Sevilla

Before arriving to sunny and luscious Sevilla on Sunday morning, Tom and I decided that we would have an an all-nighter (for old times sake) with Rick. What followed was a long 4 a.m. bus journey to the airport, sitting in front of a VERY loud and chatty Pole (Tom and I had attempted to shut him up by giving him a bit of NYC sassy attitude, quickly realizing that our efforts were futile. So we gave up and went back to sleep). The airport was an easy breeze, though we were still on about 15 minutes of sleep and then a turbulent, stiff neck Ryanair flight into Sevilla. Just the sight of the sun (after a rather cloudy and dreary 17 days in England), straightened us out and put a big ol' smile on our faces.

There is nothing like sun shining all day on tiny cobblestone alleyways, terraces with overhanging greenery, warm-hearted and open-armed Spaniards who prefer to eat all day and drink all night.

Tom bought a hat and I cut my hair. At the family-owned pension that I stayed in 5 years ago, some family members have welcomed us into their lives again.

Instead of buying a guide, we decided to invest in a Spanish phrasebook/dictionary. Tom is getting more and more confident in conversation as the days go by (as he didn't speak a lick of Spanish), while my Spanish is slowly waking up. We are having a blast confusing the locals!

The Carboneria is a family owned garden and what now has become a hot tourist spot for the young (I believe it has recently been added to the guides), where locals and amateurs come to perform flamenco.

Hmmm....Sevilla. There is nothing like a fully lit square where everyone mingles around the food, the wine, the romance and the largest turd you´ve ever seen...