Category Spain
Leaving Madrid
Two days of meetings done. Little seen of the city but good connections renewed and the deliciousness of salmorejo discovered. Now back to London — but first a couple hours at the airport due to a delayed flight.
The streets of Cordoba
I didn’t think to check the opening times of the cathedral-mosque in advance — and since today is Sunday and it’s an active place of worship, I found myself with a little over 5 hours to kill between the Alcázar and when the cathedral-mosque reopened. Turns out there’s not all that much to do in […]
Cordoba
Here’s some advice for future travelers: do Cordoba first, then Sevilla. It will be easier to appreciate Cordoba’s charms when not comparing to Sevilla’s. Cordoba has an Alcázar. The palace is mostly ruined and nothing special. The gardens are wonderful, full of the noise of playing fountains and the intoxicating scent of jasmine. Not far […]
La catedral de Sevilla
In terms of volume, it’s the largest cathedral in the world (beating out the Hagia Sofia after a thousand years in the top spot) and third largest church (after Saint Peter’s in Rome and some other church I hadn’t heard of until I read about it on Wikipedia). Noteworthy, I’m sure, but to be honest, […]
El Alcazar
I think Islamic architecture may be my spirit animal. It just speaks to me in ways that nothing else does. The patterns and colours and elegant shapes laid out symmetrically and with water everywhere. It feels both maximalist and minimalist at the same time. Balanced and beautiful. That’s what’s behind the walls of the Real […]
Seville!
Praised be that I had the foresight a few weeks ago to tack on a weekend in Spain ahead of some meetings in Madrid on Monday. After one of the crappiest weeks in recent history at work, I need a mini break (and this just after a 4-day weekend in Ireland!). I left London a […]
Madrid after work
A long day of meetings is not so bad when your Spanish colleagues take you out afterwards for drinks on the rooftops . . . . . . followed by an incredible dinner of sautéed mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, steak, and melted cheese (all for only 20 euros!) at an old-school madrileno bar. I may however […]
Salmon at midnight in Madrid
When one misses one’s flight and gets in to Madrid too late for a proper dinner, one makes do with smoked salmon and sparkling water. Life could definitely be harder.
Adios, Madrid — hello, London
Today was a travel day, but full of a somewhat unusual luxury: time. My flight wasn’t until mid-afternoon, but Madrid on Sunday is sleepy and I had work I needed to catch up on anyway. So I slept a little later than normal, went for another long morning run, and then headed to the airport […]
Best thing I ate?
It’s a toss-up between the chocolate and churros from Chocolateria San Gines that I had for breakfast . . . . . . and the ceviche I had for lunch with sea bass, fresh strawberries, mint, sweet potato, and puffed Peruvian corn . . . . . . followed by grilled octopus with avocado, tomatoes […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 