which serves excellent small sandwiches and for only 1 Euro on certain days!

Many photos were taken of Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold) a twelve 

sided structure built by the moors as a defense against Christian

invaders.

Maria Luisa Park offered a relaxed peaceful moment of our trip and

led us to the Seville Archeology Museum.

(I can't leave work completely behind!)

Adjacent to the park is Plaza de Espana. This plaza was constructed 

for the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibition and now mostly houses

government offices. 

Fun fact- this building was used in Star Wars Attack of the Clones as a setting for the planet of Naboo.

Plaza de Espana

Spain: Part 1: Barcelona

What a way to begin the trip- First Class! A delicious and very long meal of cheeses, fruits, chicken satay, veal dinner, dessert, free wine, etc. We all received a small travel bag full of small products and a hot towel upon boarding and within the last hour of our flight (as we were waking up). A bit spoiled, yes, but I am already considering flying first class for my future Australia adventure!

While in Barcelona we went to several of Antoni Gaudi's architectural marvels;

Batllo House, La Pedrera, Guell Palace, Parc Guell, and the famous El Temple De La Sagrada Familia- a church that has been undergoing construction since 1882.

Numerous walks around the city took us to Church of Santa Maria del Mar, a view of old roman walls and defense towers, Palau de la Musica Catalana, La Boqueria (a street market), Picasso Museum, and more!

At night we enjoyed walking Las Ramblas- an elongated series of streets that offer many stores/restaurants and plenty of street performers.