Back From a Great Week in Spain!
Sep 24th, 2009 | 02:41 PM
#1
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Joined: Apr 2007
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Back From a Great Week in Spain!
We are back from a wonderful week in Spain. To recap from an earlier post:
Basic Info:
Arrived at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning in Madrid.
Madrid hotel: We cashed in our Holiday Inn points for the Intercontinental Madrid.
Spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in Madrid.
On Friday around noon we took the train down to Seville.
Seville hotel: Melia Colon
On Monday morning we took the train back to Madrid and spent the final night at the Intercontinental again.
On Tuesday morning we made our way back home.
The primary focus for this trip was to enjoy spending time with my husband and to take in the culture, food, and wine of Madrid and Seville. To make a long story short, DH and I had some trauma (for lack of a more lengthy description) during the summer, and this trip was kind-of a reintroduction into the land of the living. We couldn't have picked a better country to visit at this time!
More to come...
Basic Info:
Arrived at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning in Madrid.
Madrid hotel: We cashed in our Holiday Inn points for the Intercontinental Madrid.
Spent Wednesday and Thursday nights in Madrid.
On Friday around noon we took the train down to Seville.
Seville hotel: Melia Colon
On Monday morning we took the train back to Madrid and spent the final night at the Intercontinental again.
On Tuesday morning we made our way back home.
The primary focus for this trip was to enjoy spending time with my husband and to take in the culture, food, and wine of Madrid and Seville. To make a long story short, DH and I had some trauma (for lack of a more lengthy description) during the summer, and this trip was kind-of a reintroduction into the land of the living. We couldn't have picked a better country to visit at this time!
More to come...
Sep 24th, 2009 | 03:32 PM
#3
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
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Day One: Wednesday
[Note: Since I found trip reports so invaluable in planning for my trip, I'm making an effort to be as detailed as possible.]
Arriving at 7:30 in the morning (really 1:30 a.m. by our internal clocks) was really hard -- especially since we didn't sleep one wink on the flight. We knew that this wouldn't be a great time to arrive, but, hey, we were flying on frequent flier miles. Since we were in no hurry to arrive at the hotel at such an early hour, we decided to take the metro to Nuevos Ministerios and walk down Paseo de la Castellana to our hotel.
The metro trip was comfortable and easy; although, it took about 10 minutes (maybe more?) to walk from the T2 terminal (we flew Delta) to the metro. We followed the signs to the metro and bought tickets at an electronic kiosk. It was handy that we had a few Euros in our piggy bank left over from an earlier trip to France. The cost of the metro ride was 2E each. The normal cost of a metro ticket is 1E, but there is a 1E surcharge to ride in from the airport.
The metro ride itself was stress-free. I timed the trip; it lasted 15 minutes. There were so few people riding at that time that everyone had a seat in the car.
We popped out of the metro to take a look around, judge the weather, etc. and decided to walk down to our hotel. It was a pleasant stroll but a lengthy one! It took us 20-30 minutes to walk south to the Intercontinental. In hindsight, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to catch a 5E cab ride, but at the time it felt great to take in our first views of the city and stretch our legs.
As I mentioned earlier, we cashed in our Holiday Inn points to stay at the Intercontinental Madrid. Since we were feeling a little indulgent and had some extra money (thanks to the free nights) we paid for the club rooms, which included breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Was it worth the extra 75E/night? No. But was it convenient? Yes. The club package also included free wireless Internet and it was great to be able to check on things at home.
The hotel was a distance from the city center and I wouldn't have chosen it for its location. We took the metro from the Ruben Dario stop to get downtown. The metro was rarely crowded (although the seats were usually all taken) and we never felt uncomfortable. (I live in rural NH and rarely have the opportunity to ride subways.)
Back to the hotel: Since we arrived so early (9:30) and so tired, we were thankful to get a room and head to bed for a nap. However, when we got to the room and took a look out of the window, we understood why that room was available. There was no view out the window. Seriously; no view at all. There was a huge corrugated metal sign(?) or something blocking off the view for all of the rooms in that part of the hotel. We laughed, shut the curtains, and took a nap. If it hadn't been so early and the weather so cloudy and rainy, we probably would have requested another room.
Day One to be continued...
[Note: Since I found trip reports so invaluable in planning for my trip, I'm making an effort to be as detailed as possible.]
Arriving at 7:30 in the morning (really 1:30 a.m. by our internal clocks) was really hard -- especially since we didn't sleep one wink on the flight. We knew that this wouldn't be a great time to arrive, but, hey, we were flying on frequent flier miles. Since we were in no hurry to arrive at the hotel at such an early hour, we decided to take the metro to Nuevos Ministerios and walk down Paseo de la Castellana to our hotel.
The metro trip was comfortable and easy; although, it took about 10 minutes (maybe more?) to walk from the T2 terminal (we flew Delta) to the metro. We followed the signs to the metro and bought tickets at an electronic kiosk. It was handy that we had a few Euros in our piggy bank left over from an earlier trip to France. The cost of the metro ride was 2E each. The normal cost of a metro ticket is 1E, but there is a 1E surcharge to ride in from the airport.
The metro ride itself was stress-free. I timed the trip; it lasted 15 minutes. There were so few people riding at that time that everyone had a seat in the car.
We popped out of the metro to take a look around, judge the weather, etc. and decided to walk down to our hotel. It was a pleasant stroll but a lengthy one! It took us 20-30 minutes to walk south to the Intercontinental. In hindsight, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to catch a 5E cab ride, but at the time it felt great to take in our first views of the city and stretch our legs.
As I mentioned earlier, we cashed in our Holiday Inn points to stay at the Intercontinental Madrid. Since we were feeling a little indulgent and had some extra money (thanks to the free nights) we paid for the club rooms, which included breakfast and snacks throughout the day. Was it worth the extra 75E/night? No. But was it convenient? Yes. The club package also included free wireless Internet and it was great to be able to check on things at home.
The hotel was a distance from the city center and I wouldn't have chosen it for its location. We took the metro from the Ruben Dario stop to get downtown. The metro was rarely crowded (although the seats were usually all taken) and we never felt uncomfortable. (I live in rural NH and rarely have the opportunity to ride subways.)
Back to the hotel: Since we arrived so early (9:30) and so tired, we were thankful to get a room and head to bed for a nap. However, when we got to the room and took a look out of the window, we understood why that room was available. There was no view out the window. Seriously; no view at all. There was a huge corrugated metal sign(?) or something blocking off the view for all of the rooms in that part of the hotel. We laughed, shut the curtains, and took a nap. If it hadn't been so early and the weather so cloudy and rainy, we probably would have requested another room.
Day One to be continued...
Sep 24th, 2009 | 04:22 PM
#4
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
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Day One continued:
We managed to pry ourselves out of bed around 3:00 p.m. and started walking. We weren't looking for crowds and excitement at that time, rather just some time to take in the city. We walked down to El Retiro park and got caught in a heavy rain shower at the Crystal Palace in the park along with a lot of other people. We stopped for coffee and made it to the Prado Museum in time to enter for free (6:00-8:00 p.m.). We only spent an hour or so enjoying the collection of Spanish art and left in search of food.
We'd only walked a couple of blocks when it started to drizzle so we headed into the nearest cafe. Our first meal was at a cafe called Docc. The lone employee was very helpful and we had a simple meal of wine, jamon, jamon and cheese sandwiches and since it was still raining, chocolate crepes for desert.
Feeling a bit restored after a quick meal, we walked further down the Paseo del Prado and made a very quick tour of the Reina Sofia museum. The museum now has free hours between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. We took a few minutes to view the Dali and Picasso pieces and a short ride in the external glass elevator and started walking north.
By then we were ready for another break and popped into a rustic looking bar/restaurant for tapas and more wine. When we were planning the trip we vowed to try new foods and the free tapas plate we got with our drink order was a new one for me: Goose. Ok, so it's not exactly exotic, but it was a big step forward for me. By the way, it was good!
We kept walking north by way of the smaller streets and eventually started following the crowds to Puerta del Sol. The crowds of people out and about at midnight on a (relatively) chilly Wednesday night was amazing to experience.
After some gelato, a stroll around the area, getting a little lost in the process, we called it quits and grabbed a taxi back to the hotel (10E).
To be continued...
We managed to pry ourselves out of bed around 3:00 p.m. and started walking. We weren't looking for crowds and excitement at that time, rather just some time to take in the city. We walked down to El Retiro park and got caught in a heavy rain shower at the Crystal Palace in the park along with a lot of other people. We stopped for coffee and made it to the Prado Museum in time to enter for free (6:00-8:00 p.m.). We only spent an hour or so enjoying the collection of Spanish art and left in search of food.
We'd only walked a couple of blocks when it started to drizzle so we headed into the nearest cafe. Our first meal was at a cafe called Docc. The lone employee was very helpful and we had a simple meal of wine, jamon, jamon and cheese sandwiches and since it was still raining, chocolate crepes for desert.
Feeling a bit restored after a quick meal, we walked further down the Paseo del Prado and made a very quick tour of the Reina Sofia museum. The museum now has free hours between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. We took a few minutes to view the Dali and Picasso pieces and a short ride in the external glass elevator and started walking north.
By then we were ready for another break and popped into a rustic looking bar/restaurant for tapas and more wine. When we were planning the trip we vowed to try new foods and the free tapas plate we got with our drink order was a new one for me: Goose. Ok, so it's not exactly exotic, but it was a big step forward for me. By the way, it was good!
We kept walking north by way of the smaller streets and eventually started following the crowds to Puerta del Sol. The crowds of people out and about at midnight on a (relatively) chilly Wednesday night was amazing to experience.
After some gelato, a stroll around the area, getting a little lost in the process, we called it quits and grabbed a taxi back to the hotel (10E).
To be continued...
Sep 25th, 2009 | 05:26 AM
#7
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Joined: Apr 2007
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I've started to upload photos to my Flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slossar...7622327159683/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slossar...7622327159683/
Trending Topics
Sep 25th, 2009 | 05:24 PM
#9
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
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Day Two (Madrid)
We woke up on day two at mid-morning to heavy rain. Bummer! That wasn't in our plans. After a so-so breakfast at the hotel, we borrowed an umbrella from the concierge desk and walked a couple of blocks to the Sorolla Museum. The paintings were lovely, but the house itself was worth the visit.
After the Sorolla, we caught the metro to the Royal Palace. It wasn't really on our list of things to do (we are kind-of "palace-d out"), but with the rain and all...
It was still pouring out so we wound up at the cafe on the top floor of the El Corte Ingles on the Grad Via. For a few Euros you can snag a table next to the windows and see a whole new side of the city.
We decided to call it quits for the afternoon and save our energy for the evening and I'm glad we did!
[Generally speaking, I'm glad we chilled out in the afternoons and saved our energy (and feet!) for the late nights.]
That evening we had some time to spare, so we walked from the hotel down Paseo de la Castellana to the city center, stopping along the way (as needed) for tapas and wine. It was a pretty long walk, longer than we expected, but for the most part it was peaceful stroll down the center of the Paseo.
After an hour or so at the Prado (taking advantage of the free admission again), we took the pedestrian walkway from the Prado to the Plaza Mayor area in search of a restaurant recommended by the hotel. After a few minutes of searching, we gave up and just started looking for a nice restaurant. We ate dinner at a wonderful place (sorry, but I don't have the name!) about a block or so from the plaza on (we think) Calle de la Pasa.
Leaving the restaurant we made a lucky discovery: the Mercado de San Miguel (located just to the west of the Plaza Mayor). It was on my list of things to see and with all of the rain I'd abandoned hope of finding it. The mercado is part market, part restaurant. You can sit down for a bottle of wine and tapas or browse the food stalls. If you are a foodie I highly recommend a visit! My regret is that we were too full to eat anything at the mercado!
After the mercado, we walked south toward the La Latina district and finally called it a late night and caught the metro back to the hotel. FYI, even at this late hour (for us!), the metro felt very safe.
Day Three (Beautiful, sunny Seville!)
We woke up on day two at mid-morning to heavy rain. Bummer! That wasn't in our plans. After a so-so breakfast at the hotel, we borrowed an umbrella from the concierge desk and walked a couple of blocks to the Sorolla Museum. The paintings were lovely, but the house itself was worth the visit.
After the Sorolla, we caught the metro to the Royal Palace. It wasn't really on our list of things to do (we are kind-of "palace-d out"), but with the rain and all...
It was still pouring out so we wound up at the cafe on the top floor of the El Corte Ingles on the Grad Via. For a few Euros you can snag a table next to the windows and see a whole new side of the city.
We decided to call it quits for the afternoon and save our energy for the evening and I'm glad we did!
[Generally speaking, I'm glad we chilled out in the afternoons and saved our energy (and feet!) for the late nights.]
That evening we had some time to spare, so we walked from the hotel down Paseo de la Castellana to the city center, stopping along the way (as needed) for tapas and wine. It was a pretty long walk, longer than we expected, but for the most part it was peaceful stroll down the center of the Paseo.
After an hour or so at the Prado (taking advantage of the free admission again), we took the pedestrian walkway from the Prado to the Plaza Mayor area in search of a restaurant recommended by the hotel. After a few minutes of searching, we gave up and just started looking for a nice restaurant. We ate dinner at a wonderful place (sorry, but I don't have the name!) about a block or so from the plaza on (we think) Calle de la Pasa.
Leaving the restaurant we made a lucky discovery: the Mercado de San Miguel (located just to the west of the Plaza Mayor). It was on my list of things to see and with all of the rain I'd abandoned hope of finding it. The mercado is part market, part restaurant. You can sit down for a bottle of wine and tapas or browse the food stalls. If you are a foodie I highly recommend a visit! My regret is that we were too full to eat anything at the mercado!
After the mercado, we walked south toward the La Latina district and finally called it a late night and caught the metro back to the hotel. FYI, even at this late hour (for us!), the metro felt very safe.
Day Three (Beautiful, sunny Seville!)
Sep 27th, 2009 | 06:46 AM
#10
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
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Day Three (Seville)
Ahh... Sunny Seville! After days of rain in Madrid and ridiculously rainy summer here in NH, the sun was a welcome sight.
Day three started in a rush. Thanks to the cave-like hotel room we slept later than we'd intended. Thankfully we made it to the Atocha train station with plenty of time to spare. Ok, so we'd purchased our tickets to Seville online and saved a bundle with the Web discount. The trip down to Seville was pretty uneventful, but that changed upon arrival!
Outside the station there were tons of cabs parked out front -- but no cab drivers! At first we thought that there was some sort of accident or something, for all of the drivers were grouped together a little further away. After about 10 minutes we all figured out that they weren't driving anytime soon and we'd have to find our own way to the city center. We walked over to the bus stops and asked about buses and which way to walk into town. However, before long a cab came by and quickly stopped for us. We never really substantiated it, but I think the taxi drivers were striking for a few hours.
We were thankful to arrive at the Melia Colon without incident (i.e. our taxi driver managed to somehow avoid hitting any of the pedestrians and cyclist that he appeared to be aiming for!). Seville's cab drivers reminded me of Rome's drivers!
After checking in at the hotel we headed out to Av. de la Constitution (Seville's tourist main street) to take in the sites. And what sites! The buildings are just beautiful and the streets are filled with cafes and people of all ages. It really felt like a vacation town. People were relaxed, dressed casually, and obviously just hanging out and enjoying themselves. After a couple hours of walking and eating, we headed back to the hotel for some R&R.
For dinner we asked the concierge for a recommendation. He made a 9:30 reservation for us at the restaurant Enrique Becerra on Calle Gamazo near the Plaza Nueva. The place was small, packed, and had a rustic feel. They were turning people away, so I'm glad we had the reservation.
The meal was good: Gazpacho to start (our first ever and it was delicious!), steak for me (good cut, great seasoning) and pork with some sort of mustard sauce for DH. Since the place was packed and the smoke was getting thick, we passed on dessert. For those sensitive to smoke, I'd recommend finding a less packed place or a restaurant offering outdoor eating.
From the Plaza Nueva area we headed relatively aimlessly to the Santa Cruz neighborhood and had dessert at Casa Robles. At first when I explained that we only wanted drinks and dessert, one waiter wanted us to stand or sit at the bar, but we were soon allowed to take a table. ;-)
Tip: Try to learn a least a few Spanish words before heading to Spain. We really received much better service (and frustrated the waiters a lot less) when we explained what we were really after before sitting down at a restaurant. If you are only looking for a quick break and a couple of tapas, they won't want you to sit down at a prime table reserved for full dinner or lunch service (even if there are many open tables).
The dessert at Casa Robles was lovely. We had a large dessert sampler (hey, it's vacation!), sangria and coffee. The place was really "authentic" -looking (to my American eyes) and I wish we would have made it back again for dinner.
We wandered down the shopping area in the Centro area and tried to find our hotel without the aid of a map. Lucky for us we were off by a couple of blocks and instead noticed a huge crowd of people milling about on the street. The Museo de Bellas Artes was having a special event and admittance was free. (Do you notice a trend here? We love free museums!)
And what an event it was! Imagine: It's nearly midnight and the museum is *packed* with people of all ages, laughing, watching the performers (dressed up as famous Spanish artists, entertaining the crowd), everyone is relaxed and loud in voicing their opinions of the artwork. Truly, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me! If you are headed to Seville, make sure to check with the museum for any special nighttime events.
Day Four to come... (More of Sunny Seville)
Ahh... Sunny Seville! After days of rain in Madrid and ridiculously rainy summer here in NH, the sun was a welcome sight.
Day three started in a rush. Thanks to the cave-like hotel room we slept later than we'd intended. Thankfully we made it to the Atocha train station with plenty of time to spare. Ok, so we'd purchased our tickets to Seville online and saved a bundle with the Web discount. The trip down to Seville was pretty uneventful, but that changed upon arrival!
Outside the station there were tons of cabs parked out front -- but no cab drivers! At first we thought that there was some sort of accident or something, for all of the drivers were grouped together a little further away. After about 10 minutes we all figured out that they weren't driving anytime soon and we'd have to find our own way to the city center. We walked over to the bus stops and asked about buses and which way to walk into town. However, before long a cab came by and quickly stopped for us. We never really substantiated it, but I think the taxi drivers were striking for a few hours.
We were thankful to arrive at the Melia Colon without incident (i.e. our taxi driver managed to somehow avoid hitting any of the pedestrians and cyclist that he appeared to be aiming for!). Seville's cab drivers reminded me of Rome's drivers!
After checking in at the hotel we headed out to Av. de la Constitution (Seville's tourist main street) to take in the sites. And what sites! The buildings are just beautiful and the streets are filled with cafes and people of all ages. It really felt like a vacation town. People were relaxed, dressed casually, and obviously just hanging out and enjoying themselves. After a couple hours of walking and eating, we headed back to the hotel for some R&R.
For dinner we asked the concierge for a recommendation. He made a 9:30 reservation for us at the restaurant Enrique Becerra on Calle Gamazo near the Plaza Nueva. The place was small, packed, and had a rustic feel. They were turning people away, so I'm glad we had the reservation.
The meal was good: Gazpacho to start (our first ever and it was delicious!), steak for me (good cut, great seasoning) and pork with some sort of mustard sauce for DH. Since the place was packed and the smoke was getting thick, we passed on dessert. For those sensitive to smoke, I'd recommend finding a less packed place or a restaurant offering outdoor eating.
From the Plaza Nueva area we headed relatively aimlessly to the Santa Cruz neighborhood and had dessert at Casa Robles. At first when I explained that we only wanted drinks and dessert, one waiter wanted us to stand or sit at the bar, but we were soon allowed to take a table. ;-)
Tip: Try to learn a least a few Spanish words before heading to Spain. We really received much better service (and frustrated the waiters a lot less) when we explained what we were really after before sitting down at a restaurant. If you are only looking for a quick break and a couple of tapas, they won't want you to sit down at a prime table reserved for full dinner or lunch service (even if there are many open tables).
The dessert at Casa Robles was lovely. We had a large dessert sampler (hey, it's vacation!), sangria and coffee. The place was really "authentic" -looking (to my American eyes) and I wish we would have made it back again for dinner.
We wandered down the shopping area in the Centro area and tried to find our hotel without the aid of a map. Lucky for us we were off by a couple of blocks and instead noticed a huge crowd of people milling about on the street. The Museo de Bellas Artes was having a special event and admittance was free. (Do you notice a trend here? We love free museums!)
And what an event it was! Imagine: It's nearly midnight and the museum is *packed* with people of all ages, laughing, watching the performers (dressed up as famous Spanish artists, entertaining the crowd), everyone is relaxed and loud in voicing their opinions of the artwork. Truly, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me! If you are headed to Seville, make sure to check with the museum for any special nighttime events.
Day Four to come... (More of Sunny Seville)
Sep 28th, 2009 | 01:46 AM
#16
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,830
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There´s a thing most visitors like about Spain: the way of living. Since we are kids, we are "educated" in a world that is mostly lived outdoors. Going for a walk is the national sport. People get dressed to get out (no sneakers, no sport outfits), have a drink or two with friends (it IS a socializing act, not a way to get drunk, something not very well seen by this society), and even kids enter in bars (cafeterias, mostly) since they are little. Meeting up in the street with friends is quite common, and we like to spend as much time on the street as possible. Dinner is always late by your standards (we don´t really understand why someone would dine at 6 pm, our strolling time) and parties at home are (were) rare (more common now). City centres are well prepared for all this, since they offer bars, restaurants, pedestrian spaces where kids run freely and places to walk and see. You may think it´s a question of having nice weather, but not, in the rainy north we follow a similar pattern. It goes with the way our cities were built, more a meeting place to socialize in public than large towns with long distances to your neighbors.
Oct 6th, 2009 | 04:35 PM
#17
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
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Well, my good intentions to finish my report in a timely manner fizzled... (Sorry!)
I wanted to make note of a few personal observations about clothing and packing. Yup, always a touchy subject; but I hope my comments/experience is generally helpful...
We packed very, very light and, as usual, we were happy we did. It allowed us to take the metro and trains with ease. We each had a Rick Steves Travel Gear Avanti 16" Rolling Tote, purchased from Ebags.com. Yes, it was tiny, but I was able to pack four pairs of pants, one skort, seven tops, lots of undies, a hardback book (new release!), a light pair of sandals, and some make-up. A small expanding shopping tote provided enough extra packing space for the few items we purchased. I've never regretted packing light.
Both DH and I brought a nice pair of jeans, and we were both happy we had them. We wore them in (chilly) Madrid both during the day and night. At night I added a pretty pashmina I purchased at Corte Ingles to dress up the outfit a bit. (It was my only souvenir from Spain!)
Seville reached a temperature of about 90 (32?) degrees and I was happy to have brought a pair of sporty skorts with me. (An above the knee skirt with built in shorts for all-day walking comfort.) I love wearing shorts, but knew I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing them in a city. The skort was an great compromise: somewhat dressy, sporty, cool, and super comfy. I know some women are rolling their eyes right now, but don't knock 'em til you try 'em!
The nights I dressed up a little more (a simple and really comfy Wearever outfit from J. Jill -- great for travel, btw!), I felt a little overdressed for some places, but never uncomfortably so. (Note: I typically dress very casually.) Without a doubt we were received well in restaurants, etc. when dressed a little better. (But isn't that the same everywhere?)
I just want to assure everyone that they should wear what makes them feel and look good! We saw a few North American tourist (verified by language and accent) wearing very "travel-like" outfits (you know, pants that convert to shorts, etc.) and, frankly, they stood out in Seville.
Anyway, we saw every style of jeans, skirt, shoe, etc. No one seemed to be following any distinct trend (that I could tell!) But, hey, we aren't known for our fashion sense here in NH!
Happy travels!
I wanted to make note of a few personal observations about clothing and packing. Yup, always a touchy subject; but I hope my comments/experience is generally helpful...
We packed very, very light and, as usual, we were happy we did. It allowed us to take the metro and trains with ease. We each had a Rick Steves Travel Gear Avanti 16" Rolling Tote, purchased from Ebags.com. Yes, it was tiny, but I was able to pack four pairs of pants, one skort, seven tops, lots of undies, a hardback book (new release!), a light pair of sandals, and some make-up. A small expanding shopping tote provided enough extra packing space for the few items we purchased. I've never regretted packing light.
Both DH and I brought a nice pair of jeans, and we were both happy we had them. We wore them in (chilly) Madrid both during the day and night. At night I added a pretty pashmina I purchased at Corte Ingles to dress up the outfit a bit. (It was my only souvenir from Spain!)
Seville reached a temperature of about 90 (32?) degrees and I was happy to have brought a pair of sporty skorts with me. (An above the knee skirt with built in shorts for all-day walking comfort.) I love wearing shorts, but knew I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing them in a city. The skort was an great compromise: somewhat dressy, sporty, cool, and super comfy. I know some women are rolling their eyes right now, but don't knock 'em til you try 'em!
The nights I dressed up a little more (a simple and really comfy Wearever outfit from J. Jill -- great for travel, btw!), I felt a little overdressed for some places, but never uncomfortably so. (Note: I typically dress very casually.) Without a doubt we were received well in restaurants, etc. when dressed a little better. (But isn't that the same everywhere?)
I just want to assure everyone that they should wear what makes them feel and look good! We saw a few North American tourist (verified by language and accent) wearing very "travel-like" outfits (you know, pants that convert to shorts, etc.) and, frankly, they stood out in Seville.
Anyway, we saw every style of jeans, skirt, shoe, etc. No one seemed to be following any distinct trend (that I could tell!) But, hey, we aren't known for our fashion sense here in NH!
Happy travels!
Oct 7th, 2009 | 02:55 PM
#19
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
Back to Seville...
Day 5 (Second day in Seville)
After a late night on the town we didn't exactly hop out of bed the next morning! It was probably 9:30 or so before we even made it to breakfast. After a solid breakfast of more ham, cheese, with a little fruit and yogurt thrown in for good measure, we headed to the cathedral only to see a line about a mile long to enter. No biggie, instead we followed Rick Steves' advice and decided to try again in the late afternoon. So, off we went to the riverwalk. Beautiful! We strolled along the river, stopped for early tapas and drinks, and enjoyed watching the people enjoy their lovely city. Around 2:00 or so we headed back for our daily siesta.
After a relatively short rest, we headed back to the cathedral to find the crowds greatly reduced. The cathedral was nice, but the Giralda was the real gem of the site! How cool to think of the age and history behind this fantastic tower.
Dinner that evening must have been unmemorable, because both DH and I are blanking out on dinner... (However, the next night's dinner was fantastic and we remember every detail!)
Anyway, that evening, we had dinner, walked around until late in the night and, knowing us, we probably stopped for desert and drinks (at least once).
As we are preparing for winter here in NH, I am missing Seville more and more...
Day 5 (Second day in Seville)
After a late night on the town we didn't exactly hop out of bed the next morning! It was probably 9:30 or so before we even made it to breakfast. After a solid breakfast of more ham, cheese, with a little fruit and yogurt thrown in for good measure, we headed to the cathedral only to see a line about a mile long to enter. No biggie, instead we followed Rick Steves' advice and decided to try again in the late afternoon. So, off we went to the riverwalk. Beautiful! We strolled along the river, stopped for early tapas and drinks, and enjoyed watching the people enjoy their lovely city. Around 2:00 or so we headed back for our daily siesta.
After a relatively short rest, we headed back to the cathedral to find the crowds greatly reduced. The cathedral was nice, but the Giralda was the real gem of the site! How cool to think of the age and history behind this fantastic tower.
Dinner that evening must have been unmemorable, because both DH and I are blanking out on dinner... (However, the next night's dinner was fantastic and we remember every detail!)
Anyway, that evening, we had dinner, walked around until late in the night and, knowing us, we probably stopped for desert and drinks (at least once).
As we are preparing for winter here in NH, I am missing Seville more and more...
