sevilla is lovely.
the streets are narrow cobblestone paths and the architecture is sprinkled with colorful personailty.
a single row of buildings will contain a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes...
it's very...
wabi sabi.
wabi sabi is a term i came across while listening to mastin kipp's interview with arielle ford.
arielle ford is the author of wabi-sabi love among many other inspiring feats.
wabi sabi is a japanese expression that means perceiving the perfection in the imperfections guided by 3 ideas: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect.
i love it! :)
sevilla is wabi sabi.
there is no rhyme or reason to the way the streets are set up,
the buildings have no congruitiy, and the gregarious mass with cervecas in hand crowded in the plazas and in front of churchs all seem so...wabi sabi.
so we set forth in a wabi sabi way, spirits high and rested.
no maps.
just go.
we set out with the intention of getting lost.
this bookstore was difficult to enjoy...everything was en espanol.
sometimes getting lost also means taking chances on the restaurants.
this meal was terrible.
there was no wabi sabi here.
it was just whack.
like a flying giraffe.
hard to believe it exists...but it does.
and thank goodness. wonderous.
lots of little paths led to scrumptious bits, like this tree.
so sevilla gets hot.
really really hot.
and we had been walking for hours by this point.
we were sweaty, exhausted, and sun-scorched...
in other words, the wabi-sabi affect was rapidly declining.
and then the hotel alfonso XIII happened.
it went like this:
on our way back, gina spotted a starbucks declaring that she'd like a frappacuino,
her words slurring through the soupy heatwaves.
i happened to read through the guidebook about sevilla (i would),
and remembered something about a super-sweet (direct quote from the guidebook, i swear) hotel that was once a palace back in 1929. the notes indicated that it's a great spot to stop in for a drink to "admire the gracious Moorish-style courtyard."
it happened to be on the corner we were standing on.
not too keen on starbucks and curious enough to stop in for a look at the hotel,
i mentioned this to gina.
she obliged albeit with very little interest.
greeted by a friendly doorman, AC, and the llavado,
gina's interest was quickly piqued and i was relieved of my aching bladder.
grand. just grand.
we plop into the fancy chairs for expensive drinks while oo-ing and ah-ing over the hotel.
i asked her how her frappicino was.
she contentedly answered, "this is life."
this serendipitous occasion redeemed the terrible lunch we had earlier.
and every other hiccup.
we had a smashing time.
wabi-sabi compounded.
we spent the rest of the time exploring the rest of the hotel,
savoring our time in the luxurious space.
including the pool.
yes, they have a pool.
in this sweltering 90+ degree weather, the pool was the perfect refuge.
an unattainable refuge.
might as well have been a mirage...
we reluctantly ended our self-guided tour of the hotel and stepped back out into the sevilla sauna.
i couldn't get the piscina off of my mind...
i've been dying for a good swim.
so why don't we, one of us must have suggested to the other.
because by the time we have reached our pool-less hotel,
we have decided that tomorrow we would return to the hotel for a swim and a nice dinner.
it's no ocean's 11,
but i'm already planning out our escape in case we get caught...
will we make it...?
*shrug*
to be continued...
despite the pool-tease,
our willingness to get lost
found us in an unexpected treasure and a really entertaining day.
wabi sabi!
besos
xx
PS oh right! we went to see a flamenco performance later this evening, which was cool. and our dinner beforehand...ugh, more tapas. i was not thrilled about this, especially after this afternoon's traumatizing lunch. but tapas dominates...defeated, i ordered the least tapas-like items on the menu...
chicken over red rice with spicy sauce. it was good - yay!
spotty is suspicious...
spotty warms up to the food at this venue...
vegetable rollitos. much like an eggroll. it was good, although it had seafood in it and the waiter said it was all verduras. but it was edible and delicious - yay!
spotty happily dives in...
No comments:
Post a Comment