It is the Cathedral of Seville. It is one of my favorite cathedrals in the whole world. I got to vist it on Easter Sunday. How great was that? It was incredible. More than any other reason was that there were very few people there. It’s said that Seville gets a million people who come to see some part of Holy Week or Semana Santa. Why there were not more people at the cathedral early in the morning is anyone’s guess, I’m just glad I got to spend some time in such a magnificent structure without thousands of people around who I would have chosen not to have waded through. Sometimes, we lucky.
Cooking Paella Cadiz
I’d had paella before this trip. Yes, it’s good. But my perception is that food is so subjective. But people kept telling me that the paella in Spain was such a treat. Sometimes, I think people get caught up in trendy. Yes, the paella was good. This paella was cooked at a hostel where I was staying in Cadiz. I think the pan was a good three feet across. It was the largest wok I had ever seen. The man cooking the paella told me it was a paella pan. It looked like a wok to me, only a very shallow one. The hostel where I was staying cooked two to three meals a week at night. They cost five euros. On the night they fixed paella I ate with them. Plus I got to watch the cook fix the meal. We had salad and paella. It was good. At the meal, thirty-five people got together in a space that was not designed to hold thirty-five people and ate together. It was a nice little experience. The guy cooking the paella was from Alabama. He had been in Spain for three years. We talked for a while. I met a lot of Americans who had been in Spain for extended periods. But, that’s a whole ‘nother story that has nothing to do with paella.
Cadiz Juggling Busker with Crowd
Buskers are everywhere in Europe. They make it to all the hot spots. Some are pathetically bad. Some are okay. Some must make a fortune. They are really good. The busker you see here drew a very big crowd. He did a balancing act with a ball and a piece of wood. He balanced on the piece of wood while the piece of wood was on the ball. He then did some juggling with various objects including knives. The best busker I ever saw was in Prague. He was dressed as a mime and he made strange sounds with some kind of a device that he had in his mouth. It sounded much like someone speaking, but in a really strange musical kind of way. People threw money in his bucket. Part of the reason why was that he had a really great act. Children loved him, one of the truly great secrets of busking. Parents always give money to their children to put in the bucket..
HOHO Bus Seville Spain
I’ve ridden hop-on-hop-off buses in a lot of locations. I used to ride one every chance I got, but the truth is that they aren’t really as efficient as I once thought they were. Now if you’ve only got a day or two and you’re in one of those classic tourist destinations like New York, London, or Paris, they are a reasonable alternative. This is the HOHO bus in Seville. Continue reading
Beach Bum in Barcelona
I’m not really a beach bum. I’m not really into beaches anymore. I used to really like to go to the beach. Anymore, I can take them or leave them. I’m hoping to spend more time at them in the future, but they just really don’t as much for me as they once did. As a child I spent a lot of time at the beach. I lived in Florida and my family camped out at the beach as often as they could. Today, I think I’m more of a mountain guy. I like the trees and the views more than I like the surf. That, however, is open to change. I reserve the right to start liking the beach a whole lot more at any moment.
Camp Nou Barcelona
This post is for my friend John. I went to the stadium because I think soccer is more significant in the world than the sports of football, basketball, and baseball that are played in the United States. However, I’m really not a soccer fan, although I will admit that John has helped me to become a more aware consumer of soccer both from a game standpoint and a media perspective. It’s good to broaden one’s horizons. But, I would have gone to the stadium anyway. It’s old, it’s big, it has a heritage, and it’s one of the most famous stadiums in the world. I would have gone even if he hadn’t asked me where the pictures of Camp Nou were in my gallery.
Barcelona Hostel Breakfast
Hostels are not for everyone. Actually, they’re not for most folks. But if you travel a lot they are almost a necessity. Unless, of course, you have a lot of money. I don’t. That means I need to stay in them to conserve resources. The cost is so much less than a hotel. This is the breakfast at the hostel where I stayed in Barcelona. There was juice, coffee, and tea. Continue reading
Barcelona From Montjuïc Castle
This picture does not do justice to the view. It is a truly great view. Much, much better than the picture. There are probably much better pictures on Google. Actually, I’m sure there are. I’ve seen them. But, sometimes it’s good to have someone point out that there are some really good views of a really good view out there. That’s what I’m here for.
Bullfight Schedule 2014 Seville Spain
The world’s oldest venue for bullfighting is the La Maestranza bullring in Seville, The first bullfight was fought here in 1765. The arena seat 12,500 spectators. For 2014 the bullfighting season begins April 20, 2014 and lasts through October 12, 2014. There are almost twenty bullfights held in Seville during this period. There is no bullfighting in Seville during August as it’s too hot. From what I can gather, the ticket prices for bullfights can vary considerably depending on the bullring, the location within the arena, the bullfighters, and the occasion. Tickets typically cost from $25 to $100. Sometimes the cheaper seats can go for less than $15. By the same token, the tickets for top fights can be sold by ticket scalpers for as much as ten times their official price. Outside of Seville, there are many bullrings which typically seat from 2,000 to 10,000 people. The largest bullring in the world is in Mexico City and seats almost 50,000 people.
Note: I’ve never been to a bullfight. I would like to go. Once. After that I’m not sure. I have some mixed feeling about bullfighting.
Cathedral in Barcelona Spain
This is a picture of the Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. This is not the largest religious structure in Barcelona. That goes to the Sagrada Familia which is actually the top tourist attraction in Barcelona. I went to the “church” to visit. The term church is in quotes because I couldn’t seem to get anyone to tell me the times for mass. I could get lots of people to take my $30 to get in to see the inside of the main area of the church, but that is only used for services “on special occasions” I was told. When I asked if Easter was considered a special occasion I was told that it wasn’t. I’m not sure what special occasions Continue reading