Friday, December 29, 2017

Time for Tapas Part 5: Sleepless in Seville

For a city that peaked in the 17th century as the richest in the world, Seville isn't looking too shabby a few centuries into middle age. If this is what over the hill looks like, sign me up.



Magellan launched his epic circumnavigation of the world from here, the original Star Alliance round the world ticket. Amazingly they didn't lose his luggage although he did regrettably lose his head.



Hotel Alfonso XIII. You'd think with such a grandiose title they could manage a stroller ramp? Nope. Time to demote to XII.



Looks like one of those fake castles. What time is the lights parade and where's the fast pass entrance?



The imposing Granada Cathedral, the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. Which means the thought police are on their way to rip up the tomb for not having the appropriate Here Lies a Typhoid-Peddling Pillager disclaimer.



No one even bothers coming out until at least 10pm in Spain and it's not until 11 that things are really pumping. Not the worst thing when you've got a kid on New York time.



Flat tire? No worries the Vespa Doctor is on call!



Now that's a sign that's impossible to walk past. Bizarrely it's the sister cafe of one in Richmond, Virginia. Which kind of calls into question the whole single origin thing.




Is that the royal family? Yes it is, direct descendants of the Count Dooku line.



Let's show those pansy New World Central Park horses how we do it here in the Old World.



Plaza de Espana, built for some kind of expo in 1928. By the looks of it an expo actually worth seeing, unlike that one in Shanghai. Ahem.



Upon the founding of this blog Team J00ster vowed never to be caught doing the dreaded "touristy" stuff, of which the ubiquitous horse and carriage ride surely tops the list.  Well we might as well tell the driver to haul us straight to the Cheesecake Factory and call it a day. End of an era.



Which one is Columbus' tomb again? I want to let him know his Circle in New York is safe from the neo-liberals.



It's amazing what you can afford if you plunder an entire continent.




The futurist central market in Seville is a welcome respite from the endless lineup of cathedrals.


Tapas with a hipster twist.



Back at Plaza de Espana. Seems to have ripped off everything about Venice except the sinking part.



You did the carriage, might as well complete the trifecta and sign up for the gondola ride and hop-on-hop-off double decker bus. And then we'll hit up McDonald's on the way back to the Holiday Inn.



So just to ruin it for everyone, Plaza de Espana was used for the exterior shots of Naboo in Attack of the Clones. I guess it could be worse, you could be the backdrop for Canto Bight...



These Spanish kids don't know how lucky they are having a playground every couple of blocks.


Another day another gory bull fight. Oh wait, those flying entrails are  all that's left after Ryan tackles some giant Mediterranean prawns.



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