Slowly becoming Sevillanos

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Being in Spain last fall was a lesson in slowing down. Seville in particular was the perfect backdrop for a slower paced vacation. So while we made the rounds in Seville – a soccer match, some flamenco, the Plaza de Toros and the Metropol Parasol to name a few – a lot of my favourite memories are from fairly pedestrian activities and from just savouring being in Seville.

On our first night in the city, after leaving a flamenco show, we swung by our apartment, picked up some drinks and snacks, and headed for the Plaza del Salvador.

Iglesia del Salvador

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Late night soccer in Seville

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When you think of Spain it doesn’t take too long going down the list of cultural touchstones until you reach the beautiful game.. fútbol.  So while I would want to go to a match simply for the pure enjoyment of watching the sport, I also wanted to experience this important Spanish slice of life while I was in Seville.

The city has two teams – FC Sevilla, the more accomplished and decorated side, and Real Betis, the city’s “second” team that has struggled throughout its history.  Real Betis is known to have some of the most loyal supporters in Spain, even drawing huge crowds when they bounce down to the country’s second division, a place they were as recently as the previous season.  But this year, they ascended back into La Liga, and on a Saturday night in October, were taking on RCD Espanyol.  With a little help from our Airbnb host back in Madrid, we obtained tickets for the match, and were among the first people through the gates when they opened at the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Inside Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville

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Las Setas de la Encarnación

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After visiting the world famous bullring, the Plaza de Toros, the next stop on our first afternoon in Seville was decidedly less steeped in history and tradition.  In fact, Sevillanos are split in their opinion of the newest architectural icon in the city: contemporary artistic landmark or unsightly blight crammed in alongside traditional centuries-old buildings.   Me?  I loved it.   

The Metropol Parasol is known locally as Las Setas de la Encarnación: the “mushrooms of Encarnación” on account of the six parasols of the structure resembling giant mushrooms. Back in 2004 the city of Seville decided to redevelop a public square which had sat dormant since the mid 1970s.   Designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer, one of the main design ideas behind the structure was to create shade, a precious commodity in Seville.   The structure is the world’s largest made of wood to be held together by glue.  Yes, glue.

Metropol Parasol in Seville

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Take any turn on a dime

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For most of my nearly 42 years, I have called Halifax home.  I had lived long enough in Ottawa and Toronto to have collected postal mail, and spent time living out of a suitcase on extended work stays in St. John’s and Philadelphia.  But on each of those occassions I knew I was coming back to Halifax at some point in the not too distant future.  That’s not the case for this one.  My wife and I are packing up our home and with exciting opportunities and adventures ahead,  I will be saying goodbye to Halifax and hello to somewhere I never would have dreamed I’d be heading – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

And yes, I am fully aware of how cold it gets there in the winter.

Saskatoon

When an opportunity presented itself to continue my career at the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, my first stop was to read Saskatoon’s Wikipedia page to start some rapid research.  All I knew of Saskatchewan was its stereotypes – lots of wheat, Corner Gas jokes, “the easiest province to draw”, Roughriders!, and the cold.  Even as I embark on this adventure, I don’t really know that much about my new home.  I’ve spent a scant five days in Saskatoon.  It made a very favourable first impression, but there’s lots to learn and experience and that’s part of what has me excited about this move.

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Bullring or bullfight

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Prior to our trip to Spain, I really struggled with the question of whether or not to attend a bullfight.  We had a chance to see a major end of the season event in Madrid, and when I travel, I’m usually all in to experience a slice of unique culture.  On one hand, bullfighting still holds a special place in the hearts of many in Spain. This was a chance to see something truly Spanish, and at its most prestigious and highest level. Part sport, part art, part spectacle, there was something very appealing in an opportunity to experience this part of the world through an event so entrenched in its culture, even if it may not appeal to my Canadian senses. But on the other hand, I love animals (though, conflicted, still eat them) and don’t think I could bear watching six bulls be killed over a two hour period.  It was a once in a lifetime type opportunity, but I wasn’t sure I had the stomach for it.

A few weeks before leaving, I decided against seeing the bullfight (to the telling relief of everyone who knows me well), and opted instead to visit the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla to see one of the most decorated bullrings in the world.   Shortly after arriving in Seville by train from Madrid, my wife and I walked up to the gates of the Baroque styled amphitheatre and purchased tickets for one of the scheduled tours.

Plaza de Toros in Seville

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Scenes around Madrid

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For the last word on seven spectacular days in Madrid back in October, I present an assortment of the sights that didn’t end up in anything else I’ve written since my visit.   Here is a pictorial essay on some odds and ends from Madrid, a city that captivated me.

The quaint street of our apartment in La Latina, well away from the throngs of tourists – Calle San Isidro Labrador:

Calle San Isidro Labrador

Around the corner from our apartment, this was the view we had every day and night on the walk home from the subway after being out on the town – Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande:

Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande

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A Champions League rout in Madrid

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Before leaving for our trip to Spain, I was poking around looking at club football schedules to see if I could wrap a second match into our two weeks with a day trip outside of Madrid or Seville.  Being the soccer fan neophyte that I am, it was only a couple weeks before our trip that I realized I should check the Champions League schedule as Madrid’s two teams and Sevilla FC were all in the competition.   To my astonishment and excitement, on the second last night of our trip, Atletico Madrid was playing a Champions League match at home.  Splurging for great seats, I tucked two tickets into our luggage for the trip across the pond.

To say I was excited heading to the match would be an understatement.  We took the metro to the south west edge of the city and walked to the Estadio Vincente Calderón.  The streets fanning out from the stadium were already filling with fans more than an hour before kickoff and every twenty feet or so there was a table selling merchandise in the red, white and pale blue of Atletico.

After entering the stadium, we started to make our way toward our seats. Coming out of the concourse on the second level, we emerged to the sight of the pitch in the late evening light.  Beautiful.

Entering Estadio Vicente Calderón

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A week of tapas in Madrid

/ Greg / 3 Comments

Not one single proper sit down meal in two weeks in Spain.  Honestly.  Zero.  Nada.  I was far too enamoured with the idea of tapas to give away precious space in my stomach to a “normal” three course meal.   See, tapas is the perfect solution to my natural inclination to inhabit more informal and casual eating and drinking establishments and for my desire not to commit to one portion of any food.  If you’ve ever eaten in a group with me, you’ll know me as the person eyeing everyone else’s dish with envy.  For a week in Madrid (and I’ll write separately on my tapas adventures in Seville later – this post will be long enough as it is), I hopped, skipped and jumped my way through some outstanding bars and snacks.

I got started on my first afternoon in Madrid at the Mercado San Miguel.  Jammed wall to wall with people having the same idea as me, I did a circle of the eating stalls before settling on a perfectly perfumed paella served with a rustic Rioja.  The server made sure I had my fair share of the charred rice bits in my dish (those alone should be a snack!).  My first tapas in Spain was a rousing success.

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