Road Trip to Sevilla

Windmills in Castilla-LaMancha (ok, and the magic of Adobe)

This past weekend was our trip to Sevilla. We decided to rent a car since it was Shannon, Leo, and I, and it worked out to be about the same price as the train.
Shannon and I got the car and had some time to kill before Leo got off of work. So, where could we possibly go in Madrid that cannot be accessed by the metro or cercanias? La Moraleja. This is the poshy posh area of Madrid, and where David and Victoria Beckham live. We swear we saw Victoria gassing up her car. She had the pout. So, we were cruising the neighborhood in a green turtle car, listening to some 80's, and searching for even a quick glance or glimmer at David and Vicky Beck's pad.
We finally got on the road and headed down to Sevilla. We were meeting Renee (see previous posts) and her roommate Samantha for drinks, and it was about a 5-6 hour drive. So, leaving at 6:30, that put us in Sevilla at about midnight. We rolled in and went on the tapas/drinks hunt. But not before a man greeted us as we came out of the parking garage "Bienvenidos a España! Welcome to Spain!" He couldn't be happier. Where was that guy 10 months ago?
I didn't expect Sevilla to be as beautiful as it was. The colors everywhere are so bright and vivid, you just want to swim in them or something. And of course, palm trees everywhere. Leo and I hung out so that Renee and Shannon could catch up. We took a stroll around the cathedral, saw Columbus' tomb, visited the Alcazar and adjoining gardens, took a spin on the big Ferris Wheel overlooking the city, hung out by the river, and of course, coffee, coca-cola, coffee, coca-cola... One of the best things though was the Arabian bath. They are really popular in the south due to the fact that it is Moorish tradition. We decided to go for the last session at midnight. It's pool after pool of warm, relaxing water, a little Arabic music in the background, and smells that are unique and soothing. You walk out feeling so relaxed, like they could just pour you out onto the street when you leave (can't wait for Morocco!), and your skin is actually a baby's bottom.
Sevilla was a nice weekend away. A little hot, but definitely a nice change of pace from busy busy Madrid. As always, photos are on Flickr.