we leave for Spain

 so we arrived early afternoon on the day after Christmas having taken an overnight (seemingly interminable) flight--- ORD to MADRID to SVQ (Sevilla) 

Our driver dropped us at the end of the street "one week rental" for the holidays - as we don't get into our long term place until January 1st... 

I took a brief nap (never able to sleep on planes) and we went out for an early dinner and crashed. Of course the next morning we were both up waaaay too early - wandering around a dark apartment hours before it got light.

Sevilla is beautifully lit for the holiday season. 

   dinner the night of arrival- 

We had a banking appointment and had a lunch a Guichot (a place we always ate near school in the spring). We had dinner at Seis - horrible service and food came cold - so despite loving it last spring we won't be back-  We had another dinner at Torres Y Garcia - OK ut this was place we liked better at lunch time (also near school) 

Today we went to a hardware store where everything is behind the counter- no browsing LOL and bought some duct tape to temporarily repair Phil's damaged large duffle (that Iberia is replacing on Monday via DHL)  Had lunch at a diner place off Sierpes and ice cream from Gelateria MITO (Phil's favorite!) We hope to see my intercambio and her husband and new baby tomorrow.

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Pablo, baby Pablo, Julia (my intercambio from the spring) 

Julia and baby Pablo... 💖

so I am still finding Sevilla a photographer's dream city- just in ou walks to and from the meals and shopping we have seen so many beautiful buildings -  and window displays etc... 

hardware store was up by the Setas-  lost our blue sky today but they still impress with sheer size!

below- taken from our front door looking up our small pedestrian street Calle Estrella- 

So obviously more to follow- watch this space....

we finish 2023 and .....

 So we returned from NOLa and spent the next weeks organizing ourselves for the move to Spain and saying farewells to favorite places to dine in Chicago. A dinner at George Trois with Lee...

Then Oceanique with Ron & Mary

and then Il Milanese  

Then a terrific dinner at Lee & Nick's home for ropa vieja and black beans and rice--- YUM!!!

 

with adorable Diego to keep us company- 

and a strong cocktail from Nick - master mixologist!

 

an app for us to use to help soak up Nick's pre dinner cocktail 

and a final pre-Christmas meal with Mike & Leslie - after their return from the Galapagos -  Chinese food from Chengdu Impression

Then two days later we left for Spain - for five+ months!