Seville trip, June 10-11
Jun. 25th, 2007 06:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jinianNo problems getting onto our first flight, to Chicago out of Seattle. We mentioned to the gate clerk that we had an awfully short 45-minute international connection, and she swapped our seats for the bulkhead ones at the very front of coach class. The flight was about 20 minutes late to Chicago, though, so we were even more anxious and skibbled over to our next plane very quickly. They let us on, no problem, at the final boarding call... and then the plane sat on the runway for another 45 minutes. Mom watched devotedly for signs our luggage was being loaded but didn't really see any.
There was an oddly companionable dinner atmosphere on the Iberia flight from Chicago to Madrid. The attendant even asked the person in front of Mom to put his seat up during dinner. I never noticed the cafeteria nature of in-flight meals back when more airlines actually had such things, but I wonder if it was there and only the contrast has made it obvious.
The transatlantic flight had a TAIL CAM on the plane. So cool! Takeoffs and landing were mostly what we got to see, but that was incredibly fun, like a video game almost.
When we landed in Seville, our luggage did not. The clerks said it was in Madrid, not Chicago, at least, and should be delivered to our hotel later in the day or in the morning.
Hilarious billboard: "Yo soy Legendario"
We wandered a little on the street outside the hotel, got pistachios and Coke (always "Coca-Cola"), and tried to convince ourselves that we were actually in Spain, not just southern California. Palm trees, bougainvillea, and oleander made the main impression, though, and flowers flowers flowers. Stripes and checkers on buildings, tile on everything, stucco and wrought-iron balconies.
Lunch was dire. We went to a little pub next to the hotel, which sold finger food out of deli cases and billed you based on the toothpicks in it. I was all right with most of the snacks I tried, but Mom was nauseated by them all. This was the first appearance of what came to be known as the Mystery Taste of Doom (MTOD). Whatever it is, it's in about 95% of the food in and around Seville, and it makes Mom ill. She was able to tolerate small amounts of it after the initial shock wore off, but it still made her feel sick. I never thought I'd say this, but it was actually a good thing she'd brought her stupid diet food.
The hotel room had major blackout curtains, which were very handy for afternoon sleeping.
After our nap, we went downtown on the bus, where we found a t-shirt for Wim (M4T42R: Spanish l33t!) but not much else. We were tired and cranky, but started to get a feel for the city. We walked a fair amount of the area around the cathedral
![[Gothic cathedral with palm trees]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/0a6e1a6cafa0/678086-341783/underhill.hhhh.org/~igg/Seville/11-Jun%20cathedral%20sm.jpg)
and eventually found a restaurant in a tiny street. Our dinner (me: okay paella with different kinds of shrimp & prawns, avoidable peppers) was accompanied by strolling accordionists who played as little as they could get away with, bugged people for tips, and then moved on. There were relatively few people around, which we thought might just be because it was Monday. (Later days did pick up, but we also adjusted to the schedule: no dinner before 8.)
We walked a couple of miles after dinner as night fell, down by the river and past the Plaza de Toros, which we established neither of us wanted to visit. Lots of cheeping, swooping swifts everywhere, especially at dusk, and no bats as late as I was ever up. Among other things, we saw a wonderful pair of door handles:
![[Handy handles]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b9e6ed7672c3/678086-341783/underhill.hhhh.org/~igg/Seville/11-Jun%20doorhandles%20sm.jpg)
It was hard to relax enough to sleep with Mom talking to me, but I was tired enough that it worked out all right.
There was an oddly companionable dinner atmosphere on the Iberia flight from Chicago to Madrid. The attendant even asked the person in front of Mom to put his seat up during dinner. I never noticed the cafeteria nature of in-flight meals back when more airlines actually had such things, but I wonder if it was there and only the contrast has made it obvious.
The transatlantic flight had a TAIL CAM on the plane. So cool! Takeoffs and landing were mostly what we got to see, but that was incredibly fun, like a video game almost.
When we landed in Seville, our luggage did not. The clerks said it was in Madrid, not Chicago, at least, and should be delivered to our hotel later in the day or in the morning.
Hilarious billboard: "Yo soy Legendario"
We wandered a little on the street outside the hotel, got pistachios and Coke (always "Coca-Cola"), and tried to convince ourselves that we were actually in Spain, not just southern California. Palm trees, bougainvillea, and oleander made the main impression, though, and flowers flowers flowers. Stripes and checkers on buildings, tile on everything, stucco and wrought-iron balconies.
Lunch was dire. We went to a little pub next to the hotel, which sold finger food out of deli cases and billed you based on the toothpicks in it. I was all right with most of the snacks I tried, but Mom was nauseated by them all. This was the first appearance of what came to be known as the Mystery Taste of Doom (MTOD). Whatever it is, it's in about 95% of the food in and around Seville, and it makes Mom ill. She was able to tolerate small amounts of it after the initial shock wore off, but it still made her feel sick. I never thought I'd say this, but it was actually a good thing she'd brought her stupid diet food.
The hotel room had major blackout curtains, which were very handy for afternoon sleeping.
After our nap, we went downtown on the bus, where we found a t-shirt for Wim (M4T42R: Spanish l33t!) but not much else. We were tired and cranky, but started to get a feel for the city. We walked a fair amount of the area around the cathedral
![[Gothic cathedral with palm trees]](http://underhill.hhhh.org/~igg/Seville/11-Jun%20cathedral.jpg)
and eventually found a restaurant in a tiny street. Our dinner (me: okay paella with different kinds of shrimp & prawns, avoidable peppers) was accompanied by strolling accordionists who played as little as they could get away with, bugged people for tips, and then moved on. There were relatively few people around, which we thought might just be because it was Monday. (Later days did pick up, but we also adjusted to the schedule: no dinner before 8.)
We walked a couple of miles after dinner as night fell, down by the river and past the Plaza de Toros, which we established neither of us wanted to visit. Lots of cheeping, swooping swifts everywhere, especially at dusk, and no bats as late as I was ever up. Among other things, we saw a wonderful pair of door handles:
![[Handy handles]](http://underhill.hhhh.org/~igg/Seville/11-Jun%20doorhandles.JPG)
It was hard to relax enough to sleep with Mom talking to me, but I was tired enough that it worked out all right.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-26 03:25 am (UTC)*notes for future trips*
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Date: 2007-06-26 04:57 am (UTC)Also, how funny! I just got the postcard today, thank you! I love your story about the robbed South Americans stealing tiles back.
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Date: 2007-06-26 04:28 pm (UTC)I think you may have gotten the best note; I liked that idea too. :)