through AirportLand to Madrid, then Chicago

Back in AirportLand heading to the States tomorrow morning. A stop in Madrid to see Megan and Christian.  On  a 45 minute flight that took off on time and landed early. And you can see the snack we were served. Focaccia and cheese and jamon and a chocolate!  (a two hour flight on US legacy airlines won't even get you peanuts!) #justsaying

Then we met up with Megan & Christian and eventually Oscar & Candela too- for dinner at an Asturian restaurant...

the dish below was an off menu item - borrage with some ham and egg... it was excellent!

my favorite of the four desserts we had - the flan de queso! But the (not shown) cabrales cheese was magnificent as well...

We parted ways and headed back to the airport for a short night before our morning flight ot the US - 

For the first time in my life, as I watched the map on the plane pop up with the words United States of America, I felt an overwhelming sadness. I have been away almost seven months and plan to be in Chicago for the vast majority of the four months I will be in the United States. I love my adopted home on so many levels. There are so many things there I would now find difficult to give up. Fast trains; slow meals; Sevillaño blue skies; life without a car; real markets; raw milk cheeses; a whole new country to explore in depth. (Been to 49 of 50 US states and most of the 100 largest cities - many of them repeatedly) And over 80 countries later I can say I truly have a "travel Jones" but until the last few years I was always happy to return. And it breaks my heart that I now feel sad.

I wonder if the person who designed the map program for Iberia Airlines was Canadian? 

So we have been home roughly 23 hours and we are  progressing well on all the "chores" we need to do to get settled in for the next four months- LOL - laundry done from the trip back and mail sorted and mostly handled - packages opened and things put away... the usual post travel things. We had early dinner at Lou's (LOVE their salad!) and I was in bed before 10 PM (dinner time in Sevilla) and up before 5 AM... I can't believe how much you can get done if you are up then- I had groceries ordered and set up for 9AM delivery LOL, started on getting the deck in order for the summer. talked to three neighbors I ran into, had breakfast and lunch by 10:30 LOL ... and now have completed the catching up with the blog about our occasionally harrowing but also completely fun last week in Spain this spring. A surprise meal with Julie, dinner with Helena, and a fun, if quick, visit with Megan & Christian... not to mention a bird's eye view of the Virgen Mary right off our balcony! Life is good!

a visit from the Virgin Mary !

So after hearing the brass band all afternoon, we found out why. One of the processions (likely to open Feria tonight  - I think at midnight) came by. I have an impressive video I might have to load separately but here "she" is arriving down Calle Bilbao from Plaza Nueva.  Look at the second photo first to follow along with my narrative. The men with the beige head coverings are one of the teams who haul the icon around the city underneath a huge platform.  The "float" is about to stop and the team of hauling guys change over. In the first photo you see the skirts lifted from the platform and teams coming and going. In the video (either the third part of this post or another post) you will see the platform be raised and the white shoes of the hauling team start to move the float forward to make the turn in front of our building. They made a lot of noise but I found it interesting since we are never planning to be here for Semana Santa (when this goes on multiple times daily for a whole week) it is edifying. All photos from our living room balcony.

and another with the swap out of the guys who haul the platform around - 

So an interesting afternoon...

final spring week in SVQ

Just before we left Spain for the summer, we got a surprise visit from friend Julie Maise-Ferry who was on a cruise stopover. She and Phil have been friends since 1970. We got to meet for a quick lunch before she was off to tour Sevilla 

then later that day, we were continuing on the farewell tour of our favorites before leaving for the summer. That night we ate at Augurio. Menu items marked. Still loving the pez mantequilla tacos and the steak tartare bombitas. All good.

Then the following day of our final week in the spring in Sevilla, we dined at Desacato.  It's May and the sunshades are going up over the pedestrian streets and the plazas. We headed out to dinner at Desacato, another stop on the farewell tour (goodbye to Daniel!) We couldn't pass up sharing their fabulous tarta de queso. Items marked on the menu except the special main Daniel had made up for us of tuna belly (marvelous) and the tuna cheeks (Phil liked it - me, not so much). The weather was perfect for an evening stroll.

 

So our final day in Sevilla we decide to go out for lunch- (no food left at home)

After a difficult Friday (taxi strike in the AM with resulting HUGE traffic jam) dealing with administrative tasks. The history of our first appointment this week (Monday power outage while we were in the waiting room.... rest is history) Wednesday return appointment  with one part accomplished but the second part (a different office) their computers still not working from Monday outage. Thursday a national holiday - offices closed. So Friday the last working day before we departed for the States on Sunday morning we returned (delayed by taxi strike traffic jam) but found that the files given on Wednesday were not complete regarding the second task. So lawyers sent an email to a nearby copy shop to be printed and picked up by us (Phil! who could walk faster.) The government office close at 2 PM. I was holding the guy at "Mesa 6" with an explanation of how my husband was coming down the hallway with the missing paperwork. He said NO can't do it. It's after 2 PM. Phil arrived at 2:01 literally.  Then, after much talking on the phone with the lawyers and the police officers talking to the lawyers and the lawyers calling the officers' boss he gave us the papers we needed in order to leave the country and return. It was, thankfully, a cool day because given the taxi situation we might have had to walk home for the second time this week. But because it wasn't a power outage we were able to take the tram to just steps away from our home.  

So all of this is a roundabout way to get to Saturday lunch. I wanted comfort food. We had eaten here before but never on a busy day - Feria starts tonight.  So bottom line, the meal was disappointing but it was quick. 

Now we are readying ourselves to BEGIN  the journey to Chicago. First leg - to Madrid Sunday noon, then an overnight there. Then the following morning, a flight to Chicago on Monday. Tonight, last toss of food from the fridge, beds stripped for the summer. All those "close for the season" tasks to be done before we leave.   Poco a Poco.......

Our final farewell tour meal was VERY Sevillaño. Jamon Bellota Iberico, served with toasts and triturado (grated tomatoes with oil and garlic). Followed by tuna tartare (not shown) and boquerones en vinagre. Finally we both chose the arroz seco de Ibericos. A last stop at MITO rounded out our evening. The restaurant was completely packed by Feria-goers shortly after ten o'clock. We headed out about 10:20 and over to MITO. Much to do before the car picks us up at the crack of 11AM tomorrow.  We haven't left yet and we are already missing Sevilla. 

a few more things in Spain as we had some surprises before we were off to Madrid and then we had a good time with Megan & Christian and Oscar & Candela in Madrid so keep reading---