Mile 35: The Spanish Divide

In Portugal, it was clear to me that the voyage had entered a new kind of Europe – one where the hot sun bronzes the skin of locals, architecture and landmarks speak the cultural (not just historical) language, and color abounds in the most unique places. While the countries in the North and Baltic Seas had their own special charm, the style and sounds of the Mediterranean were much more comforting and energizing to me. Case in point: Seville, Spain.

My parents and I landed late at night into the major Seville airport. We took a taxi to our very modern hotel (after the taxi guy ripped us off) and slept comfortably in very soft beds. The morning brought a glorious (and free) hotel breakfast with four kinds of fresh mixed juices (the pear guava strawberry was unreal, and mom liked the ginger carrot apple the best), an omelet station, 10 kinds of pastries, a bread aisle (yeah, you read that right!), a large tea and coffee station, an oatmeal bar, rows of fresh cut fruit and desserts! We indulged on oatmeal, fresh eggs and fruit before heading out into the day. Our plan: the hop on hop off bus again.

This time though, we missed the instructions by the concierge so we walked too far and missed the closest stop. On such a hot day, the parents were not thrilled about this mistake. We rode the hop on hop off all the way around the city to get a good orientation (the open air top of the bus brought such nice breezes!) so we could mark out where we wanted to stop. As we rode around and listened to the history of the city, Seville seemed much smaller and more segregated than I had imagined. The tourist sights were mainly on one side of town and across the river, locals lived amongst cafes, churches and busy streets. The tourist side was filled with lush trees, continual construction and famous landmarks while the local side seemed more gritty, poor and colorful.

From the guidebooks, I knew that visiting the Plaza de España (the first picture in this post!) should be a tourist’s primary destination so I herded mom and dad there first. The curved building, roaring central fountain and intricately tiled bridges combined into an inspiring architectural marvel – what a landmark! We snapped photos all around (I couldn’t get enough even though I was sweating bullets by this point because the sun and humidity were combining into one hot mess) and mom and dad wandered to the edges of the plaza. 

Following some silly photos, we ran towards shade and air conditioning at a nearby restaurant. Dad, feeling very hot, returned to his childhood and ate a huge ice cream sundae for lunch. Just one of the many many reasons I love him! Mom and I indulged on salads and cool drinks. Then, we traipsed around Maria Luisa Park, adjacent to Plaza de España, and saw tons of water fountains, lush greenery and unusual plants.

Leaving that area of town, we headed west into the city center and famous Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See. In the afternoon, Seville streets were filled with tourists, souvenir sellers hawking Spanish fans, fedoras and cute umbrellas, locals out for an evening stroll and teenagers gathering around fountains and statues. The lively atmosphere made one want to eat and shop – so we did! Mom bought some gifts and Dad and I snacked on nuts and candy.   

The church had just closed so we checked the opening time for the next day, snapped some exterior photos of this massive structure and rode the hop on hop off home to find dinner. Dad fell asleep on the ride home – that man can sleep anywhere! Famished and worn from the heat, we decided to stay in and order pizza for dinner (a treat for me since we don’t get good pizza on the ship). After finding a local number online, I called Dominoes pizza and made futile attempts to order two medium veggie pizzas because the attendant spoke no English. How do you say mushroom in Spanish? I knew a few keywords – pizza, dos (two), media (medium size), but the rest evaded me so I logged on to their website while on the phone and used the photos to find the right words. Thirty minutes later, a cute pizza guy on a motorcycle delivered our dinner. We devoured two warm pies and my mom kept praising my ability to “communicate” despite the language barriers. Success!

The next morning, we dressed and ate another spectacular breakfast (this time I had an omelet and earl grey tea!) before riding the bus to the Cathedral. This 16^th century Roman Catholic church is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world (and third largest church in the world!) and serves as the burial site for Christopher Columbus. The church spans almost one city block and includes the main building, the Giralda bell tower and a beautiful open-air courtyard lined with dozens of lime trees. We spent a good hour and a half in the church alone, walking through the various altars and tombstones. 

When we headed outside, I noticed a group of SASers in the courtyard! We had inadvertently run into the SAS day trip to Sevilla, and since a bunch of my colleagues and friends were on the trip, I got to introduce them to Mom and Dad. It was very nice to have the parents get a sense of the people I was hanging out with on the ship; we saw Margaret, Ruth, Zoe, Richard, and few others. We chatted for a while until their tour continued and then we made our way up the Giralda Bell Tower, where I lied to my mother.

Visitors can climb the inside of the Giralda bell tower to get spectacular views of Sevilla so the three of us started heading up. The climb is a series of ramps, rather than stairs, in a square pattern that leads up to the top platform. At the start, I told mom that there were about 12 ramps to climb, having overheard a woman call out that number at the ticket office. But after ramp 12, the climbing continued and my mother jokingly kept calling me a liar for the rest of the way. In fact, there were 36 ramps to the top! However, the trek up was very well worth the views we encountered – what a stunning city!

We climbed down slowly, took a few last photos at the Cathedral and then made our way to a walking tour of the Triana neighborhood. Along the way, we passed by a spice shop I had noticed earlier and we popped in to buy paella spices, candy and some saffron (a Spanish treasure!). The walking tour, given by hop on hop off tour folks, started by the river and the guide led us around to one of the bridges. Once the tour started, we quickly realized that the guide spoke Spanish so Dad asked for English translations as well. The guide stated that the English tour had headed off in the opposite direction and we should run to catch it. Feeling frustrated at the lack of information earlier, we tried to look for the English tour in vain. Giving up, we decided to grab lunch instead at a riverside café. We ate veggie falafel (I know, but it was good!) and grilled potatoes (Dad’s favorite vegetable) and I sipped on local Sangria – so good! Full of lunch and a bit warm from the smoldering day, we walked into the Triana neighborhood ourselves in search of some local artifacts.

Mom remembered that she saw an outdoor market on our hop on hop off route so we grabbed the bus and headed there instead. The market filled the center square of a commercial area and contained local crafts and clothing. Mom was in her element again with excessive amounts of bargaining. We bought purses, wallets, and shirts before heading into the shopping mall indoors. At that moment, I realized that the 20 Euros Mom had given me at the start of day (in order to put money in different places) was gone. Crap! It wasn’t a large sum, but I hated the fact that I’d lost it, probably to pickpocketers. Ugh!

Grumpy, I followed the parents into the store to buy my brother a FC Barca jersey (a real authentic one with the official Nike logo!). We came back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and parents continually tried to console me about the lost money; I won’t let it go! One thing to know about me: I don’t get mad often, but when I do, it’s usually at myself for a stupid mistake. I’m very unforgiving of my own errors and this episode was no exception! At the hotel, Mom declared that she was exhausted and wanted to stay in for the rest of the day. So we ate dinner in the room and then Dad and I ventured up to the pool/roof deck to take in the sunset. Gorgeous and very tranquil.

The following morning, the parents and I were separating. They were headed to Barcelona by train and I was returning to the ship in Cadiz. After a final delicious breakfast at the hotel (with three, count em THREE, glasses of strawberry mango juice), we arrived at the station and found our trains. After a quick goodbye (can’t do long ones!), Mom and Dad headed down to theirs since it left before mine. Once they were out of sight, I felt very alone. What is it about being in the company of loved ones that brings a sense of calm to the mind? I found my train and while walking in, I noticed Lisa was standing right next to me! She too had spent a few days in Sevilla and it was nice to have a friend to chat with on the ride to Cadiz – thank you universe! After a few hours, we arrived to the port of Cadiz, one of the prettiest I’d seen!

Lisa and I spent the rest of the day in Cadiz, shopping, eating and walking with some friends. We bought postcards, walked to the water’s edge, took photos of the Cadiz cathedral and chitchatted about our friends. On our way back to the ship, I found the most spectacular gold/metal necklace and bargained to buy it. Lisa stepped into a few shops and found two lovely summer dresses, a much-needed accessory for these hot Mediterranean days. Feeling successful, we returned to the ship before On-Ship time. That night, as the shipboard community was treated to a live Flamenco performance, I marveled at the gifts of Spain. I loved seeing my family, walking through the tiled streets of Sevilla and staring out at the blue waters of Cadiz. What is my life right now!? My word for Spain: Caliente!