Days 8 & 9 - Seville plus travel to Barcelona

 June 8-9, Days 8 & 9: Seville plus travel to Barcelona

The best word I would use to describe today was HOT! Aaron went for an early morning run through the Parque de Maria Luisa while I did yoga and the kids watched a morning movie.  When he returned, we had a quick breakfast and began walking nearly seven miles in over 90 degree heat, throughout the day!

We walked outside of the Cathedral de Seville but chose not to wait in line to go inside. We also walked outside the Royal Alcazaar.  I wanted to go in, but we had just visited the Alhambra, and the boys were not so keen on another Moorish palace visit. So instead, we ventured on foot to a shaded park nearby.  The boys played on way-too-young-for-them playground equipment, and then Aaron and Zach tossed a frisbee while Colton and I tossed a football.  At one point, Aaron got on one of the kid rides in the park, and an older Spanish gentleman came over to reprehend him for using the equipment.  We were searching for shade and joy and we got chastised!  

It gave us all a good laugh.

After the park, we paid a visit to the Plaza de Espana, built for the World Fair in 1929. Each of the 52 regions of Spain are represented by tiled art across the half-moon shaped plaza, and its porch extends across the entire building. The boys needed a cooldown, so we bought popsicles for them to enjoy while Aaron and I looked around the Plaza. Once again, we reserve our sweets for strategic moments.

We walked back toward our apartment and stopped at a tapas restaurant for a quick lunch.  Zachary saw someone with a cold tomato soup, with ham and tuna on top. He recalled having tomato soup at Camp Roger, and insisted on trying it. Rewarding his adventurous spirit, we let him buy it, much to our chagrin. It was quite a contrast to his memories from camp, so Aaron ended up eating a few bites and we left the rest behind. It was our first dish in Spain we simply did not enjoy!

After a long rest (and some work for Aaron) back at our apartment, we rushed to our ticketed show: traditional Flamenco. So let me just say this: everyone needs to see this once in their lives.  Clearly, some must love it. It’s in every guidebook and blog as a top “must see” for Andalucia and specifically, Seville.  For us, it was a one and done. With deep appreciation for the culture and tradition, and the incredibly gifted guitarist, we made it through with Zachary covering his ears for most of the show. What challenged me most was the music; there is simply no melody. 

After Flamenco, we grabbed tapas at Estrella Bar right down from our apartment, and then enjoyed a tour of the city on a horse drawn carriage. While incredibly touristy, it was a much cooler 9pm drive that allowed us to appreciate the sites without any whining or sweaty boys! 

On Thursday, we flew from Seville to Barcelona because it was less expensive than a train ride. After a long delayed flight, we arrived in Barcelona at 5pm, taxied to our apartment, and roamed the streets to find takeout pizza and Paella. It was a long day, and the boys are exhausted and quite cranky from our time in Seville.  Aaron waited in line for the Pizza, and I went next door to the Paella bar and sat alone with a glass of wine in a bar with no one in it. It was fabulous.  Having nearly lost my cool moments prior, it occurred to me that I have not been alone in ten days, and I needed a moment!  We’ve all hit a bit of a wall, and look forward to the slightly lower temps and beaches again in Barcelona starting tomorrow.