I arrived in Sevilla on Wednesday afternoon after taking a high speed train from Madrid. The trip would usually take 5 hours, but only took us 2.5-amazing! I thought I really loved Madrid, but Sevilla is absolutely incredible! The weather is gorgeous, it has been in the 70´s (not sure the exact temp because I haven´t mastered conversion from celcius to farenheit yet) and barely a cloud in the sky. The air is also much fresher here than in Madrid, which was packed with smokers. It´s nice to be able to take a deep breath without looking around you first to make sure that you wont inhale a big gulp of smoky air. The streets are are much more enchanting than Madrid´s crowded, plain jane roads. It is very easy to get lost on the windy roads, but as long as you watch out for the mopeds which zip by unexpectedly, than you are bound to find your way to a familiar landmark eventually. I am also enjoying all the greenery here. The first day we enjoyed lunch outside under the shade of orange trees, which decorate the entire city. We have yet to try one of the oranges though as we hear they are very bitter and only used for perfume and cat food.
If you have never been to Sevilla, I would encourage you to put it on your list of things to do before you die. Yesterday we visited the 3rd largest cathedral in the world. It was absolutely breathtaking! We climbed all the way to the top of the belltower for the best view of the city. No building in all of Sevilla is allowed to be taller than the tower. Today we visited the Real Alcazar, which is a palace where Royalty still lives. I truly felt like I was in paradise as I wandered around the massive gardens surrounding the palace. I spent a long time in the center of the park writing poetry as the sun beat down on my face and birds chirped all around me. Don´t worry, I took PLENTY of pictures and as soon as I get them on a CD I will email some out. My afternoon was spent in the Parque de Maria Luisa journaling beneath the terraces. I don´t think I have ever wrote so much in my entire life as I have here. There have been many nights where I have found myself staying up until 3am journaling. There is just so much I want to record, so many new experiences, insights and knowledge that I do not want to forget.
The best thing about being in Sevilla right now is that we are here for the April Fair. It is a yearly festival where the entire city pretty much shuts down for the week and heads to the local fairgrounds. Horsedrawn carriages take people to and from the fairgrounds or you can hop on the "party bus." Girls of all ages get decked out in their best flamenco dresses, adorn their finest jewelry and shawls and put giant flowers and fans in their hair. The men put on their best suits as well. My favorite are the little girls and boys who look like miniature adults--especially the little girls in strollers whose ruffles from their dresses spill out everywhere. When we went to the fair last night I truly felt like I was in a dream world! Families host parties in mini tents that are decorated like homes and they invite all of their friends for food, drinks, music and plenty of flamenco dancing. There is also a circus going on and last night we went to it. I was so proud of myself because we met a man in line who was their with his family and I asked his daughter in español if she liked elephants. The circus was really fantastic, except that it was 3 hours long so we didnt leave until 2 am! I was surprised at some of the humor though, lots of sexual innuendos (stripping clowns) and jugglers smoking giant cigarettes. Its just not what you´d expect to see at a family show. I really enjoyed laughing alongside all of the locals though and shouting BRAVO! It was great to see how people from all cultures around the world can appreciate good entertainment. In all I spent 8 hours at the fair yesterday just taking in the sights and enjoying the circus (or circo)
Tomorrow we are heading 1.5 hours south to the coast of Spain where we will spend our day at the beach! I am so excited to be at an ocean where it is warm enough to swim. Granted, I don´t really know how to swim, but I will have fun no matter what. A funny thing I have discovered here is that I dont get sunburned no matter how long I stay in the sun. In Seattle I get fried after only 15 minutes. I will write again soon with more tales to tell and hopefully pictures! I am sorry to all of you who I have not had a chance to respond to yet. Please keep your emails coming, I read every one of them! I miss all of you and wish you could fly over here right away to enjoy this fabulous life with me!
