| Sep 15, 2005 - Ole! (Espana)
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 | | show all 9 | | Cathedral in Sevilla, Spain | | Pop Windsurfing beach in Tarifa, Spain | | The crowd at the Bullfight | | |
| We met with friends Roger and his roommate Rachel in Sevilla which is a pretty city with a dramatic gothic cathedral, a castle and barrio of cobblestoned alleys with tapas bars and lively nightlife. We hit a tapas bar first thing and Roger who allegedly studied several years of Spanish did all of the ordering: ham croquettes, sangria and gazpacho and replied "si, si, si" to several questions asked by the waiter. It was great to see familiar faces. When our order arrived we got a platter of ham and cheese, a platter of ham and melon, gazpacho, sangria and croquettes (not ham and cheese.) If this wasn't bad enough, just one of the plates cost 20 euros! Roger did not order for the group after this. ;)
The following day we drove to the coastal town in the southernmost tip of Europe, Tarifa. It was a festive time to be there, everyone was dressed in ruffly, colorful outfits celebrating in the streets. We checked out a great windsurfing beach and went to a bullfight. To say that it caught me off guard that they brutually wounded and taunted before killing SEVEN bulls in succession was a bit of an understatement. The crowd was very lively and it was fun to be part of such a cultural institution.
The next day we took a ferry over to grungy Morroco and we all agreed that this gateway city felt a bit like Tiajuana, Mexico. We had a Morrocan feast in a colorfully tiled restaurant catering to tourist groups, but the food was not too bad. Next we wandered the markets trying to elude, bribe to disappear and otherwise shake the pesky "tour guide" we inherited. Each of us picked up some souvenirs after haggle sessions.
We jumped in the car for a six hour drive to Granada Spain to see the Alhambra, a beautiful castle/fort with amazing architectural detail.
If this wasn't enough in 3 days we jumped into the car for another odyessy and headed to the coastal town of Marbella. There wasn't much special about this resort town but it was good weather and fun to be in the company of friends.
In an instant, Roger and Rachel were gone. Venice and onto the sailing adventure in Croatia next! |
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