Churros, Mushrooms, and Street Stuff

What a mixed bag of adventures we had yesterday.  I have already posted our trip to the market, which was so colorful and so diverse.  And the day just kept getting better.

The city is starting to pick the oranges, so I keep taking photos of the trees before they are gone.

Even as these oranges are being picked, I looked up and saw the buds of new blossoms on the way.  I'm so glad that our stay here spans both seasons.

At 2 pm we met Mitchell and Jerry and they introduced us to pure decadence...

Churros and Chocolate!

Churros are like a long doughnut (the kind that are deep fried). The cup holds melted chocolate....  dark, delicious chocolate!

Thicker and (for lack of better description) better quality than Hershey's syrup.  There were 2 plates of churros (yes, that picture of me and Bill shows only one plate - there were two), and we each had our cup to dip the churros in.  

Of course we spent a lot of time chatting, but still...  I can't believe I ate the whole thing!  

Again, we owe thanks to Mitchell and Jerry for another great Spanish tradition.

Jerry had some errands to attend to, so after that we went walking with Mitchell to see some sights.

We walked to the Seta de Sevilla

The Metropol Parasol , popularly known as the Mushroom of the Incarnation is a wooden structure with two concrete pillars housing the elevators to the lookout and is located in the central square of the Incarnation of the city of Seville

This is a huge, wooden structure, that was designed to look like a cathedral, but, because of the shape has become known as the mushrooms.

When it was being constructed a few years ago, ruins from Roman periods were discovered, and some of the original plans were changed to include the restoration of those ruins.

This project is still in the works...  but it is being restored to exactly as it was so long ago.

You can walk up the winding staircase...

To the top of the structure...

And look over the city...

What a view!

We spent quite a while up here...  trying to identify various buildings and parts of the city.

Of course we visited the gift shop upon leaving, but decided that our photos were all we needed as memories.

After that, Mitchell headed to his place, and Bill & I headed home.

Naturally it took us a couple of hours as there is SO much to see....  Especially on the weekend.

Another Street Performer

This man is totally painted in this copper-like color.  Maybe he's supposed to be John Wayne, I don't know.  But he stands totally still...  doesn't even blink.  (his dog lays totally still as well, but I think he's just asleep ;-)

I wonder how lucrative a "job" this is?  I know we add some to his coffer when passing by.

There are many, many street performers.  Some are quite good..  some... not so good.  But they are all entertaining and I enjoy seeing them all.

We pass this ceramic tile wall 

An Ad for Studebaker from the 1920's

I wonder how many folks today have even HEARD of Studebaker?

There are so many statues and monuments...

There were kids playing (sort of) soccer behind this statue...  as well as kids on bicycles...  babies in strollers, lots of families, couples and just folks like us wandering around.  

I love the plazas ...  I'll be glad when it's a bit warmer and I don't have to hurry to keep warm.

We finally crossed the river and headed back into Triana.

Oh MY!

There's a Street Festival going on!

At first I thought it was because of Carnival...  or some other religious holiday.  No...  just a neighborhood party.

This stage was set up in the plaza...  we were told that this group was probably poking fun of the local politicians or some other local or "inside" joke.  

But the stage was only the beginning of the party...

Throughout the pedestrian mall we saw many folks of all ages in costume...

This musical group..

All dressed like "Pan"... including the cloven hoofs!

They sang and were well received...  I have a feeling they'd made up their own lyrics as there was a lot of clapping and laughter.

This tiny princess..

All dressed in pink and blowing her horn...

Adorable!

One thing we see a lot in Mexico, but haven't seen much where we've been in the USA..

The Balloon Seller

Of course I keep imagining having a fist-full of helium balloons - so many he'd go sailing over the city....

We wandered up and down the street for quite a long time.

Finally, around 6pm or so, the festivities seemed to be winding down...

The street is still wall-to-wall people, but the noise level is lower and it appears the party is about over.

Bill & I turn up our street and walk the block or so to our house.  We relax with a glass of wine - from Spain, of course - and talk about what a great day it's been.

Already we know that the time will slip by quickly.

That's All For Today!