David & Kelly visit

 Late Saturday night our long time PT and hsi family arrived in Sevilla. They came by car form Sarasota to Miami and plane from Miami to Casblanca and plane from Casablance to Madrid and then by taxi to the train station in Madrid. The final leg was made up of train from Madrid to Sevilla and a taxi to our place. We had a few minutes to breathe before heading to dinner at La Cayetana. 

Turns out our current guests, David & Kelly and their young adult daughters Emma and Caroline love seafood and fish. So last night after they arrived around 9:15, we went to La Cayetana for dinner. We started with the ensaladilla (not as good as Brunilda) and then went for two plates of excellent tuna tartare followed by two plates of excellent tuna tataki, followed by two plates of gambas al ajillo. We also split a canelon of pork cheeks, two arroz Ibericos and an order of bunelos de bacalao. Then we rushed off to MITO for gelato. We got home after a bit of drama around the girls hostal accomodations. They all had been traveling for more than 48 hours but still looked reasonably fresh before crashing around 1AM on day three of travel (planes, trains, and automobiles) 

the next day, they saw pretty much everything in Sevilla! Had tickets to the Cathedral and the Alcazar (which they loved!) and did the Giralda and walked around by the River, went to the Toro d'Oro and its museum. We had dinner at Caspuerta. 

The next day they went to Triana Market and then walked down to the Plaza España (which they loved!) Along the way they had a couple of breakfasts and a couple of lunches each day. David fell in love with the jamon bocadillos. 

Our farewell dinner with David & Kelly and Emma & Caroline. We headed to Baco after a couple of last stops (orange blossoms have been in bloom all week and the city is scented with the most wonderful fragrance.) They purchased a couple of bottles of the lovely perfume of Sevilla (you guessed it, orange blossom!) We were only a minute late for dinner. 

We had two appetizers they hadn't yet tasted: Jamon iberico de Bellota and espinacas con garbanzos. Both were heartily endorsed. Then the three Griffith women shared a large salad with Jamon and goat cheese and then a Jamon and queso variada platter. David has the carriada  and Phil had the presa. I had the smoked salmon. We went to MITO for a last treat before leaving. We parted ways with the younger crew who went to their hostal and the older folks went home to Calle Bilbao.

A lovely visit. They were off this morning on a train to Barcelona. Now on to laundry. We are headed to France in ten days but have frequent guests in April and May. The weather has been just perfect so a great time for visitors.

meanwhile "back at the ranch" - Next term at Northwestern I chose something different. After years of media studies I thought it might be a new focus and really like the idea of learning about our most populous neighbor. I had nothing in school about Mexico other than "the Alamo." So we'll see how this class unfolds. Nine weeks to round out my "school year."

Now, a bit of a repsite for us before heading to the Dordogne for eight nights during Seman Santa. And just so you don't think we miss all the fun by being away here are two processions that have passsed by our balconies- one day time and one night time.... and we have been running into practice groups for the last two weeks late at night on our wlaks home from dinners.... 

so on we go... 

A visit to Mérida

We headed south an hour from Cáceres to Mérida.

 Mérida is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Province of Badajoz, and capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Located in the western-central part of the Iberian Peninsula   The primitive settlement was founded by the Roman Empire as Augusta Emerita in the 1st century BCE to allocate discharged soldiers, eventually prospering as one of the largest cities of Hispania and the capital of the province of Lusitania. Its ecclesiastical metropolitan seat was taken away by the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in 1119. Conquered by the Kingdom of León in 1230, shortly before the latter's final integration into the Crown of Castile, it was handed over to the Order of Santiago. On numerous occasions over the course of the middle ages and the Modern Period, it suffered from the effects of warfare due to its location close to the border with Portugal.

The place name of Mérida derives from the Latin Emerita, with a meaning of retired or veteran. It is part of the name that the city received after its foundation by the emperor Augustus in 25 BC, Augusta Emerita, colony in which veteran soldiers or emeritus settled.

Mérida has been populated since prehistoric times, as demonstrated by a prestigious hoard of gold jewelry excavated from a girl's grave in 1870. Consisting of two penannular bracelets, an armlet, and a chain of six spiral wire rings, the hoard was carried away to the British Museum

It quickly became one of the most important cities in Roman Hispania. It was the capital of the Lusitania province and later, in the 4th century, served as the capital of the Diocese of Hispania.  Emerita Augusta was also a terminus of the Vía de la Plata (Silver Way), a key Roman route connecting the gold mines with the south of the Iberian Peninsula. Mérida preserves more major Roman monuments than any other city in Spain, including a triumphal arch and the Roman theatre. (All Blue text from Wikipedia.)

Hence our planned trip- to this quite lovely small city that has Roman ruins sprouting up in the center of city streets and on the outskirts of the center as well as along the river. We arrived without too much drama and checked into the centrally located Parador. Phil and Mary went for a walk and I edited some of the hundreds of photos of Cáceres. We had dinner nearby at a place called Sybarit which was very good with excellent service.

ON the way home from dinner we passed under Trajan's Arch

and through a park in front of the Parador.

The restaurant was cozy and friendly 

Mary had eggs with asparagus and a few shrimp

Phil had the leg of lamb

I had tempura battered cabracho with blackened garlic.

We met again after breakfast the next morning and stashed our luggage in the car. Then went off to see some of the sights.

then on to the Temple of Diana which is well preserved mostly because in the later era it had a large house built within the temple structure - the remains of both are on view-

Then on to a Forum area - also contained within the modern city- 

then we went on to the Teatro Romano and the Amfi-teatro and finally the fabulous museum of antiquities. Then time forced us to head back to Sevilla in time for dinner and Mary's early morning departure. 

The Museum was chock full of outstanding mosaics and statuary. The only better I have seen were the ones in the museum in Tunis at the Bardo.

We walked back through the city and picked up the car at the parador. 

We got home before seven and went to the wine bar around the corner before heading to Manolo Mayo for dinner. Mary had the arroz seco, Phil had the partridge arroz meloso and I had a mushroom dish that was very hearty and more than I wanted because we were all saving room for one last MITO run. We shared jamon and boquerones for starters. And had a nice Cava to celebrate our time together. 

And now- getting ready to host David & Kelly and their tow daughters (the girls are staying at a nearby hostal.) who will be here in two days! Never a dull moment...stay tuned!