Sunday Night Supper

Last night Alex, Xavi and I went to a little place around the corner from our apartment called El Gato Azul on Plaza de los Maldonados. Everytime you walk by you can see the cooks in the side window making these amazing looking pizzas from scratch. Alex and I split a Caprese salad (huge slabs of fresh mozzarella and tomato drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh basil) and a pizza Isla d'Elva (tomatos, mozarella, spinach, shrimp and oregano). Afterwards the three of us shared Panna Cotta con chocolate and the owner gave us free copitas of his homemade Limoncello.

Also -for those of you that I have been telling about my birthday - I found some pictures!! Alex surprised me by taking me to Aire de Sevilla Arabic Baths in Barrio Santa Cruz on my birthday for a session in the baths and a massage. The baths are underground and absolutely beautiful. There are 3 different rooms with baths varying from ice cold to hot as well as a room with heated marble benches and little tables with iced herbal tea and water to rehydrate and an aromatherapy sauna room. They make you make reservations in advance so that there are only a handful of people in the baths at one time so the whole thing feels very private and everyone speaks in a whisper, even the masseuses. The whole thing is ancient and lit only with candles. A definite must-do if you come to Sevilla. It was probably the most relaxing thing I have ever done in my life.

photos from: http://www.airedesevilla.com/

Things I have learned so far in Sevilla:

1. Things like red lights, crosswalks, one-way streets and police are merely a suggestion for how to drive. Proceed as you please.

2. Flamenco dresses are the couture of Sevilla. We looked at the HUGE section of flamenco dresses that were set up in Corte Ingles in preparation for Feria de Abril (I was told all the girls wear them) only to find they average 500 Euro. They also weigh about 50 lbs and appear to be completely hand-detailed. Um, is there a Forever 21 equivalent?

3. People here will take any excuse to close their store - siesta, obscure national holidays, a good futbol game, Sundays... You basically have to plan really far in advance for groceries etc for the off-chance that one of the aforementioned will come up.

4. It is perfectly acceptable for animals to take a dump in the streets or the middle of the sidewalk. About once a week a street cleaner comes around with a high power hose to wash it off.

5. As it is pouring rain and Alex is at practice I am trying to watch TV in Spanish.... about half our channels show Psychics - in a few hours they will all be showing free porn.