Spain Trip Part III: Sevilla

We said goodbye to the mountains and coast and pointed our rental inland and headed for the third largest Spanish city - Sevilla.

We thought we had experienced skinny and twisty streets in Bath, but they were thoroughfares compared to Sevilla's intercity passageways. Our car was small but we narrowly avoided getting it stuck between the buildings at several points. We found La Casa del Conde Galdez, our apartment in central Sevilla. After quickly unloading the car, I cruised the streets and eventually squeezed the car into a parking spot where it would sit for 3 days.

La Casa del Conde Galdez (http://www.lacasadelconde.com/ingles/) was so named because Galdez was one of the two counts among other notables who had owned it since the 1600s. It was refurbished in 2007, and now is a lovely modern place to stay in a great historic building. In contrast to proper and at times distant Brits, Maite and her boyfriend (the apartment owners) were warm, fun, emotional, and exciting. They shared a list of their favorite tapas bars and markets and other locales. After talking music, they burned a great flamenco CD for us.

Our days in Sevilla were splendid. Rachelle and I agreed we could live a long time in that city. Outdoor cafes; orange trees (decorative only - Noah, Liv, and I tried them and they were incredibly sour); open markets selling fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, and flowers; kids kicking soccer balls; and Sevillanos laughing, drinking, talking, and hugging filled all of the streets and passageways. The squares were lined with wonderful little churches and there was always wonderful energy of happy people enjoying food, drink, and the sun.

The food in Sevilla was marvelous. Most restaurants served tappas, and we would order 5 or so different dishes and share. We were especially fond of those dishes that included Spanish olive oil and seafood. After having oranges in Sevilla, I worry that we will never eat another elsewhere without thinking of its better tasting relatives in Southern Spain.

On our first day we explored the cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest in the world, behind St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London, and climbed the ramps (so in days of old horses could go to the top) of the Giralda, the watch/bell tower, for views over Seville. We also visited the Alcazar, the royal palaces, which were originally built and inhabited by the Moors. Like the Alhambra in Granada, the Alcazar was exquisite with detailed carved stone arches, mosaics, tile work, and wonderful and immense gardens.

On our second day, we toured the Sevilla bullring (the bullfighting season does not begin until April), which is one of the oldest and most famous in Spain. From there we walked through an enormous park, which allowed Liv ample trees to climb and Noah and I had a fun time tossing oranges at each other. That night we attended a flamenco performance at the Flamenco museum. The kids sat in the front row, and Rachelle and I enjoyed watching the dancers as well as the astonished expressions of Noah and Liv who were mesmerized by the emotional, dramatic, and loud dancing and music.

The next morning we had some final strolls through town and enjoyed some fresh goodies from the markets. We encouraged Maite and her boyfriend to visit us in Atlanta and then we left and found our car, still safely nestled into its parking spot. We pulled out and headed for Ronda.

Spain Trip Part II: La Herradura

On Monday, Feb 16, we wound down the mountain and found our way to our hotel in La Herradura, a small beach village. Although our hotel was not as unique as our Bubion house, we did appreciate the conveniences of internet and temperature control.

A large tour group of tiny elderly Spaniards shared our hotel, and we enjoyed watching them play cards in the lounge, descend on the great buffet in the restaurant, and argue and yack to one another in Spanish. Although we enjoyed watching their antics, we timed our breakfasts so that we finished eating before the little Espanolas demolished the eggs, fruit, fish, and cereal leaving dust and rubble in their wake.

Shortly after arriving at our hotel on Monday, Rachelle and I found a beach bar and shared sangria while watching the kids play in the sand and the shallows of the Mediterranean. That evening I interviewed potential graduate students for GSU via Skype, which I have to admit was more fun than doing the interviews live. Dinner that evening was at a beach restaurant called Bamboo, which had plants hanging from the ceilings and walls that were made of … bamboo.

On Tuesday, we explored a tiny hidden cove and searched for shells and rocks. The kids especially enjoyed standing on a rock that stood on the water and waiting for the waves to wash up on their toes.

Tuesday afternoon I drove to the University of Malaga to give a talk. Just before I was to give the talk, I was told that the translator was not available, and it would be great if I could do the talk in Spanish rather than English as planned. I will have to admit that I put on one smooth seamless Spanish-English-pantomime performance for the group and earned my Euros that afternoon. I headed back to meet the family, who had managed to do their own pantomiming to have dinner without Senor Lindsey’s help. The next we had to pull the kids off the beach to head inland for the next part of our trip in the wonderful city of Sevilla.

Spain Trip Part I - Bubion

We saved some money by booking a 6:40am flight out of Bristol, and then spent that money sleeping at an airport hotel the night before we left. The kids loved the hotel and restaurant so our adventure was off to a good start. Friday morning we left cold, dark, and wet Bristol and arrived in warm, sunny, and dry Malaga. For me, slipping back into speaking Spanish was like riding a bicycle. Well, maybe a rusty and clunky bicycle, but, hey, it has been 20 years since I lived in Spain.

We took off in our rental car along a road that hugged the coast. En route we caught glimpses of cliffs dropping into the blue Mediterranean Sea and haphazard white-washed and colorful tiled beach towns huddled in the coves. We stopped for a quick bite to eat – tortilla Espanola (egg and potato omelet) and café con leche (wonderful strong coffee and milk) – before beginning the harrowing swervy steep climb up the Alpujarras Mountains. The hairpin turns and jerking of the manual car on the steep climbs was too much for Liv’s tummy and we pulled over a couple of times for her to expel her first Spanish meal. The three of us who were not staring at the ground enjoyed the views of the snowcapped Sierra Nevadas, which descended into arid rocky hills and plunged into the blue Mediterranean. On one of the stops, Noah and Liv plucked oranges and lemons off the trees in a small grove by the road. As we climbed the mountain, we passed several tiny white-washed and stone villages, which appeared like patches of snow clinging to the rock face.

Eventually we reached Bubion, a sleepy village of some 200 people, which is just a couple of miles below the snowline and the end of the road. Eve – our rental owner – met us at a little restaurant in Bubion and guided us by foot through the very narrow, steep, and windy streets and alleys of Bubion. We admired the ingenious and ancient system of channeling the cold snow-melt water through the town, with the water being diverted into fountains and washing areas. As we made our way to our house, Eve pointed out her favorite two restaurants in the town, which I believe might have been the only two restaurants in town.

We arrived at our house, La Casa de Musica, which is a picturesque rustic house. It is a renovated 500 year-old house constructed in the typical Alpujarran style of wood, stone, and white-washed clay. The ceiling consists of wooden beams, which support flat slate stones. The white clay walls inside are curvy with frequent cubbies carved into them. The windows are framed by thick and rich dark wood and shutters. The tile and stone floors were smooth and colorful. Our windows, upstairs large patio, and porch made of rock, branches, and bamboo all had breathtaking views through the mountains. Our house was on the outskirts of town, so there were plenty of twisty gnarly trees and outdoors for exploring. One of the cold water channels/streams ran next to our house, and the kids and I enjoyed watching our stick, leaf, and other “boats” start from high up above the hill and continue along the waterway toward the next town down the mountain.

There was one downside (no pun intended) to our gorgeous little cliff-clutching house – it was cold. When the sun dipped behind the mountain top, the temperature fell, and our stone home became an icebox. We turned on all of the radiators and promptly blew a fuse. We flipped the fuse box, turned off all of the lights, left on the radiators, and left for dinner hoping to return to a cozy home. Dinner was at a “restaurant”, which seemed to be in the living room of a man’s house. Not only did he own the home and eatery, but he was the host, waiter, and cook. Luckily there were only two other tables each with two people, which did fill the 3-table restaurant. After a great meal, we headed home. Upon entering the house, we found that the fuse had blown again and the house was beyond nippy. The kids found it funny that they could see their breath inside the house. We flipped the fuse box and turned on only the radiators in the bathroom and each of our bedrooms. We then cuddled up with blankets and went to bed.

In the morning, we scampered between the three warm zones; dressing and eating either in our bedrooms or the bathroom. Soon the sun came up and we headed out. After breakfast, we hiked along a windy path, which followed a stream, to the lower town of Panandiera. We poked into the various little shops and enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe. After dinner of paella and sangria at the other Bubion restaurant, I attempted, unsuccessfully, to make fires in both the upstairs and downstairs fireplaces. Again we scampered among our islands of warmth and had a fine time before falling asleep.

The next day we drove down the mountain to explore Granada and the Alhambra. Liv did much better and we only had to pull over once for her to be sick. The Alhambra is a true marvel, and consists of the grand Moorish palace, castle, and gardens with views down into Granada and beyond into the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. We toured the site for most of the day and then walked into Granada for a late lunch at an outdoor café in a plaza.

On the drive back to Bubion, we pulled over and bought a bag of oranges from a little woman on the side of the road. Rachelle and I have never had better oranges and all of us must have eaten about 3-a-day for the rest of our 10-day trip. That evening we drove up to the highest village – a mile up the road and right at the snowline – Capiera for dinner. This village is a bit more bustling with close to 700 residents, and dinner was great. That night I was again unable to start a fire despite having bought some toxic, chemical fire-starter cubes and wood. Noah comforted me by suggesting that the problem was that the wood was ice cold. We cuddled up in our beds and looked forward to the next segment of our trip – the warm beach town, La Herradura.

Snowy Days

The snowfall earlier in the week was simply a hint of the blanketing we were to get Thursday and Friday. Not only was the kids' school closed, but the University of Bath was closed, and the bus did not run. Along with all of the University of Bath undergraduates, we roamed and played on the campus. Near the middle of campus on a hill, some students had built a snow jump and were taking turns flying on skis or snowboards. Although it was exciting and scary to watch, Rachelle and I decided it was best to depart when we heard the students talking about jumping over each other. Several igloos were built and snow men of all shapes and sizes were erected. Fun was had by all.

Airborne Events

Thanks to emails from Jerry in Hawaii, Rachelle has become interested in several new bands. She was excited to find that one of her latest favorites, The Airborne Toxic Event, would be playing in Cardiff, Wales.

So, for her birthday, we planned a night away - our first night out sans kids since moving to the U.K. The plan was for Kevin and Janet to take the kids and Rachelle and I would take a train to Wales Sunday to hear the band, stay overnight at at B&B, and come back Monday in time to pick up the kids from school. A very well laid plan.

On Sunday morning we received a call that Kaidyn had come down with strep throat, which, as many parents know, is a toxic airborne contagious virus. After brainstorming and calling babysitters, the Vowles came through and Janet volunteered to sleep over our house with Noah and Liv and tote them to school in the morning. Once again, the Vowles step in to save the day!

Rachelle and I took our afternoon train to Cardiff. We had a nice walk to our Victorian B&B, the Abbey, which a Welsh football mate of mine informed was a former brothel. Our room was quite nice, and there was a plaque on the door letting us know that Peter O'Toole had slept in the room (we are guessing it was post-brothel time).

We dined at a pub, had tea at another pub, and then went to the BarFly, where the band would be playing. We were right on time - one of the first ones there and had time to talk with the band's crew, who were from L.A. As the crowd grew we found ourselves right up against the stage. The BarFly is not a large place, so the 200 or so people filled it out nicely. After listening to 2 warm-up bands, who each had screaming lead singer who looked to be too young to be at the BarFly, The Airborne Toxic Event came out. It was a great show. We were so close that the lead singer handed me his microphone to hold while he climbed up on a pillar to sing from a better vantage point. The female singer danced right next to us in the crowd a couple of times.

The next day, we walked to the Cardiff Castle and had a live tour - an event that is quite pleasant when we are not accompanied by bored kids. The castle and grounds has been renovated over the years, and it is quite impressive. See the video taken from the Castle Keep, which is the building on the hill in the background of the picture of Rachelle.

We had lunch and then took our train back to Bath. As we took the bus from the train station up the hill to our cottage, it was snowing (airborne event 3) and starting to stick. By the time we had the kids home, it was perfect outside for snowball fights. The snow was dry and packed well and it was not too cold out. We enjoyed some nice battles, including ones with undergraduate students, an ambush of Kevin who was leaving work, and two ambushes of Rachelle as she went to and returned from the post office. After the fun, I filled a bag of snow for my ankle and the kids went out to make a snowman. Later, Noah took a photo of their snowmen and another one made by some undergraduate students. See if you can guess which one was made by the Cohen kids. Before judging them too harshly, remember they are from Atlanta.