Sevilla Weekend...

We're having a blast so far...as you can certainly tell by our footage:

After packing up for the Sevilla day, we ventured to the train station to pick up our tickets. We're glad we waited to buy our train tickets (the flight was so late, we would have missed it by a mile). But, by waiting, our selection was limited. Pat had to take the 6:00 train, while Erinn and I could only get seats on the 7:00 train...in 1st class. Wow, 1st class is the way to go on the Renfe (high speed train). It wasn't too much more expensive and we got free beverage service and a "snack" (some mystery fish thing that neither Erinn or I appreciated). But either way, it was fun.

Once we arrived to Sevilla, Pat was waiting at the station...and it was pouring!! We ventured into the city, in search of our hotel with confidence...undeserved. We got completely lost! But it wasn't for a lack of trying. We knew the maps, and the general direction. But the streets in Sevilla are narrow and twisty. Everything is very old with cobble-stone 1-lane roads that aren't labeled. But we managed...but didn't stay completely dry.

The jet-lag didn't hit us too hard. After the long, wet walk, on top of the long train ride, we wanted to explore the local nightlife. Our little friend at the hotel recommended a Tapas bar that was hopping with locals. We enjoyed our first pitcher of sangria, tinto de verano (red wine mixed with lemon fanta), croquettas (fried ham and cheese), and patatas bravas com jamon (spicy potatoes with ham). We also met a couple that asked us where we were from when they heard us talking. As it turns out, her son-in-law is from Wisconsin. We talked to them for a bit, about the US and Spain. She taught Pat a new phrase (as seen here). We actually stayed until closing time (surprisingly 1:00 am).

Saturday morning, we were out and about by 9:00 am (probably the only people in the city awake!). First, we headed out for breakfast and found some tasty Chorizo and Cafe con Leche at a little cafe. Then, we headed towards the cathedral for our Rick Steves' walking tour. The tour covered most of the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

After we completed it, we headed for the Cathedral. Rick Steves again did us well and we followed his self-guided tour within the cathedral -- it's the largest gothic cathedral in the world! We even scaled the 330-foot bell tower to get some amazing shots of the city.

After the cathedral, we found some lunch at a fun little cafe -- Mediterranean and tropical pizza with some more tinto de verano. Plus, green olives and bread make a tasty appetizer. We were running out of time to sightsee, so we decided to just walk the city -- history is everywhere! So are orange trees (they're not for eating). We even made it back to our breakfast cafe for some helado (ice cream). By, 5:30, we had to head back to the train station for the ride back to Madrid. Now, we've made it back to Pat's flat and are getting refreshed before heading out to some sort of party. We'll see how it goes! Stay tuned....

-Katy