An interesting take on the anti-tobacco law...

Smoking is now illegal in any indoor, public facility in Spain. But what about theatres? Should actors be allowed to smoke on stage? The anti-tobacco law is criticized by some theatrical associations in Spain who plead for an exception to the law in the name of creativity. The associations argue that the instances in which a character smokes tobacco on stage are few and far between, and they say they intend to inform the health and sanitation authorities in advance.

http://www.abcdesevilla.es/20110217/cultura-teatros/sevi-teatro-antitabaco-201102171246.html

green eggs and ham

At one of my regular tapas bars, Los Coloniales, I tried "una tabla de huevo de cordoniz y jamón serrano" - toasted bread topped with jamón serrano and a fried quail egg.

 

Exquisite

favorite spot

I went to the Alcázar today (for maybe my 10th time) with my good friend Fede. I must say that I think the Real Alcázar of Sevilla may very well be my favorite tourist site in all of Spain (close second would be one of the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona), and I plan on going at least a couple more times before my time in Sevilla is up.

crash

On my way home from school yesterday, the driver of the bus I was riding hit a car he didn't see while turning right. There was a brief period of shouting between the two drivers in their seats, and then both drove off. No information exchanged, no calls to insurance companies, not even a step out of the car to look at the damage. I arrived home at the same time I always do.

Cola de Toro

I was reluctant to try "Cola de Toro," or "bull's tail," but I heard it was similar to normal beef, and so I gave it a go. The meat is extremely tender and delicious, but surrounded by a lot of fat that has to be cut off. Like so many Spanish dishes, it was served over potatoes and drenched in a light oil. Cola de Toro is served on pieces of the tail bone (see picture), so that's cool and/or disgusting, depending on who you are. Overall, I enjoyed it, and would like to try it at other restaurants to see if there are any better (less fatty) versions, as I'm sure there are.

Pilate's House

Well, it's not really Pilate's House, but this 16th century palace was named after the Bible's Pilate. One of the royal residents, after traveling throughout Europe and the Holy Land, discovered that from his palace in Sevilla to a small temple in Cruz del Campo was the exact same distance as Pilate's House from Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified).

You might think I'd be jaded by all the magical mudéjar palaces I've been able to visit over the past few months, but the "small" Casa de Pilatos was nothing short of spectacular, and, probably due to the steeper entry price, not as crowded as the Alcázar.

 

 starstruck ceiling

 

 view of the Giralda from the second floor

 

duck tales

As a follow up to the Real Alcázar post, I feel I must include my photos of the royal ducks. Becca and I had a hilarious time hanging out with these waddling little birds, and I got some pretty good photos out of the encounter.

First, Becca tried to bother them...

oh hey pretty

hey there handsome

my personal fave, curvy girl:

beautiful blue:

mom & dad

And then after spending plenty of time chasing, photographing, and laughing at the ducks, we stumbled upon this little duck haven (with a chain to block us humans):

(Dad, we especially thought of you the whole time we were with the ducks. And Mom, we realized that we were following in your crazy footsteps when we couldn't help but compare the ducks to Biggie.) 


I hope you find the duck tales to be cuter than you find my obsession embarassing.

67

In light of the economic crisis in Spain, the president and lawmakers have decided to change the retirement age to 67, two years older than the previous retirement age of 65.

" The deal also comes after the government introduced last year a labor market overhaul to reduce the cost of firing workers. While many economists also argued that the labor market changes did not go far enough, the government is now hoping to negotiate with unions before the end of March an agreement on loosening Spain’s collective bargaining system, seen as one of the major obstacles toward making Spain’s labor market sufficiently flexible to reduce its 20 percent unemployment rate, double the average in the European Union."

Pension reform is only the beginning of economic reforms that Spain will have to undergo in an attempt to revitalize their economy. Read more about the issue at:


Spain to Raise Retirement Age to 67 - NYTimes.com

tortilla española: my first attempt

Today, I tried to make one of my favorite Spanish dishes, tortilla española, an "omelet" of potato and eggs. After frying sliced potatoes and diced onions, beaten eggs are added to the mix, and then fried to make a puffy, pastry-like potato omelet.

While it wasn't a complete disaster (it was edible), the tortilla fell apart during the process of flipping it in the frying pan. Also, the pan was too small for the amount of eggs and potatoes I had, so the bottom burned while I tried to make sure that the middle was cooked enough. Lessons learned. I am determined to learn how to make a decent tortilla before I leave Spain.

 

 sad that my tortilla didn't work out:

forced to be happy that I made my first tortilla española:

Spanish word of the day: escurrir (to drain)

El Real Alcázar

El Real Alcázar, or the Royal Palace, was originally built as a fortified Arab palace during the period of Muslim reign in Spain (711-1492). After the Reconquista, Spanish royals took the palace as their home and expanded and modified the grounds.

The Alcázar is my favorite site in Sevilla. Its reputation is largely overshadowed by the Alhambra, a massive Arab palace built in the mountains of Granada, which also happens to be the most visited site in all of Spain. The Alhambra is impressive, although I was more struck by the grand fortress' mountainous location than by the intricate designs of its interior. The Alcázar's interior is a true example of mudéjar architecture and design, and its surrounding gardens are a peaceful hideout in the middle of Sevilla's bustling city center. (Mudéjar refers to the style of architecture in the Christian Iberian peninsula that was greatly influenced by the Moorish architectural legacy.)

And the best part is that the Alcázar is free (for students - I am one, according to my visa), which means I can explore the nooks and crannies of the palace and gardens whenever I may feel like it.

You cannot leave Sevilla without visiting the Alcázar and spending a few hours wandering through a palace with gorgeous gardens, intricate workmanship, and more than 1,000 years of history of Christian and Muslim Spanish history.
____

the gardens contain a labyrinth: 

view of La Giralda from the palace gardens: