Cádiz the oldest city in Europe was our next stop for a night. We started heading to the water front and checking out one of the local beaches. Even found a sea side restaurant for lunch that had gluten free carrot cake for dessert.
Being an old city, means that streets weren’t designed for the modern modes of today’s transportation and are extremely narrow with tight turns. Our accommodations for the night were inside the old walls of the city. It was a harrowing experience for Will driving through the center of town in the rental car. There is a street that is more vehicle friendly that circles the outside of the city, but due to construction we had a maze like tour of the city center. Will did a great job, but got a few more gray hairs in the process. (When they ask you at the rental counter in Europe, if you would like to upgrade to larger car, just say no.) Finally, got checked in and our car safely parked. Our one bedroom at Maier Apartments was great. It had a roof top terrace and free use of the washer and dryer. We went to tour the cathedral and got there right before they closed the bell tower. So, right away I went to climb the tower. The bell tower has some pretty views of the Atlantic and of the city center. I then went back to tour the church and was alone in the crypt. The acoustics of the crypt create an echo that makes you think someone is walking right behind you. I literally kept turning around looking to see who else was down there. It was eerie.
Parking garage with its tight turns 
One night wasn’t enough for Cádiz, but we had to leave early the next morning as we had a tour scheduled in Seville. Got to the meeting spot just in time and were kept in stitches with our tour guide Lorena. We went to see the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral. And of course when given the option to climb the bell tower, I did. In my opinion this bell tower did not offer the great views of Cadiz’s bell tower and it was extremely crowded. Your time is probably better spent seeing more of the cathedral. Then it was on to the royal palace, the Alcazar. This palace can be still used by the King of Spain when he’s visiting Seville. Luckily, the current king stays at a hotel, so the palace can remain open for visitors. The three buildings are done utilizing vastly different architecture, which made it quite interesting. We also got to see one of the rooms used in the Game of Thrones. The room was used as the setting for the palace in Dorne for those of you GOT fans.
Grave of Christopher Columbus 
We got the penthouse apartment in Seville. Whoo hoo! What that really means is, we were on the top floor with no elevator. It was only the third floor (to us Americans that’s really the fourth floor). But once we climbed the stairs, the apartment was worth it. Had a large living space with a large bedroom, kitchen, bath and an outside terrace. Next door to the apartment, there was a large department store with a grocery store in the basement.
Will wanted to see an exhibit on Magellan at the Archivo de Indias museum. It was very well done and went through the around the world voyage that Magellan headed up in the 1500 hundreds. If you’re in Seville before it ends on February 23, 2020, I would recommend it. Magellan was trying to find a new way to the Spice Islands in Indonesia from Spain. He ended up being killed on the voyage, but 18 out of the original 248 crew were the 1st to circumnavigate the world. We also visited the park, Plaza de Espana, where a scene from one of the Star War movies was shot.
That night, we had scheduled a tour at a bull breeding farm. Yes, a farm that breeds bulls to fight in the bullring. It was interesting to learn about the bulls and what a special treat to get to see a young calf that had been born the previous evening. The son of one of the owners is in training to become a matador. Quite a choice for someone that has spent their life caring for these bulls and watching them grow.
Looking menacing 
A scuffle broke out 
Newborn and its momma
The next morning we headed over to Italica. This is an archeological site of a former Roman city. It is also the site where Cersei is introduced to the “White Walker”. Those GOT fans will know what I’m talking about. Will paid homage to his favorite character the mother of dragons, Queen Daenerys. Aside from that, there is a lot of history at the site with many beautiful mosaics that have been carefully restored. The guide also gives you a sense of how life was thousands of years ago in a Roman City. Since we had a car, meeting the tour guide there was a great option because we weren’t limited by the schedule of the bus returning. We were able to check out some of the other areas that the guide mentioned, but wasn’t time with the group.
Brings a whole new meaning to public bathroom 
Finally, our last official night in Spain and we were almost adjusted to the late night Spanish dinner time. Most restaurants will not serve the dinner menu until 9pm. We really enjoyed the tapas. Alyssa was flying out the next day from Madrid. So, after spending most of the day driving north, we got her to the airport in time and our car dropped off. We headed off to the hotel as we weren’t flying out until the next morning. Another trip in the books for us and only a couple days to catch up at home before we headed out again.
The Gallegos Restaurant 
Orange Wine? well it did have an orange taste 
Tapas