SALUDOS SONAMBULOS DE SEVILLA

When people normally think of Spain, several things come to mind: seductive flamenco, fruity sangria, and orange-scented citrus trees. What they are actually envisioning is the city of Sevilla. Much of our “typical” view of Spain comes from here. Sevilla, and the entire region of sunny Andalucia in the south, has the most Arab influence than any other area of Spain, since the Moors were driven out of here last, in 1492. Their influence lingers in the food, culture, music, and even language.

This sunny, orange-scented picture of Sevilla, though, was not our first! As has grown to be typical Kevin and Idalis fashion, we tend to sneak into cities while they are still asleep (for a refresher, read about the Porrino train station). We took an overnight bus on Saturday night from Lisbon, after our “Host with the Most,” Joao, dropped us off at the bus station. The bus ride must have been another one of those “turismo” specials, for Kevin and I spent the night tossing and turning, unsuccessfully trying different positions (leg up, knee down, seat reclined, seat up-right, with sweater-pillow, without) to get comfortable. So, after maybe 30 minutes of sleep total (we're being generous) and two stiff necks, we arrived in Sevilla Sunday morning even earlier than scheduled (great!) at 5:10 AM, disoriented and in the dark. After wiping the sleep drool from our chins, we quickly gathered our things and grabbed our heavy backpacks. We planned to (covertly) stay at the bus station until it became light out and then search for our hostel. But, our first welcome to the city was from a bus station attendant, who basically told us, as they do after last calls in bars, “You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!” Kevin and I reluctantly left the relative warmth of the bus station while it was still dark.

With our tiny Lonely Planet map and compass in hand, Kevin and I stepped into the darkness to search out Hostal Nuevo Suizo. At about 6:30 AM, after one hour, 42 winding alleys, 12 mismarked streets, and 17 stray cats, Kevin and I arrived at our oasis, only to find out that check-in wasn't until 2:00 PM! The hostel attendant was nice enough to give us a new map and point out some places of interest. We half-heartedly left our bags locked in the luggage room, and set out to begin seeing the sights.

This is where our head lamps (buried at the bottom of our locked bags) would have come in handy :) We wandered, still in relative darkness, down Calle Serpia, looking into the windows of shops advertising “Rebajas” and trying not to step in the horse manure. We were SOOOO tired, and more than anything, just wanted to rest our heads, but continued to trudge along, hence the title of this latest post, “Saludos sonambulos de Sevilla,” or “Sleepwalking greetings from Seville.” On a positive note, we did get a first-hand look (and nice pictures without Italian tourists) of Sevilla's famous cathedral, and sat down on a cold bench to eventually wait for sunrise. We thought we could be the first ones into the church, but alas, it seems that even the priest went out for tapas last night, and it did not open early. We walked around the perimeter of the Alcazar, an old fortress, and made a mental note to come back. While admiring the cathedral's magnificence from a distance, we were serenaded by an inebriated American girl singing Bette Midler's “The Rose.” Why not? As the saying goes, truth is often stranger than fiction.

We walked along the riverbank and came upon the Torre de Oro, or Tower of Gold, which seemed to illuminate from within on this early morning. We circled around the Plaza de Torros de la Real Maestranza, hoping to find a schedule for the days bullfight. Eventually, our stomachs started rumbling, and we stumbled upon Horno de San Buenaventura, where we gratefully went in to drink cafe con leche and fill our bellies with a chocolate-filled pastry (yum!) and tortilla espanola. With slightly more resolve (and caffeine in our blood), we decided to go back to the Alcazar to see one of the famous sights and kill some time.

Although still wishing for a bed, we were pleasantly surprised. Expecting to find more old paintings and dusty furniture, Kevin and I found ourselves wandering the gardens and staring at the intricate patterns found on the walls and ceilings. Originally a residence for both Christian and/or Muslim royalty (depending on who was in power at the time), Sevilla's Alcazar is a mixture of styles, including traditional Spanish azulejo ceramic tiles, Moroccan-like arches, and even Jewish influences with the Star of David. When our heavy eyes could not handle another fountain, Kevin and I found a bench in the gardens to rest on.

Eventually, 1:00 PM came around (it took so long!) and we made our way back to our hostel. We were informed by the friendly front-desk clerk that our room was ready. Thank goodness! Kevin and I wasted no time in settling into our room (twin beds again just like in “I Love Lucy”) and taking a nice, long, highly anticipated nap!

Monday morning found us embarking on a new adventure: sampling the socialized European healthcare system! I've had a nasty ear infection that I've been battling with since Portugal. My ears have felt clogged and full of fluid, and it was often hard to hear what Kevin was saying (I promise, Amor, that I wasn't feigning understanding!). After several Cipro antibiotics proved to be futile, we decided to seek medical attention. So, we made our way through the winding Seville streets to the local healthcare clinic, where we took a number, just like in the deli section of Publix. After about a half hour of waiting, our number was finally called. I explained my situation to the secretary, who told me I would have to deposit money into a bank (43.60 euros) before I could be seen by a doctor. Apparently, health care is free for European citizens who pay into the Social Security system, but not for foreigners. He gave us a copied paper with the address of the CajaSol bank and the account number, and told us to be back in 30 minutes for my scheduled appointment. Kevin lead the way, navigating the twists and turns, narrow alleys, and swarms of fanny pack-wearing tourists and miraculously found the bank, where we deposited the money, got a receipt, and rushed back to the clinic for my appointment. I gave the original secretary a copy of our deposit receipt, proof that we paid, and made our way to the second floor to see Dr. Maria Guisada. After several minutes in the waiting area, I was called in. The friendly doctor and her assistant asked me questions about my condition, checked my ears, and confirmed what we thought: ear infection. She gave me a prescription for some cough medicine and saline nose flush. We thanked her, left the clinic, and made our way through the winding streets once more in search of a pharmacy. We filled the prescription, paid the 6 euros for the medicine, and went on our way.

Thankfully, we didn't have to spend my whole birthday at the doctor's. In the afternoon, we wandered to the pretty Plaza de Espana, and then to the Parque de Maria Luisa, where we admired the fountains and found shade under an old tree. Boy was it a hot day!

That evening, we celebrated my birthday by going to see a flamenco show. Wow! The small setting was very intimate. We were so close you could see the sweat glistening on the dancer's brow! It was a wonderful performance. The singer's deep, rustic voice can only be accomplished from a smoking habit that surely involves three packs of Ducados cigarettes a day. The guitar player was amazing, Kevin noting that it was as if he was playing two guitars at the same time. The dancers were soulful and passionate. The woman, clad in the traditional flamenco dress with a rose in her hair, interpreted the dance so well – her hands moved gracefully, her feet complemented the music, and the rose eventually fell out of her hair when she got going! The male dancer seemed to have extra wooden castanuelas on his feet – it was shocking to see that all that movement and sound was simply coming from the heels of his shoes! Kevin and I were in awe – it was an amazing performance and a fitting end to our short stay in Sevilla!