Adiós Spain-Seville, Granda and Valencia

Spain, my home for two months, was coming to a close. Yet there were so many places I wanted to see before I left! Unfortunately there just wasn't enough time. The unspoken travelers' rule is, you don't go backwards, and Carnaval in Venice was a fast approaching commitment.

Seville, the birthplace of flamenco, was my first stop after Portugal and before Morocco. A beautiful city where the cathedral supposedly holds the remains of Christoper Columbus. At least there is a huge tomb dedicated to him. Portugal claims to have the remains and so does Cuba so who knows. But everything in that cathedral is enormous! It's like it was built for giants. Since it is the third biggest cathedral in the world it would probably seem odd if things weren't built to scale. It was the days before New Years Eve and Seville was more crowded than I'd expected. As such I never made it into the palace, which I've been told is a must-see. I spent a couple days walking around, exploring the city and really enjoying the non-touristy part. It had a much better feel, was less crowded and the restaurants were fantastic and comparatively cheap. Of course I took in a flamenco show and was very impressed. According to Spaniards, a proper Flamenco experience must be viewed from the first or second row and does not include food because if you are distracted by food you can not experience the feeling of this dance that was born out of discrimination and oppression. It's not about technique or flashy dress but the conveyance of the passion. This couple had beautiful outfits and very skilled technique on top of the passion so it was an all around superb show.

I left Seville on NYE for Morocco through Tarifa. Although I only walked from the bus station to the port to board the ferry, I found it a very cute town that I would like to have explored a little more. Upon my re-entry into Spain I was informed by the customs officer that I have eight days left in the Schengen zone. Not completely surprised I was a bit concerned because I still have Italy to explore and had to get there by plane on day eight. There wasn't much I could do about it; I'd just take my chances. How do they expect anybody to thoroughly explore Western Europe in 90 days?? That's what it takes to properly explore one country!

I had skipped Gibraltar and Malaga to spend the extra time in my beloved Morocco so I headed straight to Granada on the recommendation of almost everyone I've spoken with about Spain. However, the scenic bus trip told me I need to return one day and extensively explore these missed areas.

Granada is talked up a lot and it's understandable. Less than a half million people in the entire city and surrounding area, it is international yet has a cozy feel. There is a university there that keeps the city young and vibrant and the surrounding mountains give parts of the city center a ski town feel. The Alhambra is just spectacular and walking around it's public grounds is a great way to spend a day. So is walking around the hills where the caves are. People still live in them, some fully developed into homes with the front built out to look like a proper house, others are open holes with a sketchy door or sheet for privacy. Flamenco shows in the caves are also a must-see so I did one of those touristy things that includes the bus ride and a little walking tour. It, too, was very good, but very different than the one in Seville. Overall I found it to be a great place, definitely a city that made the "short list".

My flight to Rome left out of Valencia and I had a day and a half to enjoy the city. There were zero expectations as it was never a place I intended, or desired, to visit. I've found that I'm usually most impressed with places when I have no expectations and Valencia was no different. The train station there is stunning! The inside is covered with ceramic mosaics on the walls, ceiling and tile. It invokes the imagination of times gone by when train travel was grand and elegant, making me wish I were traveling by train just so I could be a part of its future past.

I arrived with no plans other than to meet up with a Camino friend who offered to show me around his hometown. When I stepped out of the hostel at the appointed meeting time I was met with a big hug! It was a wonderful reunion and for twelve hours we walked throughout the old city, went to two very impressive museums-one of Roman ruins, one of ceramics- and in two churches, watched children perform traditional dance, drove to the beach where we had a delicious lunch, wandered around the new city, then he introduced me to his family: his wife, daughter and five-day old granddaughter, among others who stopped by to see the newborn. What warm and welcoming people and what a joy to hold such a tiny thing! I can't remember the last time I'd held a baby and never one so small. What an honor it was to meet them all and spend such time with a local family. At the same time it was very sad. It's easy to meet people and have fun for a couple days and leave. Sometimes, however, there are people with whom deeper connections are made and it makes the "good bye" much more difficult. One thing this traveling has drilled into me-and I say that because I liked to think that I don't need anyone- is that I do need people in my life. Everything is so much better when shared. I'm also getting a bit tired and I'd like to stop for a while and just 'be' somewhere without any time deadlines to worry about. The big question is...Where? That remains to be seen. For now, however, it's Adiós Espagñe, Ciao Italia!