Home of the Flamenco! 💃

Ola!

My travel mountain today might be that I am coming down with something 'cold like'. I noticed my palate was itchy yesterday on the ride home and during the night I was congested and my throat was tickly. I am committed to fending it off because no one wants to be sick while on vacation!! Perhaps I need to envision myself as a matador in the bull ring and the bull is the pesky virus! Eeeek ... that might not be the most pleasant vision? Forget I said that ... 🥴

Neither of us had much energy to spare this morning so we opted to eat breakfast at home again ... get some groceries ... do some more laundry ... run the dishwasher and then head out for a cafe leche! We have a great little Nespresso machine in our room, but we can't add cream to it, so we stopped at a little bakery down our street on our way to the Flamenco Museum.

We purchased tickets to see a Flamenco show tonight, but would never have thought to go to the museum first were it not for the suggestion of our AirBnB host. She indicated we would appreciate the show much more if we actually understood what we were watching. She was so right!!

It was absolutely fascinating to learn about the origins of Flamenco and all the different emotional elements that go into each of the different dances:

SOLEA - solitude and nostalgia
GUIARIA - grace and sensuality
FARUCCA - elegance and power
BULERIAS - game and seduction
ALEGRIAS - joy and happiness
SEGUIRIYA - pain and death
TANGOS - passion and sex

We learned that Flamenco has it origins in 711AD with the conquest of the peninsula by the Arabs! We also learned that it started in coffee shops as singing and then added very a precise, mathematical and technically specific combination of body movements (arms, legs, torso, feet, turns) expertly combined to express/illicit intense connection to emotions. Just like music, the most magnificent Flamenco maestros are the ones that effectively convey and spark a rich tapestry of emotion within the beholder!

It is a gorgeous sunny day here in Seville, so after enjoying the museum we toddled off to find a patio for some tapas and a vino blanco. My second attempt at paella LOOKED better but was ... entirely tasteless. I will give it a 4 out of 10 ... only because it had some peas and peppers and a few bits of seafood in it. I think I only gave the first 'Krill' one a 1/10 ... and ... that might have been generous given my experience of it. 😣

So ............. my search continues for a delicious paella like we had in Roses, Spain a few years ago. It was an easy 12/10!! I hope we don't have to venture all the way back there to find one that rivals the one in my memories before we fly home from Barcelona!

I forgot to mention that they do not put salt and pepper on the tables anywhere here. I have only asked for it once because I don't want to insult the cooks, but I might have to get braver if I am going to survive a month eating bland tapas!! They also eat dry bread. No butter!

The old boy just loves all the possibilities of tapas, but I find the food to be very fishy, very fried and very bland. As much as I love this country ... I am just not as fond of its culinary delights! I find myself craving some Ichiban ... some lasagna ... or better yet ... something spicy! I spied a little Mexican Cantina down the way from here ... maybe I'll convince the old boy to try it!?!

After a brief siesta at home, we headed off to the Flamenco show! And ... it was incredibly moving! The timing of the dancers impeccable foot work had to be spot on for it to to resonate within us so deeply. Our emotions were so touched by the intensity of the performance that the old boy even had some tears trickling down his cheeks! And ... the singers and guitar player were incredible. They worked in unison in such a remarkable way. We were seated in the second row and dead center stage! I am so glad we attended both the museum and the show.

We stopped for a quick tapa on our way back to our place and, I quote, the old boy had "the best" pork cheeks he has ever had. It's always a treat when your meal feels like the 'best ever'!!

All in all, we didn't do much today, but the things that we experienced filled our heart spaces in such a meaningful way! And once I add the pictures to this post ... I am going to skiddaddle right off to bed! I'm hoping some extra good rest will help me beat whatever is trying to take me down!

Good night from Seville, k&j ❤️Läs mer