At the hotel:
In Mallorca, we visited the central cathedral. Gaudi redid the interior, but the impressive part was done by a more modern artist. It was a huge mural of a whited Christ swimming in the ocean.
Jesus of the sea:
David was skeptical about our vegetarian lunch at first, but it was by far, the best food we had in Spain. We weren’t the biggest fans of Spanish food. Then we ate almond ice cream while surrounded by antiques in a dessert shop that reminded us of our favorite place in Xela, Guatemala (Cafe Luna).
Walking around the city:
Day 5: hiked through orchards in Fornalutx, and drove along dizzying roads to the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor, the very northern peninsula. That evening we lounged at the topless beach (it seemed all beaches were topless; that’s when we knew we had arrived in Europe).
Day 6: Flew to Valencia. David described Valencia as “the French Quarter minus the toilet smell.” This is where David found his new favorite ice cream flavor: popcorn, with multi-colored caramel popcorn mixed in.
3 interesting things in the main cathedral:
1) A huge Goya painting from his earlier years. Two evil spirits hover over a dying man who refuses to repent.
2) The arm of a Christian martyr from 304 AD. The brown, shriveled arm has been on several pilgrimages, but was finally donated to the church, let it rest in peace.
3) Holy Grail. The cup that Christ drank from at the last supper. Allegedly the only one in the world that could possibly be authentic. It dates back to the first century BC and please inform Indiana Jones that it’s not made of wood, but agate stone.
Around the city:
We then drove 5.5 hours to Granada while listening to the US vs. Spain Confederation Cup Soccer game, which USA miraculously won.
Day 7: La Alhambra. This fortress is a stunning display of Islamic architecture. Poems are written in the wall designs and the gardens are incredible too.
In Granada, we also visited the Capilla Real where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are buried in simple lead coffins. Long after their deaths, a beautiful marble monument was added above their tombs. I liked the fierce dragons and the representation of Christ sprinkled with water in Jordan River. Outside of the Capilla, a fortune teller somehow conned us out of 15 euros (about $20) after telling us something about our boy and girl child, everlasting love, and my nervous tendencies. I’d consider all accurate, except I was a little disturbed that she conned us and that it is visually evident that I’m a nervous person. Or am I?
2 hour drive to Sevilla’s beautiful Hotel Alfonso:
That night we walked around the city.
What kind of weird carvings are these? A cross with baby heads:
I like that is several of these pictures David's striking the same "the thinker" pose. Beautiful pictures!
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