Spain

The day before arriving in Spain, Lara, Kathy (UVa librarian and Curry pride graduate), Marianne (linguistics professor), Eileen (asst. librarian), Pati, and I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast on the ship. True, the mashed potatoes and stuffing weren't anything like Mom's, but the turkey, rolls, and cranberries were more than adequate. The company was fabulous; you'll notice the turkey centerpiece courtesy of Pauletta's visit to Turkey (no pun intended).

Our first day in Cadiz, (pronounced Cadith) Spain, the oldest city in Western Europe, was spent wandering around its churches and cathedrals.

I loved the gargoyles on many of the old edifices; so many of the buildings were erected during the time when sea travel was done only by the likes of Ferdinand Magellan and Amerigo Vespucci. I'm glad I waited for the luxury of the MV Explorer.

That evening Lara led a FDP, or Faculty Directed Practica, trip to Chiclana and I came along. After watching a bloodless "bullfight" demonstration with a bovine that was neither mature, male, or aggressive, we enjoyed a flamenco dance demonstration. Flamenco dance originated with the Andalusian gypsies and involves a lot of clapping and steps that are neither shuffles nor stomps. It was a beautiful exhibition.

After the demonstration one of the dancers selected me to join them. Buoyed by the sangria at my table and more aware of the attention I would call to myself if I didn't dance, I joined in. While all signs point to finishing the dissertation and giving up any dreams of professional dancing, flamenco was a welcome change from the line dancing that had been plaguing us in the faculty staff lounge.

The next day I met up with Jeannie, one of my roommates from graduate school in Charlottesville, and we headed to Sevilla. Jeannie is living in Valencia, Spain, this year, teaching Spanish to UVa students studying abroad there and English to two classes of Spanish students who are also enrolled.

Legend says that Hercules was the founder of Sevilla and we arrived there after a two hour bus ride. Our time in Sevilla was spent enjoying wonderful tapas, sangria, wine, and baked goods...so delicious. Jeannie found us a comfortable hotel with vaulted ceilings, antique furniture, and classical decor for a more than reasonable amount of Euros. We enjoyed eating our way through the city.
We did make time for a visit to the Alcázar Palace, an old Moorish fort that was expanded in major ways over the centuries, first beginning in 1364.

Given its Moorish background, the design was largely Islamic; its architecture known as mudéjar a well-known style under Christian rule.

The palace houses beautiful gardens, tile work,
and intricate detailing in its tower and steeples. Several monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar and it was fun to see what royals were responsible for what. One of my favorite spots was a huge fountain overarching a massive outdoor garden.

And what visit to Spain would be complete without a horse, of course? Jeannie and I sprung for the horse drawn carriage tour of the city. our steed did not disappoint!

cathedral and Giralda tower


After learning to barter and maneuver throughout several Asian countries, resembling the good ole US of A in neither infrastructure nor culture, visiting Spain was such a snap. I honestly found myself thinking, "Really! Really? Spain, is this the best you can do?"

While I know this sounds arrogant, I say this not because I didn't have an amazing time in Spain, or appreciate what it had to offer, but for a different reason entirely. Exploring a country where so many people spoke English and so many people in our group spoke Spanish meant an acculturation and acclimation that was much more seamless than my experiences in countries like Egypt, India, and Vietnam.