D122 -- Paella #2 & flamenco too

Thomas found a place to do laundry this morning and it ended up costing us $35!!! Man, prices here are out of control!

Our guide book-recommended lunch place was closed, so we chose a random place across the street. I'd been feeling a little guilty about avoiding Spanish dishes so we ordered vegetable paella, jamón serrano, and manchego cheese. The cheese was strong for our tastes, and I think we'll never be fans of jamón serrano, but at least we gave it a shot. The paella was actually very good, though I guess the rice is cooked a little al dente by US standards. Since lunch was super pricey it was a shame we didn't have a fridge to keep the heap of paella leftovers (the serving was huge).

After lunch we went on a tour of the cathedral. It was still gigantic, but felt less showy and more reverent than the cathedral in Sevilla. I saw the strangest thing there, though. In many Catholic churches you can go light a candle and say a prayer (usually you make a small donation to do this). Well, instead of an area with candles, they had these around the cathedral. I don't know if they stopped using candles because of cost or fire hazard or what. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but “I lit a candle for you” just sounds so much nicer than “I had a light bulb switched on for you.”



























Thomas was cold and tired so he decided to head back to the hotel while I checked out the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel) next door. It's where Fernando and Isabel, known as “The Catholic Monarchs” are entombed. The chapel was quite beautiful, with very ornate altars and art work by painters like Botticelli. There were huge, beautifully carved statues above the tombs, and you could go below ground to look through glass at their 500 year-old iron coffins. It was such a strange feeling to know that within those coffins where the bodies of the people responsible for the European exploration and exploitation of the “New World.” Not to mention their involvement in the Inquisition!


After the laundry and lunch budget busters we opted for cheap fast food and then went to a club called Peña La Platería, supposedly the oldest one of its kind in the world. For just 6 Euro each we enjoyed two glasses of sangria each and some marvelous flamenco guitar and singing. The performers, Luis Millan and Manual Palma “Zahoreno,” were incredibly talented, and it was fun to watch their passionate facial expressions and mannerisms.


After leaving the Peña we stopped along the walk home to take some pictures of the Alhambra.

-Elva