Madrid --> Sevilla

Yesterday feels like so long ago. I am sitting in an "Internetia" (Internet Cafe) here in Sevilla and have about twenty minutes left of the hour that I purchased. I woke up at about 11. Adarana had already left for work but Oscar, Lakshman, and Luciana were home. We spent a few minutes laughing about my stay in Madrid and then I got ready to leave. Adarana called me to say her farewell on her "lunch break," which I found very thoughtful. She convinced me to come back to Madrid before leaving España. I have left my suitcase in her apartment and am "backpacking" through Andalucia.

Oliver and I went out for breakfast at this little outdoor restaurant near Adarana's apartment. After days of crazy rain, we basked in the sunshine. It would have been the perfect day to bike through Madrid, but I had no time. We ordered tea and pantumaca, which is a specialty in the south. It is also called pan y tomate or moyete con tomate y aceite. Basically, it consists of pieces of bread topped with chopped / blended tomatos and olive oil. De-licious.

We people-watched, discussed Palestine, and made friends with one puppy and two four year olds. Oliver is a lot of fun, especially in public places. He's super laid back and doesn't care about offending people (primarily because I don't think he's capable of offending anyone). His philosophy in life is: No tengo tiempo para no tener tiempo (I don't have time not to have time; again, sounds better in Spanish). We left breakfast and took the subway to Lavapies, the Indian / African / immigrant barrio in Madrid. He termed it the most multicultural spot in Madrid, and, after seeing it, I have to agree. We stopped at a West African restaurant and had rice with some vegetarian curry. It was also "fenomenal." We discussed some interesting literary connections in Spain's classic literature which I won't go into here. One day, perhaps.

Realizing the time (4:30 PM), we decided to make our way to Atocha, the train station. I bought a ticket for the 5:00 train (cutting it close!) and said my farewell to Madrid. I was sad leaving the city. I think I could have spent every second of these twelve days and still not have been tired of it. The train ride was pretty. You could tell that the climate was changing as everything was much greener, richer, and (appearance-wise, at least) more fertile. I journaled, took a little nap, and chatted with the student sitting next to me.

When I got off the train, I could already feel the difference in human interaction. How? People smiled at me when they made eye contact with me! Who'da thunk? Sevilla is pretty. It's an old town which has retained a lot of its history and architecture. I saw a lot of the city last night. La Plaza de España and the park next door (can't remember the name) is so peaceful in the evening. It's beautiful, actually, apart from the huge construction job that is taking over the center.

I also met a few people and we spent an early part of the night sitting on the banks of El Rio Guadalquivir, chatting about life, relationships, and the importance of having direction for the future. It was interesting. Then, we went to see La Giralda, La Catedral, and El Alcazar. I was unable to enter any of these as they close at 7 and my camera had run out of juice, but I am heading there right now and will finish what I cannot see today, tomorrow.

I like Sevilla. It's quiet, peaceful, laid-back, and nature-friendly, but I do miss Madrid. There was something about that city. Something new to see and do around every corner. I felt like it was my city. Here, I feel like another tourist, despite getting to know locals and spending time with them. Then again, perhaps this will be a good change of pace. It may also have to do with the people I met in Madrid. Such good people.

Okay. Only got a minute left on this timer so I'm going to end this here without proofreading. Time to head back into the city!