Another weekend gone too fast

Friday Night

                We finally saw a flamenco show on Friday! The show began a little before eleven and the place was packed full of people so we were lucky to get a seat even though we arrived a good fifteen or so minutes before it began. There were three performers: a guitarist, singer, and dancer. It wasn’t my favorite type of music, but it was neat to see and definitely a good cultural experience. The show ended around midnight and as we were walking back we stopped to take pictures of the Giralda and Cathedral at night. It is a great view that I get to see every night when I leave work, and since I finally had my camera on me, it seemed like a good opportunity to get some pictures to remember it by. We decided to be impulsive and get some ice cream at a shop right next to the Cathedral because it was still open even though it was after midnight and the temptation was too great to resist. Plus it was a perfect way to end the night.

Once back at the apartment, I found myself stuck in the hallway because Concepción had tied the door to the TV/dining area (which leads to my room) shut from the inside with a scarf so the dog couldn’t get in and she was sound asleep with headphones in her ears. I tried uselessly to budge the door open enough to reach the knot but after several unsuccessful attempts I resorted to banging on the door and I even tried flashing on and off the hallway lights in the hope that she’d somehow see it. When I was about to resign myself to a night spent in the hallway, Concepción woke up finally and let me in. It’s probably a good thing that I don’t stay out late often, or else I’d more likely than not have that happen on a regular basis.

Saturday

                It rained all day Saturday. It wouldn’t have mattered that much, if it wasn’t for the fact that we had made plans to see the Plaza de Toros (bullfighting ring) and the gardens of the Real Alcazar (Royal Palace). We still went to see both since the rain wasn’t super heavy or anything, but it made for a dreary day. The Plaza de Toros was all basically in a covered area so that was nice and it was cool seeing Sevilla’s bullfighting ring and also small museum and chapel. The museum had some bull heads from famous fights, as well as paintings of toreros (bullfighters) and some traditional costumes as well.

                Fortunately, the rain subsided to an extent while were in the gardens of the Alcazar and so I was able to take a good amount of pictures without fear of getting my camera all wet. We had been to the gardens when we went on our earlier visit with CLIC, however, we didn’t have time to see all of it so we wanted to return in order to finish on our own. This time flowers were blooming and things seemed a little greener so it was more opportune for photos. There is also a labyrinth in the gardens which was fun to explore. Right as we were getting ready to wrap up our visit, the rain increased, so it was pretty good timing overall. 

             Then we headed to Paige’s place in order to watch an episode from the Next Great Baker since the rain made it acceptable to do something indoors. On the way we picked up some Napolitanos which are our favorite pastry filled with chocolate that we both have a weakness for. It made a great lunch, although I probably could have eaten a couple of them to be honest. Despite the rain I’d say it was a good Saturday.

Sunday

                We went to Mass at the Cathedral for the first time Sunday and because of some work being done on the high altar, Mass was held in the choir, opposite it. After Mass, which despite being in the Cathedral was still very short, we wrapped up our Spain souvenir shopping at a great little shop right along the busy Avenida de la Constitución. For a late lunch we made a return trip to Buoni, the pizza place that we found at the beginning of our stay, and this time I got patatosa which is potato pizza and actually pretty good.

                We then paid a visit to the setas, which means mushrooms, and it is basically a building of sorts that is in the form of giant mushrooms and has a museum, shops, conference rooms, and at the very top, a viewing platform. The view at the top was nice and allowed us to see the Giralda, Plaza de España, a ton of church spires, and other various structures of interest. After we satisfied our picture-taking desire, we indulged in a frozen yogurt treat that was perfect for a warm and sunny day. Sunday is the spring-ahead an hour day here, so it was strange how bright it was so late and even after I was heading back to the apartment at 8pm it seemed as bright as midday out. It will be strange getting done work every day now with the sun still out, but I don’t mind.