Tapitas with the family!

After living in Spain for the year, Brian and I decided that it would be fun to cook up some tapitas for our family. That way, they had a chance to try some of the food that we ate and loved while we were living in Spain.

Here was the menu for the evening:

queso manchego

montaditos con queso filadelfia y camarones

falafel

pescaito al albahaca

solomillo al roquefort

Of course, they were some minor adjustments that we made so that it wouldn't be a culture shock:
1. Everyone had their own plate
2. There was no paying attention to the "lo de la vergüenza"
3. No tapita-size plates - I'd say we each ate the equivalent of a ración!

As you can see, everything was a success!

Feria de Triana 2008

I spent my last night in Sevilla at the Feria de Triana….

Bailando sevillanas, picando tapitas, tomando tintos y cervezas y, lo más importante, saliendo con mis queridos amigos sevillanos….

Free art!

BEFORE

AFTER

Brian ended up flying back to the States two days earlier than I did, and since he could not take all of his art back home, he ended up leaving it in a bag in the same plaza where the art market was held each week.

Since I was still in Sevilla, while I was cleaning up and getting myself ready to go home, I went back to that same plaza a couple of times to see if anyone had taken any of Brian’s collages. The above pictures show the progression from when Brian left everything in the plaza (the top) to the last time I checked on it (bottom).

Ironically enough, he left all of the collages in front of "Viajes," the local travel agency.

Tapitas galore!

We had to get our fill of tapitas before heading States-side. I have never eaten so many croquetas and jamón serrano in all of my life!

Without a doubt, the best part of having tapitas is eating them with your amigos!!!

Last Day at the Office

The month of July brought lots of exams to grade. Since I had 90 some odd students, you can imagine how much time it took to correct everything!

I was spending so much time at the office that it when I finally finished with everything, it was bittersweet to have to say goodbye to all of the friends that I had made in the department.

The first picture is of Prof. Gómez Lara and I. The second picture is of Ana Luisa Martín Bejarano, the administrative assistant in the department who was a God-send to me. She was always there to lend a helping hand – I honestly don’t know what I would have done without her!!!

Almuerzo sevillano

Our last month in Sevilla, some of the professors in the Departamento de filología inglesa y norteamericana went out to lunch together at Las Lapas.

And, yes, even though we all had to be back at work later on that afternoon, there were lots of cervezas and tintos to accompany our tapitas!

For me, the winning duo was the jamón serrano and a little tinto de naranja...

July in Sevilla

July was our last month in Sevilla, and the temperatures did not betray the reputation that Andalucía has during the summer. We were in the 40s Celcius, which is well above 100 degrees Farenheit. Needless to say, we took turns in front of our window-unit air conditioner with the fan blowing full force...

Plaça de Catalunya

Plaça de Catalunya is situated in the heart of downtown Barcelona at the top of Las Ramblas. City planners laid it out in its present form in the 1920s, focusing on formal arrangements of statues, circular fountains and trees.

Given that it is such a central part of the city, this was where we caught the bus back to the airport, where we took a one-hour plane ride from Barcelona back down south to Sevilla.

Walking around

Before taking the train back to Madrid, we decide to walk around the city and take in the scenery...

Catedral de Toledo

No trip to Toledo would be complete without a visit to the city's cathedral, which effectively dominates the skyline symbolizing the city's historical prominence as the heart of Catholic Spain.

The site on which the cathedral has been the center of worship since the earliest days of the Visigothic occupation. During the three centuries of Muslim rule, however, the Visigoths' basilica was converted into a mosque, and in 1085 Alfonso VI vowed that the mosque would be preserved as a place for the city's Muslim population to worship. However, the promise was eventually broken, and the mosque was destroyed.

In its place the cathedral was constructed during the 13th century. It is primarily Gothic in its design, but it also has some mudéjar elements in its interior decoration in addition to influences from the Spanish Renaissance in the various chapels that line the church naves.

Cervantes

After Brian's encounter with the Cruzcampo guy, we stumbled upon the statue of Cervantes in Toledo. Because of the literature geek that I am, I was wicked excited!

Needless to say, we both had our turn posing with the famous sixteenth century novelist, poet, and playwright who wrote what many consider to be the first modern novel, Don Quijote.

Getting friendly with the Cruzcampo guy

After the Sinagoga del Tránsito & Museo Sefardi, we decided to go find lunch. As we were walking around in search of somewhere to get a good almuerzo, Brian stumbled upon this Cruzcampo guy…

As the Spanish would say, Qué poca vergüenza, i.e. no shame.

Another picture to add to the collection of statues that have been sexually violated by Brian.

Haha

Sinagoga del Tránsito & Museo Sefardi

After finding the Casa/Museo de El Greco closed due to construction, we ventured just around the corner to the Sinagoga del Tránsito & Museo Sefardi.

Near the museum is where the judería (Jewish Quarter) was once located before they were expulsed from Spain in 1492 by the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela as part of the Reconquista of Spain in the name of Christianity.

The Sinagoga del Tránsito is one of two remaining synagogues located in Toledo. Its construction dates to 1335 when Pedro I gave special permission to have it built (at that time it was prohibited to build synagogues in Christian Spain).

From 1492 until 1877, the building served as a priory, hermitage and military barracks, but today it houses the Museo Sefardi, a museum which traces the history of Jewish culture in Spain.