Sat 28.Apr.2018
Madrid and Sevilla, Spain
A bright afternoon in Jerez de la Frontera, namesake and birthplace of
the wine called Sherry. The sun has an almost-summer intensity -
if you are in it, you could mistake this for a full-blown spring day. But
step into the shade, and the air is still only mid 60's F (18 C). I'm
still loving it after the last few weeks.
I've been in Spain since early April - where are the pictures?
For the week before today, I was in a hill town where my apartment had no
net connection. Anyway, here is the first round of this year's Spain
in April pictures.
Madrid's Terrapin Station
This big atrium at Puerta de Atocha (train) Station is called the tropical
garden. I still get a huge wow factor out of the herd of honest-to-goodness
live terrapins in the pool there.
Since Atocha Station is the hub for Spain's bullet train network, I
find myself back there once or twice, pretty much every time I visit Spain.
Some things you can't make up!
One last Madrid image - a neighborhood more colorful than respectable.
Sevilla
My favorite big city in Spain. It would have been better with sun and warm,
but hey, if you are going to be cold and grey, you may as well do it in Sevilla
as anywhere.
These porkers adorn an embankment of the Guadalquivir river.
Friendly, clean, and shabby lodging has become more difficult to get over
the past few years. The places are still there, still as clean, friendly, and
shabby as ever, but booked up much further in advance. And no longer cheap!
This one is right in the heart of town, a 12-minute or so bus ride from
the station.
Rooftop lounge (when not actually raining)! Shared refrigerators!
(Keep the ol' insulin good!).
Alameda de Hercules
A pedestrians-only boulevard, with cafes, and plenty of playgrounds
for the kids.
A busker entertaining kids in the Plaza de la Gavidia near
my digs. He entertained me too as I lingered over a coffee. I tipped him
decently when I was done!
Right across the street from my digs - an honest-to-goodness bricks-and-mortar
used book store!
Sevilla has two major inter-city bus stations, more or less on opposite
sides of the center. If you are going from point A to point B, and changing
at Sevilla, there is every chance you will need to take a city bus between
the two.
The Plaza de Armas bus station is well worth walking around back
for a look at. This must have been pretty ugly when it was a blank wall.
Two Fountains
Some fountain bottoms are painted blue.
I don't know why this one was
yellowish.
When you get a partly sunny day after a few rainy ones, wet street
images are a natural.
Both of these are on Calle San Fernando near the University
of Sevilla.
Not a pro, or even a busker. This was just a bar customer in a moment of
enthusiam. A good way to celebrate a bit of afternoon sun in the city of
Sevilla!