Single-handedly Feeding Seville's Tourism Economy

Work has been very fun recently. Though I’m still not 100% enthralled by the work, being in the office with Mercedes and Matt is definitely helping. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not that the work is by nature boring, I just think that I am learning that this sort of work isn’t what I want—I’d like something more active, not a desk job, per se. Anyways, what I’ve been up to at work has been a series of 3D modeling projects. These include things like projecting piping diagrams onto 2D views; modeling equipment, such as consoles, turbines, cables, and machines; and performing analysis for what equipment should be used to drill certain holes given the size and space constraints of the location of the hole. Matt has been working on wireless communication between ships, and Mercedes, proofreading documents and 3D modeling as well. We’ve sometimes gotten funny looks from people when we take our “pararse” break (when the apple watches tell us it’s time to stand up) on the :50 of every hour, but we have fun so that’s the best part.

In the last few weeks, it has gotten to the “Sevilla hot” that I was warned about. It’s not uncommon to see signs on pharmacies and advertisements showing the temperature as 45°C (about 115°F). So, we’ve been doing our fair share of water activities. This includes going paddleboarding down the Guadalquivir, and going to the waterpark, Agua Mágica. We actually really, really enjoyed our time at Agua Mágica, but there are a few cultural differences between the Spanish and Americans when it comes to waterparks. First, they are much worse at waiting in line than we are back at home. Most lines are just mobs, and it's not unusual to be cut as well. Also, you need to wait twice for each waterslide—once at the bottom, to get your tube, and another time to get on the slide.

One funny thing that happened at the theme park… I was wearing my FC Sevilla jersey, and this group of middle school kids mistook me for a player on the team, by the name of Oso. They quickly realized that I do not speak Spanish, and that disqualified me from being Oso, but they continued to treat me like him, taking pictures, putting up heart hands, and blowing kisses. They had us all laughing, and it’s a great memory to take away from the park, for sure.

Naturally, I don’t have a lot of pictures of the water activities, but I assure you, they were both fun! The waterslides are similar to American slides, featuring toilet bowls, ramps, and the like. I’m excited for my upcoming visit to Siam Park in Tenerife, though, as it’s supposedly the best waterpark in Europe!

Otherwise, the last few weeks have been spent showing my parents and Johnny around the city. This meant doing all of the tourist things over again (twice), doing a lot of walking to different spots, and braving the heat just so we can get more packed in. My mom and dad stayed in a very cool hotel right at the edge of Santa Cruz. It was completely typical Andalucian, with many small patios on the inside, lots of colorful walls, and the classic octagonal fountains spewing just a small amount of water. They, like most places here, also had a rooftop pool, complete with a wonderful view of Santa Cruz. We also went to Cádiz, and spent the entire afternoon by that small beach with the bridge where I had spent the last hour or so last time I was there. What my dad pointed out was that there was virtually zero English spoken at the beach. It was definitely a local experience, and I think we all appreciated getting out of the tourist-ridden Seville. And not to forget, the weather in Cádiz was so much nicer that it made the water feel almost too cold to get in at first…

I mentioned last time in my Cádiz post that there was a bridge which people jumped off of, and that it was a more common thing at high tide. We happened to be there at high tide, and though mom had vetoed the idea when I brought it up, after seeing just how many kids were jumping off with no problems, not only did she let me jump, but she did herself! This was unfortunately not the Fourth of July, but the Fifth instead. So, we did get our Fourth of July water festivities, just a day late though. And let me tell you, the whole scene was great. You had dozens of local kids all taking turns jumping. The water was deep blue, the bridge was bright yellow. You could see for miles in both directions to the open ocean and the ancient city of Cádiz. And everyone was having fun. Without their phones, just enjoying each other’s company and the thrill of jumping off a bridge. It was one of those moments of just pure fun, the same kind of fun that those in Cádiz centuries ago would have enjoyed. I am honored to have partaken in the age-old tradition of bridge jumping in Cádiz :)

Around Seville, we did the classics… Alcázar, Las Setas, Maria Louisa Gardens, etc. The worst part, though, was that the Plaza de España was closed when we tried to go. They’ve been holding a music festival there for the last month, and the plaza was totally closed off when we went to visit. I’m so bummed they didn’t get to see it, and it’s a complete shame that even if it wasn’t closed, it would have still been covered in ugly scaffolding. We did spend a while in the park around the Plaza, admiring the pretty fountains and funny-looking birds.

So, if you look back to the bull fighting post, my dad commented that he’d rather not go and see a bull fight. But I knew the Plaza de Toros had a tour, and I suggested on our last day that we go and give it a visit. Of course, the colors, the architecture, the history, costumes, music, and artistry of the Real Maestranza make this place truly spectacular, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. And as soon as we walked in, my parents began to feel it. We got to sit in the stands and imagine what a bull fight would be like. But we didn’t have to imagine, as there was one going on that night. Out of nowhere, my dad suggested changing the trains and hotel registration to get a chance to see the bull fight, and we tried. In the end, it wasn’t possible; Renfe was giving us a hard time about buying tickets to Madrid in the morning, and it would have been cutting it close with the timing at the airport. But I was surprised, and it warmed my heart, to know that they genuinely considered going.

When I came back to do the Real Maestranza tour with Johnny, I was shocked to learn that the stands were closed, but instead of being able to sit in the stands, you could go in the ring itself. When I stepped onto the ring, and started talking to Johnny, the first thing we heard was the echo. I’ve heard that, for example in the Big House, the crowd is quieted by the architecture of the stadium. This was the opposite. The crowd would have been amplified. I can only imagine how loud the whistles upon the death of the bull, the “olés” and “vales” as the fight goes on, would sound. On the field, the dirt is bright, bright yellow. Walking through a park in Seville, you’ll be on yellow dirt. It’s not unusual here, but I’d always made a point of admiring it; it is, of course, something that you don’t see anywhere else. Not even in Granada or Córdoba, for that matter. But walking on the Maestranza, you’re standing on alien soil. It is bright yellow, almost like someone dumped a can of yellow paint on the ground. It is stunning, and adds to the surreal nature of this historic, artistic place. A circle of red dirt also runs close to the edge. Is it bloody dirt? I’d doubt it, simply because it’s always in a double ring in a near-perfect circle. The power of the place hits you immediately, as you step onto this landscape elsewhere unparalleled on Earth.

I think the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla may be my favorite building I’ve seen in the world so far.

With my mom and dad, we also bought a very, very cool (and expensive) piece of art depicting a torero fighting in front of the Maestranza. But the artist was very knowledgeable about bull fighting and had contacts in high places. He had authentic, used equipment for my dad and I to play around with, as if we were toreros ourselves!

The weekend with Johnny was fun as well. We didn’t get as much time to sightsee as I did with my parents, but we just enjoyed each other’s company, walked around a decent amount, and ate some typical Spanish food. His hotel was close to LIV, so that made things a bit easier. We did go up Las Setas, as well as to the Flamenco Bar, and we had a few Tintos together, so he certainly got a “Sevilla” experience nonetheless.

We don’t have too much on the docket for the next few days, but we leave for Morocco again Friday morning, so more updates in that realm coming soon!