Barcelona

Our two days in Barcelona were well spent. In contrast to Madrid, Barcelona seemed lively and had many sites to explore. Our first day, we toured Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. There is no good way to describe it other than it is more spectacular than any church or place of worship I have ever seen, both inside and out. The inside is really bright and nature-inspired. It seems happy inside, not cold and intimidating as many Cathedrals and Basilicas can be. It really made my jaw drop.

Next, we headed for Gaudi's Park Guell. Let's just say it took us a while to get there. When we finally arrived, we entered at the very top! What a view we had! There were people of all ages at the park, including avid runners and dog lovers. At the park's entrance is a ton of mosaic-tiled structures, including what looks like a gingerbread house and a lizard fountain. Well, it looks like a lizard.

The next day, we walked along the busy Las Ramblas shopping street and entered the Mercat de Sant Josep. The market had the most fresh anything and everything you can imagine. From fresh fruits to nuts from olives to squids from pig's heads to legs- this place had it all.

Afterwards, we headed to the marina and walked along the water. While there, I stumbled upon some artisans making and selling jewelry. I bought a bracelet for myself and some gifts for others.

Avila

Greg, in his Internet wisdom, found a really awesome site where one can book a room at a historic site. For our anniversary, We stayed in a castle in the town of Avila. Any Catholic knows that this is the birthplace of St. Theresa, the Little Flower.  I didn't know; however, that Avila is surrounded by a huge wall. The highest city in Spain, Avila is a relaxing and beautiful place.

After checking in, Greg and I went to St. Theresa's Convent which was built on the site of her birthplace. It was a really nice visit. We got postcards for our parents.

Afterwards, we walked around a little.  I couldn't tell if the city was empty because shops close early or if everyone was on vacation.  Regardless, we stopped in a neat little shop that had piles of men's and women's hats, all kinds of leather goods, lighters, and swords.  I almost bought a hat... almost.  Lastly, we ate dinner outside at the hotel restaurant, which was affordable and tasty.

Italica and Madrid

Today we drove to a small town outside of Seville, called Italica, to explore some ancient, Roman ruins. We were really impressed. We were able to see some tile mosaics that once lined the floors of public baths. Some were barely missing any tiles. Another highlight was the large amphitheater that stood next to a small lake. It was well-preserved, and we were able to enter the bottom level.

After several hours of Luke driving, Greg navigating, and me sleeping, we arrived in Madrid. Our hotel was located near the El Retiro park. We walked through the park and went out to explore the city.

After some wine, we walked by many of the city's famous plazas: Mayor, Sol, Espana, Oriente, and Cibeles. We hoped to get the classic photos at kilometer zero and at the bear and strawberry statue in Sol, but hundreds of protesters got in the way. Apparently, jobless Spaniards throughout the country had been walking to the capital for the past month to come together and protest their dissatisfaction with their government at the very same time as our visit. No worries. Just hippies.

Outside the Palacio Real, we stopped for a while to hear a harpist play.  He looked like a hardcore rocker, but impressed the crowd with the soothing melodies he played.  After some jamon (ham) and various cheeses, we headed back for the night.

Today we walked to the Prado, the most famous museum in Madrid. It was free and the line was ridiculously long.  We decided to head to another great museum nearby, called the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.  It had some art for everyone: Picasso, Dahli, VanGoh, Monet, Renoir, and Caravaggio.  I really liked two paintings of cats, one called "The Lucky Thief," as well as a Renoir painting titled, "Wheat Field."

After the museum, we headed into El Retiro park. We took a relaxing stroll to the Crystal Palace, which looks like a mix between a glass house and a greenhouse.  With the fountain and pond in front, it was quite pretty.  While we ate some Magnum ice-cream from the nearby stand, we saw to min pins, one red and one black and tan, walk by. They were the orneriest dogs in the park. We then walked across the way to the Palacios de Vasquez and saw a free art exhibit.

Today we woke up, got some espresso and some sweets, then headed for the Palacio Real AKA the Royal Palace.  While the castle paled in comparison to Versailles, this palace had an armory that couldn't be beat: swords, shields, maces, guns, cannons, crossbows, and lances. Best of all was the armor that was displayed on mannequins and life-sized model horses. Top each horse and rider off with a lance, and it really did seem like it could charge into battle. Also a highlight was the armor for a dog and armor for children.

Seville

I had only ever heard of Seville in relation to the opera. When I saw it was only a couple hours from Rota, I knew I wanted to go there. On our first day, we walked through the narrow, winding streets of Barrios de Santa Cruz. The streets are pretty shady and housed little shops And tapas bars. The best way I'd describe tapas is mini-portioned meals. Small plates of different foods that you share with friends.

Next we walked through the hot Seville sun (along its roads that never seem to run straight) to the Plaza de Espana. This place really was beautiful.

It is shaped like a half circle with a building (used for govt offices now) along it's outer curved edge. Along the inner edge of the building's exterior are 50 ceramic-tiled alcoves, each one representing a province of Spain. The next layer of the plaza is its moat on which you can take a row boat ride. To get to the center of the plaza, you can cross one of the multiple ceramic-tiled bridges. At the center is a large fountain. My description is definitely confusing, so check out the photos later. It's Tiled-Out!

After some tapas, we went to Seville's bullfighting ring, the oldest in Spain. I wasn't as interested as the guys, but I went with the crowd. Apparently Seville's ring is unforgiving in the sense that the crowd is far closer than in other arenas. (Everyone will notice if a fighter makes a mistake.) All kinds of folks were there: tourists, of course, but also local men, women, grandparents, teens, and toddlers. At times it was almost quiet enough to hear a pin drop, but later the arena was filled with cheers and applause.

Six bulls were killed during the 10pm show we attended. I felt like six was literally overkill- quite repetitive. I can understand why people are attracted to the bullfight. It is a spectacle. The fighters are decked out in their "suits of light" and they really do show off (and risk being gored to death) so they can win the crowd. One matador at our show earned a standing ovation with white handkerchief waving, an honor.

The best way to describe my thoughts is to say that the bullfight was sad yet suspenseful. The bull has the disadvantage, but do you root for it to gore the matador? All I know is that it wasn't quite as cool as it appeared in the two Madonna videos, but it was nevertheless an interesting experience.

Later, we walked over the nicely-lit Isabella II bridge to the area known as Triana. The bridge itself was decked out with green and white (the colors of Andalucia province) papery lanterns and Spanish and Andalusian flags. Triana was equally lit up with mounted and hanging lights. There was some definite partying going on!

The next day we headed for Seville's cathedral, Saint Mary of the See. It was definitely huge, third largest in the world huge. It was built on the same site where an earthquake-damaged mosque once stood. The former minaret, the Giralda, was converted to a bell tower (which we went up).

The Altar Mayor or main altar was grandiose and the life's work of a single artist. It had everything on it one can think of, from the Annunciation to the Resurrection.

The Altar de Plata was giant! (way taller than me) It was silver, shining, and sparkling.

There were definitely a lot of life-like figures, similar to porcelain dolls. This was a unique difference from the Italian churches we saw last summer. Also, Jesus seems to have a certain tri-pointed halo.

I didn't take any photos inside. No picture could do it justice. (Although that life-sized statue of Pope John Paul II did make me think twice.)

After some Tapas, we headed for the Alcazar. It is a palace that leaders still live in today. It was built in the Mujera style, meaning that it has an Islamic feel to it, even though Christians were in charge at the time. Ceramic tile, amazing architecture, and beautiful gardens! It wasn't furnished, but it didn't need to be. One could just stroll from one room to a courtyard, then to another room, and so on. The gardens were amazing. They weren't precisely manicured. Instead, they had a free and rustic feel. And there were PEACOCKS! They just chilled out and strolled about. We even saw little peacocklings with their momma.

Rota

We arrived at the U.S. Navy base in Rota, Spain after waiting only a short time for a space-a flight from Norfolk. I wish the man at the counter would have stamped our passports instead of directing us to head to the police station in town. I'll explain later.

We rented a nice Chevy Spark from the NEX, then realized our friend, Luke, was the only one of us experienced enough in driving a stick-shift. He definitely gets the MVP. Of course we loaded up on snacks and a couple Spanish books at the NEX, too.

We then headed to a nearby town called Jerez de la Frontera. The short ride went by several sunflower fields.
Jerez is known for its Sherry, though we didn't try any. We ate dinner and retired for the night.

In the morning we hunted for a while in an attempt to locate the police station. When we finally found it, we were told to go back to the Rota Station. After some more driving, (and asking for directions) we show up at the local station. We then learned we needed the national police. Needless to say when we rolled up at the national police station in Rota at around 3:00 pm, we were told they are only open from 9:00-2:00. Wow! I thought I worked nice hours. Hehe.

The next day we were in and out of the police station in ten minutes. We checked into the Navy Lodge, then headed to the beach right on base. Pretty nice.