settling in and planning

 Sunday we had brunch at home.  Tried a new (to us) pizza place that night. Some hits and some misses but the weakest point was the service. The place was full of Italian speakers so it's clearly in the guide books for tourists from Italy. Phil was not a fan but I'd  come back for that pasta on a food crawl. Since Petit Comite is virtually right next door and Islamorada around the corner. I could put together a great meal from a course here and a course there. My Islamorada choice would be the Spanish tortilla made with truffles! And I'd end my meal like tonight, with gelato down the street at MITO. 

the walk home was lovely - we stopped for gelato at MITO and then went through the Cabildo, past the Edificio Adriatico, to the Plaza Nueva.

On Monday we went for coffee after sessions with Leslie our trainer.  We sat outside and enjoyed the fine day. Two views for our table on the sidewalk at Santagloria Cafe...

Later we went to dinner at MING2.  Phil had a hankering for hot soup and Chinese is one of the few places you can find that here (our sushi place has good miso! too). We had the crispy duck, gyozas, soups, fried rice, and seaweed salad, along with a French sparkling wine.

we had another lovely walk home - On Santa Patronas where our fave Chinese place is located. And where we had dinner tonight

The passage we use to get to several of our favorite restaurants, looking east.

The passage we use to get to several of our favorite restaurants, looking west.

A passage off a passage - it looks like a dead end but if you go right and then left, you end up in a beautiful plaza. It's our neighborhood so I know these streets. But take me to Santa Cruz, not so much, but I have it on my to list to learn Santa Cruz this year

At the corner of Carlos Cañal and Zaragoza (right by our fruteria and farmacia) this is a relatively new helado place with pretty good ice gelato but not as good as MITO.

On Carlos Cañal looking toward Bilbao (our street - just past the car and to the right)

Looking from Bilbao (our street) east on Carlos Cañal

Today we ran errands - Phil went to his Barber - yes it's actually the Barbe pof Seville... LOL. Then we met at the travel agency to arrange our old person discount card with the trains (Tarjeta Doro for Renfe) and buy tickets for our trip to Madrid with Lee in mid December.  When we got home DHL told me they were going to try to deliver my packages today so we waited for those- 

I have gone back to college age decorating - but instead of posters I am making large copies of my photos for the walls of our Sevilla apartment.  Two of the walls in the living room/dining room/myoffice  are photos of the Alcazar Gardens (Dining room) Interior (wall above my desk) and the Living room wall will soon be doors of Sevilla (school and two nearby buildings) 

So DHL brought those and then we went to pick up amazon packages including a couple of small lamps and a small table for the entry where we can leave hats, umbrellas, PHil's walking paraphernalia... etc. I spent the evening building the table and getting dionner together while Phil handled his Spanish class.

school entrance on the left and two others near the Plaza Museo where we lived last year during school.

Have to figure out how to hang the one on the left as it is a concrete exterior wall... never a dull moment.... this week we have two surprise visitors, cousin Christian is in town with his band for gigs on Friday and Saturday. Also long time friend Lori Callahan and hubby David Taylor are on a cruise around the complete continent of Africa (staring in Barcelona yesterday) and they will be in port in Cadiz (with an option to visit Sevilla) so we hope to see them on Friday. So that will be fun.

Here is a photo of Lori from our trip to Peru in 1999- and one of the group- Lori front and center with TB to her right, and in the back row yours truly and Rick Fernandez to my right and in between us is my former employee Pam Prednis (also in the group photo - back row- are Laura & Kathy who came from Kansas with Lori...)  Fun time - happened just as Lori was getting ready to move to Australia. (a mere 25 years ago!) YIKES!!! Our group was half of the fourteen total number....

above in Machu Picchu and below in Lima on the last night of the trip- 

More fun things to come - stay tuned.

Oscar leaves

 So Phil arrived and he had a chance to have a couple of meal with Oscar. Oscar was out with friends on Wednesday and Thursday so we caught up with him for meals on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. 

We went to Tienda Placido Y Grata  for dinner and La Escalona on a perfect weather day for an outdoor lunch. 

For dinner we shared the starters and dessert and each ordered a main - Fish for Oscar and Lamb for Phil and Pasta for me 

side veggies for Oscar's fish

We had a terrific lunch outside in Plaza Alfalfa at La Escalona. 

After walking by a number of good looking bakeries, we stopped at MITO for gelato and Oscar took a brief tour of the Art Museum, came back and picked up his bags for his train trip home to Madrid. 

Then we went to out to dinner at La Cayetana. After a large lunch, we decided on a smaller dinner. We shared all four dishes. Two starters: beef tartare and "matrimonio" (boquerones and anchoas) and then two medium platos - arroz Iberico and puntillitas with egg and truffle. We had our favorite server tonight Iryna.

So today we had a leisurely morning and made brunch at home with some terrific smoked salmon and fresh rolls for the "convenience store" around the corner (Carrefour Express) which are kind of like upscale 7/11 with less crap and more fresh food.... so on we go. This next week, Phil's first full week should be more in our normal mode without classes and trainer Leslie sessions etc... We aren't traveling until December, but Jenny comes to visit on the 13th of November and then Mike on December 3rd and  Lee on December 8th.  Then the three of us go Madrid for three nights and Lee continues his Spain  explorations while we return home to Sevilla. It is going to a be a busy year abroad for us. So stay tuned.