SEVILLE-Flamenco

Seville is famous for Flamenco--a passionate performance of Toque (guitar), Cante (song), and Baile (dance). While there are many Flamenco tablaos in Spain and Seville in particular, Alex and I were on the hunt for something more intimate and less touristy. We were guided to La Carboneria where the entrance is free but the performance is genuine. Just the perfect place to get a true taste of Seville. 

SEVILLE

Seville was by far my favorite place in Spain (it's tied with Valencia). From Flamenco to Arab bath houses I found myself immersed in a relaxing world filled with winding streets, Flamenco tablaos and scorching heat!

SEGOVIA- PETA Members Beware

El Bernardino

In Segovia Alex and I had a true Segovian 3-course feast at El Bernardino. We started with a butter bean dish slowly cooked in chorizo, black sausage and ham, followed with the crispy yet tender suckling pig, and ended with a lemon cake. For me, this was one of the best meals that I had in Spain. Not only was it savory and delicious, but it was a true dining experience. After our meal we headed off to explore the Cathedral and the Alcázar of Segovia which was like bringing Disney to real life. 

Roman Aqueduct

Segovia Cathedral

Alcázar 

ÁVILA- Egg Yolk Candy, Yum?

In Ávila I found myself looking for my armor. The town is enclosed in a fortress and preserves the lifestyle of a true medieval town. Deciding to be adventurous culinary-wise I bought a box of the famous candies from Ávila  that have only two ingredients: sugar and egg yolk (drooling yet?). One bite into these little treats and I felt my morning breakfast almost come back up. This "delicacy" was invented by a Carmelite nun Saint Teresa of Ávila, and bless her soul, they obviously did not have Godiva back then. Not to let these interesting confections go to waste, I made sure to bring them back home with me and treat my parents to a lovely surprise. If you're curious what they tasted like, I can present you with this one image: my father taking a bite and running to the trash can to spit it out and then gargling with Listerine for 5 minutes straight afterwards, yum. 

TOLEDO & EL ESCORIAL

El Escorial

Toledo

Metal Craftsman