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.
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the gardens contain a labyrinth: 

view of La Giralda from the palace gardens:

locura

 

Cars do manage (barely) to fit through the narrow, winding streets of Sevilla

ominous day

typical spanish pueblo

 

old people chillin' in the plaza. all day, e'ry day.

wondering what that young'un is doing on their turf. 

Carmona

Below is the record of my day trip to Carmona, a small town northeast of Sevilla famous for its ancient Roman roots. The town is built on top of a hill for the purposes of protection from attack. Here are some of my findings...

La Puerta de Córdoba, the gate through which the road points to the city of Córdoba:

  

An ancient Roman mosaic of Medusa (something like 10 feet x 10 feet):

a view of the Andalucían countryside...

 

    

La puerta de Sevilla, the gate that leads to Sevilla, which also happens to be a castle...

views of Carmona from the top of La Puerta de Sevilla..

 

And some Roman tombs, dating back thousands of years...

and some other un-identifiable things...