# Images from Spain



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

As some of you know, I'm in Spain with my partner and mother-in-law for the next couple weeks. I thought I'd post a few pictures to show what we've been up to ...

We flew out the same day they started closing European airspace due to the volcano. Luckily we were going directly to Madrid - and it's still open. Our flight had to go further south to skirt any potential danger so it took longer. We arrived in Madrid and hour late which meant we missed our train to Seville by 15 minutes (oopsies). All trains for Friday were full so we scheduled for first things Saturday morning and spent the night in Madrid.

This is my mother-in-law, Sylvia, looking out at the city from our hotel balcony. This is her first time in Europe ....:










Our train was the first one of the morning (7:30) and I was tossing and turning all night afraid we'd miss it. I finally got to sleep about a hour before the alarm went off. I found out an hour late that I set the phone alarm to only go off on weekdays, so we overslept (oopsies again). Luckily, I overcompensated for the time we needed to get to the train station. We threw on our clothes, played Amazing Race with a taxi driver, got to the train with about 10 minutes to spare ....

This is us on the hi-speed train to Seville not looking like we did a run with luggage .... (with a dead girl in the seats in front of us):


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

We got to Seville a couple hours later. (Hurray!)










Our Hotel is in the old Jewish Quarter - it just a big maze with lots of really cool buildings tucked away.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

We started our sightseeing (after finding our way out of the maze) at the Cathedral de Sevilla. There were Gypsy women out front trying to get money from the tourists with clumps of rosemary and some blessings ...

This is my partner, Gilbert, and Sylvia in one of the squares around the cathedral:










The cathedral itself is breathtaking (as they all are ...) This is the tomb of Christopher Columbus:










And this is the chapel of St. James the Apostle:


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

We spent the rest of Saturday doing things like sipping coffee by the Cathedral and getting lost on the way back to the hotel. Sunday we spent hours and hours inside the Real Alcazar. It's a fortress palace first built in the 10th century by a Moslem prince and later converted into a royal palace. It was huge and beautiful and easy to get turned around in ....

The first inner courtyard of the Real Alcazar ...










Some of the stonework detail from the original palace ...


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Another inner courtyard leading to the queen's chambers ...










Under the palace is a bathhouse built for the king's mistress ...


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

It rained like anything while we were in the palace ... luckily the sun came out in time for us to enjoy the gardens. This is Sylvia overlooking the gardens ...










A view of the palace from the gardens. I love how you can see the different architectural styles ...










That's it for now, boys and girls. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our vacation ... I'm sure more pictures will follow ....


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## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Beautiful pictures...thanks, Geoffrey. I've been to many places in Europe but never to Spain. Those buildings are gorgeous!

L


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Gorgeous pictures.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Leslie said:


> Beautiful pictures...thanks, Geoffrey. I've been to many places in Europe but never to Spain. Those buildings are gorgeous!
> 
> L


That's one of the reasons I chose this Spain. I've been all over Europe and to some countries more times than I can count, but never to Spain ... and we're also here because Gilbert's ancestors went to Mexico from a small town outside of Seville ... so we're seeing his ancestral land ....


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Geoffrey said:


> That's one of the reasons I chose this Spain. I've been all over Europe and to some countries more times than I can count, but never to Spain ... and we're also here because Gilbert's ancestors went to Mexico from a small town outside of Seville ... so we're seeing his ancestral land ....


That's so cool. We visited Islip, England, where my ancestors are from. We even saw the church where they are buried. It is such an interesting thing to do.

L


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

I spent an afternoon (unfortunately ONLY an afternoon) in Seville, once. Loved it. Had the best Sangria I ever had on a cafe veranda overlooking the Cathedral. Wish I'd had longer.


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## Margaret (Jan 1, 2010)

Geoffrey, thank you for sharing.  I lived in Germany for three years and saw quite a bit of Europe, but never got to Spain.  The architecture is much different from anything I've seen - it is so ornate.


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## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

Thanks for the picks, always wanted to go to spain..


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## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

pics are nice and clear, great job


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Feel  like I have been there!  People don't go to Spain and if they do they don't think it is worthy of pictures.  These were absolutely awesome, even with the "dead" girl in the seat in front of you.

Thanks for sharing, looking for more!


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## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

Thanks for the pictures.  Love seeing the different architectures.  I'm always amazed at how some of these buildings were built with the tools that existed in their time in history.


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

Oh Geoffrey, thank you so much for sharing these wonderful pictures! I will probably never get to see it myself, so I will just live vicariously through your vacation pictures. =D 

Enjoy!!!


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## leslieray (Mar 16, 2010)

These are awesome, Geoffrey! Thanks for sharing them! Might just put Spain on my list of places to see!

Hope you enjoy the trip!


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Loved the picture of the kindle!!!!


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Wonderful photos! Thanks for taking the time to post them for us to enjoy!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Glad you're having a good time!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Great pictures, I love the architecture in Spain!  Thanks for posting.


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## Sendie (Dec 3, 2009)

Beautiful pictures, thank you so much for sharing them.  I'm glad you made it over before all the troubles too.  I'm stuck on Malta for another few days because of the volcano, I should have been home Monday and the airline couldn't get me out until Saturday.  I'm not minding at all though!


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## ladyknight33 (Feb 2, 2009)

Thanks for sharing your photos. Absolutely beautiful.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you, Geoffrey, for sharing some of your vacation with us.  
deb


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

FearNot said:


> I spent an afternoon (unfortunately ONLY an afternoon) in Seville, once. Loved it. Had the best Sangria I ever had on a cafe veranda overlooking the Cathedral. Wish I'd had longer.


The Sangria and the Orange Wine are SOOOOOOO good. I may have to stay here just for the alcohol.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Anju No. 469 said:


> Loved the picture of the kindle!!!!


Sister Yasmini is having a wonderful time.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Orange wine?  Describe it please.  Sounds yummy.
deb


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

drenee said:


> Orange wine? Describe it please. Sounds yummy.
> deb


Vino de naranja. It tastes a bit like a port but not nearly as heavy. Its a little like a white wine with some orange fermented into it and it's soooo good. I really need to find a place in Dallas that carries it once I get home.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

If you do find a place send me a link.  I would love to try it.
deb


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

We have a kitchen aid thread, coffee, tea, rice maker, why not wine thread?  Unless that is not particularly family friendly.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Oh, Geoffrey.  Spain!!!  I was there a couple times -- in July '69 and again in early '70s.  Four years of high school Spanish with a fantastic teacher (three of the four years) made me love it.  Beautiful photos!  Will you be going to Granada?  If so, please post photos of La Alhambra.  It is the most beeeautiful palace.  There's a mystery about it.  It's still beautiful now.  What it must have been like in it's early history.  The thought gives me goose bumps.


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## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> The Sangria and the Orange Wine are SOOOOOOO good. I may have to stay here just for the alcohol.


Haha, a good sangria is worth a trip to Spain.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> Vino de naranja. It tastes a bit like a port but not nearly as heavy. Its a little like a white wine with some orange fermented into it and it's soooo good. I really need to find a place in Dallas that carries it once I get home.


Sounds fabulous. I just did a USA wine search and didn't find it available anywhere stateside. Maybe you can check into having some shipped home. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Keep having fun and stay safe!


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

Awesome pictures! I so wish I could go to Spain--or to Portugal. My mother is Portuguese, though her people are from Madeira Island, not mainland Portugal. And I have always wanted to go to Greece. The boy is in a Greek charter school and I help him with his Greek lessons every day, so I'm learning to speak the language, too. Now wouldn't it be a waste for me to learn Greek and then not be able to travel there?


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

A quick Google search turned this up...  it may not be something sold ready-made in bottles at all.  Oranges, white wine, cognac, and sugar (no amount given for sugar, so maybe it just means to add to taste depending on how sweet the oranges are).

  
INGREDIENTES:
4 Naranjas grandes, cortadas en 16 trozos.
2 botellas de Vino blanco seco.
1 taza de cognac.
Corteza de naranja en tiras finas.

MODO DE PREPARACIÓN:
Mezcle el vino y los trozos de naranja en un recipiente, cubralo con papel celofán (bien sellado) y refrigere esta mezcla por 5 días. Retire las naranjas, añada el Azúcar y el cognac, mezcle bien hasta que el azúcar se disuelva. Refrigere esta nueva mezcla por 24 horas.
Sirva en una ponchera, ponche, adornada con cáscaras de naranja, Sírvalo frío en tazas.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

actually there is a "sour" orange grown here that is used for ponche during the December holidays that is pretty potent.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks like you're having fun! I went to Spain when I was 14 and I definitely got ripped off by those gypsies you mentioned. 

I was so confused when one of them grabbed my hand and started reading my fortune and then when she started demanding money, I opened up my wallet and she snatched a 5000 peseta note from me and walked off. I tried to give her a smaller bill instead, but she just ignored me. One of my friends refused to pay another gypsy and she just grabbed her shopping bag instead, and ran off. Ruined my day, but I still have very fond memories of Spain!


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

chelzaya said:


> Looks like you're having fun! I went to Spain when I was 14 and I definitely got ripped off by those gypsies you mentioned.
> 
> I was so confused when one of them grabbed my hand and started reading my fortune and then when she started demanding money, I opened up my wallet and she snatched a 5000 peseta note from me and walked off. I tried to give her a smaller bill instead, but she just ignored me. One of my friends refused to pay another gypsy and she just grabbed her shopping bag instead, and ran off. Ruined my day, but I still have very fond memories of Spain!


^^^Oh NO! Hopefully nothing like that happens to Geoffrey. Take heed Geoffrey! If that were me I'd have wound up in a Spanish jail cell, darn those gypsies!^^^


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

Wow, these are great Geoff!  Thanks for sharing!!


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> A quick Google search turned this up... it may not be something sold ready-made in bottles at all. Oranges, white wine, cognac, and sugar (no amount given for sugar, so maybe it just means to add to taste depending on how sweet the oranges are).
> 
> INGREDIENTES:
> 4 Naranjas grandes, cortadas en 16 trozos.
> ...


Can you translate for us? I can figure out it needs to be refrigerated for 5 days and then 24 hours, but that's about it. If it is a doable recipe, I would give it a try.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

chelzaya said:


> Looks like you're having fun! I went to Spain when I was 14 and I definitely got ripped off by those gypsies you mentioned.
> 
> I was so confused when one of them grabbed my hand and started reading my fortune and then when she started demanding money, I opened up my wallet and she snatched a 5000 peseta note from me and walked off. I tried to give her a smaller bill instead, but she just ignored me. One of my friends refused to pay another gypsy and she just grabbed her shopping bag instead, and ran off. Ruined my day, but I still have very fond memories of Spain!


I lived in Rome as a college sophomore and learned really quickly that they gypsies and beggars mostly leave the German tourists alone ... so I just always yelled at them in German. It didn't work as well in Sevilla, but a complete cold shoulder seems to work just fine.


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> I lived in Rome as a college sophomore and learned really quickly that they gypsies and beggars mostly leave the German tourists alone ... so I just always yelled at them in German. It didn't work as well in Sevilla, but a complete cold shoulder seems to work just fine.


That same cold shoulder also works wonders on those "Dead Sea Scrub" kiosk people in the malls! OMG they make you crazy at holiday time.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

crebel said:


> Can you translate for us? I can figure out it needs to be refrigerated for 5 days and then 24 hours, but that's about it. If it is a doable recipe, I would give it a try.


Ingredients:
4 large oranges, cut into 16 pieces
2 bottles of dry white wine
1 cup of cognac 
Thin strips of orange rind

Directions:
Mix wine and orange segments in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 5 days. Remove the oranges, add sugar and brandy, mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Serve in a punch bowl, decorated with orange peels.... Serve chilled in cups.

Let us know how it works out!


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

We're in Madrid now ... arrived yesterday afternoon. This second set of pictures are also from Seville to round out the first week of the vacation.

This is a random, cool bell tower ... But I know know the name of the church ...










This is the Torre de Toros on the riverfront ...


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Sylvia shopping ... She bought scarves and fans for her girlfriends but I think she may keep the scarves ....










This is the cafe across the street from our hotel


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Gilbert, Sylvia and Sister Yasmini relaxing on the rooftop terrace after a day of wandering around the city.










The Cathedral at night from over the rooftops. There were all these birds flying around it and lit up as well ... we decided, though, that those are the gargoyles exercising.


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## dpinmd (Dec 30, 2009)

Just found this thread!  What beautiful pictures!!  Geoffrey, thank you for sharing some of your vacation with us!!!


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Yours truly with, I believe, my first glass of sangria for the day ...










This was one of the flamenco dancers from our evening of dance. She was the best of the group and I loved the entire show.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

Lovely! Enjoy and take care.


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

ooooooh, I'm a huge scarf person (and was before everyone else in the world decided they loved scarves) - that looks like my kind of place!!!



908tracy said:


> That same cold shoulder also works wonders on those "Dead Sea Scrub" kiosk people in the malls! OMG they make you crazy at holiday time.


Off topic, but Tracy you crack me up - those kiosk people think I'm evil, I'm so mean to them!! I have very curly red hair, the hair straightener people stalk me and I get so mad at them! Do I LOOK like I use a hair straightener?!

Geoffrey I'm really jealous of your trip, these pictures are amazing!!


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

*DISCLAIMER: *Some may disapprove of this and I apologize if I offend anyone

On our last night we went to the bullfights. Sylvia has been before but Gilbert and I had not. I am glad I went, but I don't need to do it again (I can cross this off my to do list) It wasn't what I expected (I'm not sure what that was especially) But it was also how I thought it would be ...

This is a statue outside the arena - and I wonder if it is to scale or if someone was trying to flatter him ....










This is the view from our seats. We were up in the covered section but the view was good ...


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm probably the biggest animal activist I know (I literally cried when I hit a bunny with my car the other day) but I have to say if I was in Spain I'd totally go to the bullfights!  Part of the experience.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks Geoffrey!


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## 908tracy (Dec 15, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> *DISCLAIMER: *Some may disapprove of this and I apologize if I offend anyone
> 
> On our last night we went to the bullfights. Sylvia has been before but Gilbert and I had not. I am glad I went, but I don't need to do it again (I can cross this off my to do list) It wasn't what I expected (I'm not sure what that was especially) But it was also how I thought it would be ...
> 
> ...


No offense taken Geoffrey, in fact the statue cracked me up!!!!!



Jen said:


> ooooooh, I'm a huge scarf person (and was before everyone else in the world decided they loved scarves) - that looks like my kind of place!!!
> 
> Off topic, but Tracy you crack me up - those kiosk people think I'm evil, I'm so mean to them!! I have very curly red hair, the hair straightener people stalk me and I get so mad at them! Do I LOOK like I use a hair straightener?!
> 
> Geoffrey I'm really jealous of your trip, these pictures are amazing!!


I know Jen, they are so annoying! I've wanted to report them a few times, they just go way overboard and practically chase you down the mall. If they tell me one more time that my nails aren't healthy I just may put them (nails) to some good use!!!! *sheesh*


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