Europa Numero Dos - Wed, 08 May 2002
Previous | Home | Next
| Map
Hola amigos.
Writing to you from the southernmost point of our European trip - the Costa
del Sol, or as it should be known, the Costa del Viento (wind). Sitting here
eating breakfast on the terrace of our fabulous hosts Jim and Janet, we can
actually see the north coast of Africa across the Mediterranean. How did we
get here?
When last we left you, we were midway through our Spanish classes in Salamanca.
You'll be glad to hear that we graduated with honors - well, at least we speak
better Spanish than we did before - unfortunately we only received a C+ in
nightlife, failing to stay out even once past 2:00AM. Jack celebrated his
34th birthday on April 26th starting with peach bellinis (made using the delicious
and cheap local Spanish champagne) and strawberries on our little balcony.
He was then treated to a wonderful dinner and coconut cake (!) by our newfound
friends Kimberly and Milton.
From Salamanca we headed down to Madrid via Franco's tomb, one of the more
bizarre attractions on the tourist path. An overblown, neoclassic cathedral
cum nuclear bunker built into the side of a mountain, and topped with an enormous
stone crucifix.
Madrid: a whirlwind of tapas, shopping and art galleries. Got to see Picasso's
Guernica and some freaky Goyas. We also got some retail therapy at the extremely
cheap Zara outlet store*. Despite the constant street noise into the wee hours,
we managed to sleep quite well in what has to be the tiniest hotel room we've
ever seen (thanks to the quadruple glazing).
Then on to Sevilla, birthplace of the guitar. This is a beautiful city, filled
with classic Moorish architecture, including the Alcazar palace, with a garden
so large one could easily get lost in it. In fact, Sevilla is brimming with
tropical plants and flowers of all colors, as well as orange and lemon trees.
One night we found a relaxing bar and garden complete with classical guitarist,
before heading to the gypsy area for an authentic local flamenco performance.
A real cultural experience. (Thanks for the recommendation Nacho!)
That brings us up to date, with Jim, Janet and their adorable daughters and
dogs. If we're lucky, maybe even a little bit o' sol.
*In 2002 the dollar was about 0.9:1 against the euro, making our trip much affordable than it would be in 2005 at around 1.3:1.
Click on an image to view it full
size |
|
 |
 |