Sevilla - Day 3: Alfonso XIII, Triana, Gourmet Croquets and Maria Immaculada

Sunday, 7 December

We started with a coffee at super luxuruous hotel Alfonso XIII, where a wedding party was hosted.

After coffee we walked to working class neighbourhood Triana, the area where the famous tiles used to be made.  

everywhere in Triana is smoke caused by burning chestnuts 

the bridge leading to Triana at the other side of the Gualdalquivir river

Afterwards we strolled along the river, had a cuba libre in the sunshine and visited the Mercado Gourmet Lonja del Barranco (our first visit). Where we ordered a lovely glass of white wine with yummie small croquetas (same size as the Dutch 'bitterballen'). This Gourmet place is a must-see for those enjoying good tapas & wine. 

saints ...

very busy plaza Salvador

Maria Inmaculada: kiss the hand of the Maria statue and donate money in the Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador.

We had no idea what all these people were doing, but found the following explanation: 

The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the catholic church, was the conception  of the blessed virgin Mary in her mother's womb free from original sin. 
The Immaculate Conception is commonly confused with the doctrine of the incarnation and the virgin birth of Jesus, though the two deal with separate subjects. The catholic church teaches Mary was conceived by normal biological means, but her soul was acted upon by God (kept "immaculate") at the time of her conception.
The catholic church celebrates the feast of the Inmaculate Conception on December 8; in many catholic countries, it is a holy day of obligation or patronal feast, and in some a national public holiday. 

In the evening we revisited restaurant La Sal and ordered 3 of their prize winning tapas  

Today was the Day of Inmaculada, a holiday in Spain. In the night from 7th to 8th of December all the Tunas (student's fraternities in traditional medieval dresses) of the city - and many of all the country - come together at the statue of the Virgin Inmaculada, between the cathedral and the Alcazar, to perform their traditional songs. They started after midnite and it was sooo cold. But worthwhile waiting for. What an atmosphere. We loved it.

to be continued

Sevilla - Day 2: Casa de Pilatos and Las Setas

Saturday, 6 December 

Casa de Pilatos revisited. Casa Pilatos is the Andalusian palace in Seville, which serves as the permanent residence of the Dukes of Medinaceli. The building is a mixture of Renaissance Italian and Mudéjar Spanish styles.

We loved this place a lot last time we visited Seville and therefore decided to revisit. Enchanting place, not as large and crowded as the Alcazar and therefore a wonderful spot to sit and enjoy the patio, the tiles, the statues, arches and gardens. We stayed quiet a while there and of course made too many photos. Showing a few.  

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Something different and new and not existing last time we visited Seville are 'Las Setas'; translated 'The Mushrooms'.
Yes they look like giant mushrooms indeed. As it's fiesta in Seville it was very busy with lots of families strolling around the Xmas market. 
Peter bought me a Xmas gift: a lovely necklace pendant, which looks like a Miro painting. 
A futuristic looking elevator brought us to the top floor of Las Setas, where we enjoyed sitting in the sunshine with drinks. 
Our stroll over the roof gave great views of the city.  

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It's definitely Fiesta in town ^-^
Photos made on and around Plaza Neuva

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Very late dinner at Restaurant San Marco, we are already getting used to Spanish dinner time. Especially the risotto with truffles was yummy, although it doesn't look very fancy on the picture the taste was super. The restaurant is situated in former twelfth-century Arab baths. 

to be continued

Sevilla - Day 1: an appartment in Santa Cruz

Jardines de Murillo; the statue of Christobal Colon

Friday, 5 December 

This year my Bday trip was to Seville and not on my actual Bday but from 5 till 11 December. We visited Seville before, however, always for only a few days and now we had many days to explore, enjoy the sunshine and relax.

Here's the first photo I made while on our way from the airport to our apartment, resting in the parc Jardines de Murillo at the foot of the statue of Colon. 

Lovely sunshine and clear sky, phew what a difference with the Dutch weather. Super to be back in Seville.

our spacious appartment no 4 at Calle Mariscal 4, barrio Santa Cruz, which is the former Jewish Quarter of Seville.

our first wine outside in the sunshine, and 

photos of the area near our appartment

Restaurant La Sal, around the corner from our appartment. This place became our fav restaurant; specialized in tuna fish and having great wines. 

An evening stroll through Seville: visiting the Plaza Virgen de Los Reyes with the Giralda and the Cathedral, located just around the corner of our appartment. We definitely are living in the centre.

Bar El Mariscal, which happened to be situated right opposite our appartment. We arrived there after our evening stroll around 23 hrs when people just started to come in. 

Live music and elderly people from the neighbourhood dancing the Sevillana. Wow flamenco music/dances and great atmosphere. This is Seville!

more photos of Bar El Mariscal.

to be continued 

Weekendje Friesland: Leeuwarden, Sneek & Franeker

Leeuwarden

Zaterdag, 18 oktober 2014:

Nooit geweten dat Friesland zo leuk is. We hebben genoten dit weekend. Eerst naar Leeuwarden en daar rondgewandeld en geshopt. Een leuke design winkel gevonden genaamd Eric Steenbergen, waar ik mijn slag heb geslagen: gave armband (eigenlijk 197 losse armbanden zie foto in deze blogpost), 3-D geprinte oorbellen en lots of hebbedingen voor in en om het huis. 

Door naar Sneek, waar we logeerden bij Stadslogement By Peek; een uitstekende plek midden in de stad. De eigenaren van By Peek hebben ook het grand cafe/restaurant 'De Verandering'. Super aardige en behulpzame eigenaresse, die de volgende ochtend ons ontbijt kwam bezorgen (verse jus en dito eitjes die we zelf hebben gebakken in ons keukentje). s' Avonds erg lekker gegeten bij Italiaans restaurant Mezzaluna. 

Stadhuis Leeuwarden

 armband '197' van Eric Steenbergen & Sneek

ons super appartement in Sneek: Stadslogement By Peek 

de Sneekerpoort by night

 Zondag, 19 oktober 2014

Na het ontbijt rondgewandeld door Sneek op zondagochtend (heel rustig). Nog een foto van de Sneekerpoort voordat het ging regenen en snel in de auto richting Franeker.

Sneek

nog meer Sneek 

Het Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker 

Nooit geweten dat Franeker de tweede universiteit van Nederland had (na Leiden in 1585 gesticht). Reden de universiteit zorgde voor protestante predikanten waar toen grote behoefte aan was. De theologische faculteit bleef lang de belangrijkste, toch had de universiteit ook faculteiten medicijnen, letteren en rechten. Enkele beroemde studenten waren Rene Descartes en Pieter Stuyvesant. 

Maar wij gingen voor het Eise Eisinga Planetarium; het oudste nog werkende planetarium ter wereld. Impressive! Zeker een bezoek waard.

Vervolgens door Franeker gewandeld en het Martena museum bezocht, waar vooral de oude zeer nauwkeurige plattegronden indruk op ons maakten.

Na een late lunch/early dinner weer naar huis. Friesland boppe

dikke kus

Carina

Museum Martena in Franeker

 oude plattegronden van Friesland in het Martena museum 

tijdelijke tentoonstelling van Irene Veltman in Martena museum

Late lunch/early dinner in Franeker in grand cafe. 

Dresden: P's Bday trip - September 2014

Dresden: view from our appartment (Aparthotel An der Frauenkirche)

Celebrating P.'s Bday in Dresden. A lovely city, nicely restored after the war. The only negative thing was the weather coz during the days we spent there it didn't really stop raining. 

Dresden is a very German town and in some places there's still an atmosphere of the former communist East Germany. I sensed this especially in the Albertinum, the brand new museum of modern art, where it was forbidden to make pictures, but even worse were the employees who were rude and acting like gestapo, very annoying.

In general, however, people were very kind and helpful. 

celebrating our trip at Schiphol Airport ^-^

our appartment & view from our living room on the church 

(die Frauenkirche) and Neumarkt

am Neumarkt  

visiting the art museum in Die Zwinger, a palace of the former Dresden court.

Fuerstenzug: painted on the wall of the former palace a parade of the kings of the Wettin dynasty.

performing artist and his dog..., who both managed to stand still for hours 

die Ampelfrau

great Thai food

We visited the ballet performance 'Bella Figura' in the Semperoper, we loved it. Great atmosphere, very stylish. Soo different than in Holland; far more posh and grandeur. Sipping champagne under chandeliers. Super.

Every German town has a Biergarten .....

however, we prefer champagne with oysters ^-^

the bridge over the river Elbe

at the cafe in front of our appartment, overlooking the Neumarkt square

a visit to Yenidze a former tabaco factory

P's Bday dinner in a posh restaurant