Meeting Torie's "Mom"

After the Setas of the Metropol Parasol, we headed toward Triana, where Torie is living for the semester. Triana is across the river from the old city, the area was first settled in the Roman area.  It's a very cool area, with lots of restaurants and bars.  Crossing the river, we saw the famed old military watch tower, Torre del Oro (Tower of Gold).  Built in the early 13th Century, it is quite the striking design.

Torre del Oro -- a dodecagonal watch tower

built by the Moors.  Dodecagonal of course

means it is a 12 sided polygon.

We wandered through the Triana market, which had restaurants and foodie shops.  Then it was time to head to Torie's apartment.  We had been invited by her "Spanish mom" (Antonia) for coffee and cakes. 

Torie in her bedroom

Torie towers over Antonia

The moms, just before fighting

over who gets to keep Torie.

Antonia is very nice, and we got the tour of the apartment, including Torie's room.  Then everyone (but me) talked and then had pieces of two cakes/desserts (I did partake of those!).  Antonia only speaks Spanish, so the women all conversed, while I sat there taking it all in.

Antonia's niece was down visiting from Madrid, so she told us (them) about being in the processions.  I did get off a line about them changing the key on Torie.  Antonia's son Kiko sat in for a little bit, but he had been up all night in the processions, so he was tired.

Eventually it was time to move on, so we did.  It was a very nice visit, and interesting to see the inside of a typical small apartment in Seville.

We headed back toward the old city, and had drinks in the cold afternoon right by the river.

The Moorish Revival Chapel

at the end of the Triana bridge.

Another view of the

Torre del Oro

Torie will not be 21 for about six weeks after

returning to the States.  It will be difficult for her.

We were supposed to have dinner at a restaurant at the end of the Triana bridge, but they were not very welcoming, and apparently I never closed the loop on the reservation, so we bailed out rather than fight to pay people who did not really want us there.

Instead we walked into the old city and found a random tapas bar.  Great food.  On our way, we had some great views of the nearly full moon.

Full moon far above Seville.

Even I couldn't blow this shot.

There were more processions, and this brotherhood dressed in purple.  Night processions are quite cool.  Finally we made it back to the apartment and shared one last bottle of vino among the four of us.  Usually I'm a Priorat or Rioja guy, but the bottles of Ribero del Duero that we shared were excellent.

Purple hoods and white robes.

All purple penitents, carrying

big wooden crosses.

Las Setas

Well, this was cool.  And new in Seville since 2001.  It's the Metropol Parasol, completed in 2011 in La Encarnacion Plaza in the old city.  When Torie described it, I found it hard to wrap my head around, but we all really liked it once we saw them. 

85 feet high, the mushrooms (Las Setas)

as it came to be known by Sevillians.

La Giralda from Las Setas

Going up into the the mushroom is very cool. . .

. . .and provided great views of Seville.

The panoramic terraces provide awesome

views all around Seville.

The Harp Bridge, as we called it.

Part of the walkway.

This Hertz You More Than It Hertz Me.

Our triumphant return to Seville was made easier by knowing where the hotel actually is, not where it is on a deranged Apple GPS map.  I dropped the three women off, did an illegal U-turn and headed off to the train station to return the car.

Ah yes, the car that lost a battle with a concrete corner post in Cordoba.  Now was the time of reckoning.  

I strode confidently into the little Hertz building outside the train station to drop off the key.  "Is everything alright with the car," the attractive young Hertz employee asked.  "Well, no.  I lost a battle with a parking garage in Cordoba. But I did buy the full insurance."  (Pro tip: Make sure you are able to utter that second sentence if you drive in Spain.)

She was very understanding.  "Yes, that happens a lot here."  While she looked it up on-line, I noted once again -- "Well, I'm sure glad I got the full insurance," just so she understood.  She looked up, beaming, "Yes, you did get the full insurance.  Sign here."  So I did.  "You are free to go" she said cheerfully, and I skedaddled before she changed her mind.

I walked back to the apartment, totally relieved.  At lunch, as I sipped my beer, I thought happily, "Ain't the cerveza cold!"  (hat tip Chuck Thompson via Mark Williams).

A City Founded In 206 BC

We left Fuengirola early enough that we were due to hit Seville around 11am.  That was too early to get into the hotel, so we diverted to Italica, a Roman city founded in 206 B.C. 

We had visited Italica in 2001.  It's only nine kilometers (5.5 miles) from Seville, and awe-inspiring to walk around.  We visited the amphitheater, then went to the foundations some of the houses.  

The amphitheater sat 25,000

These mosaics are around 2,000 years

old, give or take a few hundred years.

Cypress trees are always cool.

Italica is free to get into.  It is

trying to become a UNESCO

World Heritage site.

Unlike Fed Ex Field, there were no obstructed

views back in the time of Jesus.  And the

home team was a lot better in Italica.

I tried to vote for it to be a UNESCO

heritage site, but apparently I do

get a vote.  Damn.

We looked into fine mosaics like this

when we redid our floors last year.

 After getting the pricing on it, we

decided to stick with wood.

Roman columns are always cool.  Just walking around the foundations is incredible.  To think this was all built 2,000 years ago is mind-boggling to me.

I'd like a floor that lasts 2,000 years.

Medusa.

Weird that they built a statue to

a guy who lost half his head.

Two Roman Emperors came from Italica,

including Hadrian, who had a big,

beautiful wall named after him.

Sea monsters are cool.

Crocodile Rock.

Italica was founded as a town for wounded

Roman veterans after a major battle nearby.

Oddly, all this has remained, even though it was "discovered" centuries ago, looted, used for building materials, and sent off to museums.

Sunrise Over The Mediterranean

Do they really need captions?

A Fun Reunion In Fuengirola

We drove the 90 minutes or so from Gibraltar back east to our next hotel on the Med beach in Fuengirola.  After swearing for years I would never go to the Spanish beaches on the Med, there I was (flexibility is important in life).  

The reason was a good one, however.  Geoff Lawler, the former Member of the British Parliament for whom I interned way back in 1984 (my FIRST overseas trip) now has a condo down there as a get away from the English weather.  

So we arranged to meet for dinner.  But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

After checking into a basic hotel with quite the view of the Med, we headed down by the pool for lunch.  Then we went up and promptly took a nap.  Avoiding monkey attacks is tiring, but we at least  could sleep of the unattacked.  (Editor's Note: Uh, that's not a word.  Writer's Snippy Retort: Well, according to Merriam-Webster online, it is a word, so stick it!  Editor: Touchy, touchy!).

Since Geoff wasn't getting into town till late, the four of us went for a walk along the beach.  The area was chock full of Spanish families enjoying the holiday.  The beaches looked beautiful.  On the shore side, there were lots of tall apartment/condo buildings.  We passed the castle on the hill, but, in what is definitely a Glen/Carol first, we had exactly zero stirrings to hike up and go through the castle.

This is the first castle we've seen that we

did not feel the desire to explore.  Am I

losing my fastball?

We did not go into the center of town, which apparently is cool, but we did stop for ice cream.  Then, we got to a certain point and headed back to the hotel.

Idyllic view.

And a bit of whimsy, as the concessionaire

gets ready for the impending season.

We met Geoff at Los Marinos Paco, a seaside restaurant on the east side of town.  The food was great (and huge portions), but just catching up with Geoff was great fun.  We shared a number of bottles of Albarino, which is my favorite white wine of all time (Galacia, Spain) and caught up on life, politics, and reminisced.

Not sure how much things have changed, but back when I worked for him, Geoff had a snarly secretary Roz (she grew to like me, but doesn't everyone?).  (Editor's Note: Are you really looking for an answer?  Writer's Note: Uh, well, hmmm.  No.)  And then he had me.  So it was a great internship, and Geoff was a great boss (and still a great guy).  I've probably seen him, on average, once every eight years or so, including the famous time Carol and I spent a day during our honeymoon campaigning with him in the 1987 election.

Of the good people I've known over the years, and the mentors who have influenced me, Geoff is definitely one of them.  It was a fun evening.

After dinner, Geoff walked us over to the town brothel, where there is always a line of cabs, and we headed back to the hotel.  It's always good to see him, and it meant a lot to get to spend some time with him.