Road to Seville

Greetings friends and family!

As always, my caveat is that I will edit later. As an editor, I will cringe. LOL

Since my last post…

Yesterday was a travel day between Valencia and Granada as the way is made toward to Seville (Sevilla).

The countryside is very beautiful. Depending on where we were, I have seen olive trees, almond trees, orange trees, and pomegranate trees. There is also some really pretty clay soil that I really want to run my hands through.

There are a few things I forgot to mention during my last post that happened during the dinner Leslie and I had in Valencia with Ronald (pronounced Renauld). Leslie had eaten only a portion of her dinner, and we were all three sitting around talking and enjoying the evening. A man, who may or may not have been homeless, came up and asked her if she was going to finish it. I think none of us really knew what he was asking, but he took her pizza and gave it to his wife/or girlfriend who was pushing a child in a stroller. None of us had every had anyone come up to us while sitting at a table. There have been times when I was walking around with leftovers in a bag, and I have been asked for the food or have offered leftovers to someone who asked me for money for food but never like that while outside seated.

It was very humbling. I am trying to focus on what I have and all that is pure. It’s like if I can be thankful everyday (like being intentional every morning and night) and say something I am thankful for. I am thankful for family and friends who support and love me. I am thankful for clean drinking water. I am thankful for shelter. It’s just things we take for granted like a washer and dryer or dishwasher. We have so much, and we waste so much. I am thankful to having the, you, the person reading, this in my life.

The other thing is that Ronald is going to pray to four Italian love angels on behalf of Leslie and I that we may find love. Feel free to join him in those prayers. LOL! Dude, where you at?!

In route, stopped in the place call Gaudix. The town is famous for its cave homes. For one euro, I was able to go into one. It was interesting. A modern home has been built next to it. The cave home was a lot bigger on the inside than I expected. There were three bedrooms that can fit twin beds. Some of the rooms had no windows. There was a living room, dining room, kitchen, and laundry room. Now the place has electricity. It was fascinating. I can’t imagine living there. The homes are generational. The woman who owned it I believe was the third generation owner. She is old enough to have grand kids. I assume she is retired, but she has a good gig by allowing tourists to come see the home. There were family pictures everywhere as well as religious pictures and displays.

Once we arrived in Granada, Leslie and I took off to the old town to go to the Royal Chapel. I really wanted to see it because it is where the bodies of Isabelle of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon are buried (they were originally buried in Alhambra). I didn’t realize that Juana (the mad) and Philip the Fair (I think also called the Handsome) were also buried there. There is a fifth coffin of Prince Miguel, who I need to look up. I assume he was the son of one of their children's because I thought their (Isabella and Ferdinand) son’s name was Juan. Anyway, they were such a huge part of the formation of what is now modern day Spain, so I wanted to see that. The coffins are plain but the effigies are nice. The high altar includes scenes from John the Baptist’s life including his beheading. It was actually pretty gruesome. Isabella’s crown and scepter and Ferdinand’s sword are on display. I would like to go back and not be so rushed and actually follow the guidebook’s breakdown of everything.

Then off to dinner in the Albayzin area, which was the Old Moorish quarter. It had a really great view of Alhambra. The restaurant was near San Nicolas Viewpoint which was a great place for a picture. I would like to go back to Granada to spend more time there as well as old town during the day.

After dinner went, I went to this zambra, a form of flamenco, dance that was done by this Roma (term is apparently preferred over gypsy) family who lives in the Sacromonte area of Grenada. Here most of the homes are burrowed into the wall of a cliff. The zambras are offered in cave bars. The dances were good. According to Isabelle, the families inner marry and encourage their kids to marry others of the same culture. If someone intermarries, the spouse is expected to adjust to the lifestyle of the gypsies, which is a life of an artistic career, or something like that. Basically, not in the main stream society in terms of occupation but to have an occupation as an artist.

My inner love child/wandering spirit has been karate kicked so many times by my more practical side...but it makes me wonder. Would it be wrong to quit my stable job, sell my condo, and travel for a year. Okay. She got karate kicked again!

Michelle Obama visited this particular zambra place while she was visiting. Isabelle led me to the “Michelle Obama” chair and that is where I sat for the evening, where she sat. She and Condoleezza Rice are probably my two favorite ladies in the political world.

After that back to the hotel where I ventured off around ten to see more of the Old Town. There was a statue of Columbus and Queen Isabella I wanted to capture but alas my phone is crappy at night. There were some plazas, and I walked along the Paseo de los Tristes. So between what Leslie and I did earlier and my late night wandering, I was able to do most of Rick Steves’ recommended Old Town walk. I love when things like that happen. Kismet!