Sevilla with Brenna and Rosa!

Rosa and Brenna Came to Sevilla!!

I had an incredible time with Brenna and Rosa in Sevilla this week! It was so wonderful to be able to show my friends this city that I love so much. And I think I was successful in getting them to love it too. The week was filled with eating, exploring, shopping, and dancing.

Plaza de España

On Thursday, we went to Plaza de España. It is not only beautiful, but I had one of the most interesting encounters of my life there. There was an old man (about 80-something years old) with a cute puppy that Brenna started to pet, naturally. He started talking to us in Spanish and asked where we were from. He told us that his dog's name was something in French but that he was Jewish and had spent time in Israel. I told him that I was Jewish too, and he got so excited! He immediately said, "Shalooooom!" and gave me a giant hug. He was so happy to meet another Jew, as there are very few in Sevilla, and he went on to say how I had such a beautiful face and white teeth and how Jews are the most intelligent and know many languages. He proceeded to offer me a job and a house. It was a hilarious encounter the entire time, but it was absolutely crazy when he started speaking in nearly perfect English randomly during the conversation. He had been aware that Rosa doesn't speak Spanish but failed to mention his language skills earlier. Eventually, I gave him my number because he could not remember his, but it was adorable to see him try. We had been standing there for a while and his dog had disappeared. So we went off in separate directions trying to find it, with him weakly calling the dog's name. I spotted it about a quarter mile away, and Brenna and Rosa chased him down. I walked with my new friend and he kept saying how happy he was and how precious I was. We eventually departed after getting the dog back on the leash, and he called me an hour later to give me his number. I seriously want this man to be my Spanish Jewish grandpa. He was beyond adorable and nice. Maybe I should randomly pet dogs more often...

Real Alcázar

We had several lovely meals together, ranging from countless tapas to nachos to Japanese food. It is so much fun to eat with Brenna and Rosa because they are so knowledgeable about food and analyze everything about it. I wish my taste buds were as alive as Rosa's. We celebrated Rebecca's birthday at a really cool restaurant with very sweet dishes. We bought mantecados, traditional cookies here, but they turned out to be the most filling, floury cookies ever. And we enjoyed some ham chips and the occasional gelato. Let's just say, we did not starve.

Parque Maria Luisa

On Friday night, the three of us went dancing at Buddha. It was very smoky and crowded, but we met some mildly entertaining guys and danced with them for most of the night. I mostly just wanted to watch this one guy who was an incredible dancer and dancing alone the entire time. I so admire amazing dancers, and he was stellar. It was a really fun night out, but I was dead tired by the end of it and smelled like an ashtray. Supposedly indoor smoking will be banned next year, and I seriously hope this comes into effect quickly. We went to a flamenco show on Thursday night, but they could not even enjoy the show because the smoke was so potent.

I am really sad that they have left Sevilla now. It was so nice having them here and traveling with them earlier. I hope they know how much I appreciate them coming to visit me. When I am so far away from home, it is a wonderful thing to have a bit of home come to me. I appreciate the endless laughs (usually at my expense) and interesting conversations we have had over the past 3 weeks. Now I await my next guests - my amazing family! They are coming on Thursday, and I cannot wait to show them around. I just need to rest my legs before that adventure begins...