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I’ve been here two hours and have already got lost in the medina, met two British women at an ATM that didn’t work (they have set hours, apparently) who I shared a cup of mint tea with on a restaurant balcony overlooking the Djemma el Fna – the huge square in the middle of the …

Cobblestone streets, winding, narrow passageways, wrought iron balconies, tiled entries. Burnished golds, terracotta and white walls. Sevilla exudes the air of a sultry, romantic, passionate woman who proudly, deeply knows herself. Romans, who founded the city, left behind walls, beautiful mosaics and columns. Seven centuries of Islamic rule gave the city amazing Moorish architecture, followed …

After flying in from Barcelona, then checking into the Hotel Plaza Santa Lucia, on the edge of the old quarter, I followed the hotel manager’s directions to a local mercato in search of room refreshments…gin, tonic, nibblies, water.  Another inquiry about somewhere to eat directed me to Los Pelicanos around the corner.  Very ‘caf’ as …

It takes five days to figure anywhere out…the metro, the food, the money…and to ease into the rhythm of the place.  Today, instead of dashing about to see the sights, I decided to just wander around the shops.  Not a hardship as there is an incredible array from the predictable high-end shops and chains found …

As I’ve been wandering around Barcelona, I am struck by the following about the oh so cosmopolitan Spanish…. The men are sexy….there’s a certain smoky directness that’s most appealing! They love: – Shoes and boots – even the security guards have stylish footwear. – Coffee – the best café con leche. – Chocolate – hot, cold, liquid, …

For as long as I can remember, seeing Gaudi’s fantastic architecture has been on my travel list.  Eager to get going, I bundled up against the +1 degree morning and set out early.  An easy Metro trip brought me to the foot of the steep hillside on top on which Park Guell sits.  The uphill climb …

On learning I had arrived in Spain, my helpful brother sent along these phrases.  Heaven help me if I need to use them! On learning I had arrived in Spain, my helpful brother sent along these phrases.  Heaven help me if I need to use them! ¿Puedes llamar a un doctor? Un pastor alemán me …

It’s 7:36 pm, January 21, 2011, and I am sitting in the ‘lounge’ of the Garden House Hostel in Barcelona.  Thanks to Lonely Planet, I figured out how to take the bus from the airport to the Plaza Catalunya, in the heart of the city.  From there, after a couple of missteps, I took the Metro …

There is nothing as cold as an English toilet seat in winter.