Back in Sevilla!

 20-Dec-2021

Christmas lights on Avenida de la Constitución, the main street
 that runs in front of the cathedral in Seville.

Yes, we’re back in Seville, and we’re so happy to be here! I’m actually surprised at how excited we are. Part of it is the beauty of Seville: the elegance, the amazing buildings, the stunning Christmas lights. Part of it is because we couldn’t come here last year, due to travel restrictions and Covid concerns; while those concerns are still very much with us, at least we’re moving around again. 

And part of it is more personal: our daughter Nina and son-in-law Riki are here! Their plans keep evolving, but they’re here now, and we are fully enjoying our visits together. 

 

Christmas lights. different neighborhood, different style...

More lights, with the always-impressive La Giralda in the background.

And part of it, it must be said, is the weather. Here in Seville outdoor temps are in the low to mid 60s, almost 10 degrees warmer than Montpellier. It makes strolling around so much more pleasant! Also, we’re strolling on familiar streets, and constantly re-discovering what’s new, and what’s not. “Oh, look, that café is gone, now it’s a laundromat! Too bad! But here’s a new place… and I’m glad the Love Café made it!” All while threading through tiny alleyways, negotiating with cars that force us onto vanishingly narrow sidewalks, and marveling at vast and colorful church facades.

 

A church (??) and... oranges!

We’ve been having lunch a lot. It’s easier here than in France; cafes are ready for lunch starting around 1:30, about the time restaurants in France are finishing up (seriously! We’ve been left hungry in France a number of times because we couldn’t get our lunch act together before 2PM.) We may be done around 3:00, or 4:30…  depending on how long it's been since we last saw our lunch companions! Of course, after a lunch like that we tend to skip dinner. We are not yet into the Spanish habit of eating at 10PM! By then we are definitely finished for the evening.

 

Lunch with Karen & Rich at the Maraville Social Club.

Right now we are looking forward to the arrival of friends Kate and Debra from Montpellier. They’ve both decided to join us here for Christmas, and Paula and I are happily laying out a tour for them. Not that it’s hard; walk down any street in Seville and there are interesting—and often stunning—things to see. And the Christmas lights… ah, now that’s a sight! 

 

Lights in the Plaza Alfalfa.

The famous (?) snail of Seville.

As I write this we are only a few days from Christmas. We’ll be having dinner with our American friends and long-term Seville residents Karen and Rich. (And that “we” includes pretty much everybody we know in Seville, including our friends coming from Montpellier!). Emails are flying back and forth, among the 18 or so of us who will be in attendance, concerning Covid—especially Omicron—safety. Karen has made it clear that dinner is definitely happening: we’re all vaxxed and boostered, windows will be open (and jackets probably zipped!). And we’ll all do a Covid self-test the morning before. Of course, at this late date all of the pharmacies are out of test kits, both in Seville and Montpellier. But we picked up a few before we left France. So, risks have been minimized, and the experts assure us that gathering for the holidays is decidedly necessary for our on-going mental health.

My how time flies... this was written a week ago and we're just now getting it published! We'll have plenty to tell about our time in Seville in the next blog...

Church spires... you never know what you'll find down these narrow streets!