Flamenco & Tapas

Seville is known for flamenco dancing and tapas. It´s said to be at its best here.

On Thursday night, Bruno sent me where he sends all of his Couch Surfers: to a flamenco tabernas, a bar with local, skilled dancers and musicians performing for free. Or you can see flamenco at a Tablaos, which are highly touristy and pricey.

Flamenco consists of clapping, guitar, singing, rapid foot-tapping, and swirling dancers.

This dancer had it going on. I appreciated her intensity.






OK, back to food. Tapas... yum.

Seville claims to be the birthplace of tapas, which are small plates, appetizer size portions for cheap, like a few dollars.

Many tapas bars have food displayed on the bar. Additional items can be ordered off the menu, too. And you can order an entree size serving.

I tried shrimp with tomatos and onion. And the nice guys next to me offered me to try their dish of octopus in some sort of creamy sauce. This is why I like Spain, it´s totally cool to offer some stranger a taste of your food. As some of you who have witnessed, I´m all about eating off strangers´plates in bars. If they wanna share, why not?




This is what a typical bar in Seville looks like. People stand or sit at the bar, eat, and drink booze or coffee.

From what I´ve seen in Spain and France, coffee is an acceptable drink to order at most bars. Clubs excluded.

In Chicago and most of the US, you don´t go to a bar to drink coffee, you go to a coffee shop. If you went to a bar, chances are the bartender would be pissed he had to make a pot of coffee.

Seville pics

I don´t even know what to say. I like this city a lot. I wish I could have stayed a couple of days longer, but I have 7 days until I have to be in Madrid to meet some friends and I want to see more of Spain. (No sweat friends.)

I feel like a broken record, but the architecture is beautiful. The bars and restaurants are as authentic as you can get. I feel like I´m in Spain.

Top pic is of the Rio Guadalquivir.




Palm trees and other lush vegetation line the riverwalk.












Building on right, I believe is an old fortress.















































All pics below are from the city park Jardines de los Reales Alcazares.

It´s an outstanding city park. The vegetation is so lush, exotic and copious. Many trees are gigantic that you almost feel enclosed in a little rain forest.

In pic to the left is a lovely mural.













Orange trees are inside and outside the park.

Porto! Porto!

Wednesday I arrived at Bruno´s place in Seville, Spain. He´s another Couch Surfing host.

Him and his friend Alfredo (in pic below) picked me up at the train station and headed back to his place for dinner, beers and futbol.

We watched his home team of Porto, Portugal play against, well, I can´t remember. Anyways, in order for Alfredo and I to get a beer we had to chant "Porto! Porto!".

And when they scored we had to stand up, hug and shout "Porto! Porto!".

These two guys were very huggy, not just with me, but with each other. I´ve noticed French and Spanish men are more affectionate towards each other than American men. For example, French men give one kiss on each cheek. I´ve seen Spanish men do it, too.


Alfredo is Mexican. He lived in France for 2 years and is now living in Spain. His English is poor and I don´t speak Spanish so we would try to communicate, but ended up just laughing a lot because we couldn´t communicate.

Their friend Marco came by during the game, but he´s not in any pics.

After the game we went to a couple of bars and headed home.







A little spread of cured meat, cheese, bread, and Spanish beer, Cruzcampo.








This meat and cheese was out of this world. So good.

The proper way to eat it according to Bruno is to take a piece of bread, slather some butter on it, and then add a piece of meat and cheese. It´s good, but I don´t need the butter.

And he served some sauteed jalepano peppers and frozen pizza.

Spain, it´s where it´s at

I arrived in Seville, Spain last night. I was planning on staying longer in France and visiting Aix-en-Provence and Perpignan, but the weather was crap, so I headed south. And I was tired of France. It´s expensive and the people are only OK (my hosts and their friends excluded). I´m not trying to rip on ém, but it just ain´t my style, I guess. I like countries, cities, etc, where the people are down to earth and friendly. The people I came across were a little stuffy and not overly friendly.

One reason I loved Denmark and The Netherlands, and now Spain is because the people are really nice and friendly.

So at this time I have no desire to visit France again, unless it´s with my foodie pal, David.

Now I´m in Spain and I´m loving it. I wish I would´ve came sooner.

I´m Couch Surfing at Bruno´s. He´s cool and so are his friends.

Goodbye My Love

Dear French Pastry,

I´m sorry, but I must leave. Oh, how I´ve enjoyed your fresh, flaky, chewy, and chocolate goodness, but it´s time, because if I eat one more, I will grow a second chin.

So until we meet again, farewell, My Love.

WE DID IT!

We elected Obama! I´m estatic and tearful all day today!

I´m dying at the same time. Election results did not come in until 3 am my time; therefore, all bars and restaurants were closed. In addition, my hotel has no English TV channels, no computer and no phone! I was totally shut out from the world! I obviously didn´t plan well.

I barely slept last night. I tossed and turned, kept thinking about the election.

And I left Montpellier, France at 7 am this morning. So I´ve been on trains all day and as of now have 1 hr until my next train leaves, which arrives in Seville, Spain at 7:30 pm. So needless to say I've been completely out of the loop! The only reason I knew Obama won was because Philip texted me updates.

This is progress! Electing a black man as the President of the United States. How f***ing unbelievable, and what a groundbreaking time in our history. It feels absolutely great!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me any election details from yesterday. Even if you think it´s stupid, tell me. What was the mood at work, outside? Did you go out? What was it like watching Obama speak in Grant Park?

Why I Love Mike Barski

Check out his blog about my trip at

http://brookeshalftimereport.blogspot.com/

Saint Guilhem-le-désert, France

On Sunday, Bérengère drove me to this little village outside of Montpellier. Unfortunately, it rained a lot so we didn't walked around much, but it was still nice to see.

During the summer, people canoe and swim in this river.

Why?

Why do people have to eat food in an internet cafe? Do you really think I want to smell your stinky a** sandwich, and listen to you eat? No, I don't.

And in case you can't read, there's a sign that reads no food.

Same applies at home when people eat McDonalds or KFC on the train. Gross. Eat it in the restaurant.

Nimes, France

On Saturday, Bérengère took me to the city of Nimes, one hour outside of Montpellier. What a beautiful city. The Roman architecutre is amazing.



Example of a Roman waterway system.

Inside a colosseum.

A colosseum. Bull fighting takes place here, as well as concerts and other events. Yes, bull fighting is a sport in some parts of the south of France.

Same colosseum.

Examples US Election Coverage in French Publications

Obama and McCain's faces, OK mostly Obama's, have been on so many French newspapers and magazines. And of course, it's covered constantly in TV news.

To the left, a satirical publication, like The Onion. Headline reads: Bad work... it's always for the black people.














Headline reads: Can he win?













Headline reads: The last chance for America

I'm tired

No, I'm exhausted.

I left Bérengère's today and I'm staying in a cheap hotel today and tomorrow to just relax. She said I could stay at her home, but all I want is to sleep and lay around, all day long.

I need some rest badly. I've been partying like it's nobody's business for the past few weeks. I'm too old for this!

Montpellier Pics

I think Montpellier is one of my favorite cities I've visited thus far in Europe. I love the elegant architecture, narrow and cobbled streets, and the parks. And it's 15 min or less from the Mediterranean Sea, but I haven't visited it yet because the weather has been dreary.

It's considered a college town, but there's a mix of all ages. And there is an immigrant population from North Africa, the Middle East and Italy which is evident due to the kebab and pizza joints.

I had many Parisians tell me not to visit Montpellier. But I took their opinions, like I do many, with a grain of salt, because they couldn't give reasons why not to go.

I can't explain it, but I just like the vibe here. And I think I like it because it's not posh, like Paris.

A Roman aqueduct. For info read: aqueducts or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitation_in_Ancient_Rome

The Romans were the first to create a modern sanitation system for water. I find it fascinating.

Happy Belated Halloween

The French do not celebrate Halloween like Americans. From what I was told, it's only become somewhat popular in the last few years. Some kids go trick or treating, but many households do not have candy available.

On Friday night, I only saw a handful of people dressed in costumes. Pic above is a Couch Surfer who lives in Montpellier.

Bérengère and I.

On Friday was the Montpellier Couch Surfers meet up. In many cities around the world, there are meet ups with local Couch Surfers. Everyone in the pic lives in Montpellier with the exception of myself and the tall dude in back.

In Amsterdam, they have meet ups every Friday. In Chicago, they've only had two meet ups thus far.

We started the night at a wine bar and then went to a club where we danced until 4 am. It was a lot of fun. 

Arrived in Montpellier, France on Thursday

I'm staying with another Couch Surfing host, Bérenègere. She's great. I like her a lot. It's a little difficult to communicate at times, because her English is fair, and I don't speak French. But we get along just fine. 

Thursday night, we met two English people I know through my previous job, Jess and Stephen, both have lived in Montpellier for the past few years.

We started at a cozy wine bar and then had dinner at a French restaurant. 

Sorry no pics. I totally forgot.