Sevilla! Ole!

So it has been a few busy days but I finally find myself in an authentic tapa bar in Sevilla!

(Apologies for the last two postings being out of sequence)

So in order to catch up I will combine my last two days in Porto as they both consisted of tours. One to the Douro river valley which is where port wine is grown and barreled. It is cellared in Porto because of the more consistent temperatures near to the sea.

I traveled with Herve, a quiet French guy. It was an interesting tour and again there was tasting - including some fantastic olive oils. But it was a 12 hour day. We had a huge lunch of pork ribs in red wine and more "kid" but this was more stewed. By the time we got back I was ready to bed!

The next day was a treat. The tour company was just starting a green wine tour - vinho verde. So they did the tour just with me and the rest if the guides for orientation. It was a bit like a frat house road trip.

We headed north of Porto and made our first stop at a lovely farm and did a nice walking tour before retiring to the terrace for red white and rose green style wine and a table full of nibbles. Our host Mr Fernando could not have been more gracious. Once the wine was gone - yes more than a tasting - we headed for lunch! Which was another enormous spread of "covert" items and then share plates of fish, beef and pork. As we as more wine.

A few rather interesting stops including a church in Amerante and a final glass of very applely green wine at a traditional taverna filled with legs of smoked meats hanging from the walls.

We got home earlier but I had to get up at 430 for my flight to Seville so I had a final stop at the bridge bar for a nice bowl of puréed vegetable soup and hit the sack.

Flight was uneventful with a change of planes in Lisboa but once we arrived in Seville we were told none of the luggage made it. It was a small plane but I still don't quite understand.

Got into the apartment about noon - it is just a nice as the pictures. And I hit the supermercado and stocked on some basics. Hit Vodafone for a SIM card and finally had a nap. Luggage finally arrived around 10 and after a bit of a hassle with translation as to where to meet (the apartment is on a pedestrian way) I finally find myself enjoying my first tapa meal. Grilled octopus with a verde sauce and pork stew. (So much better and nicer than Barcelona) With wine and coffee 15€ or 20$

After a very lazy morning doing laundry and unpacking I had a nice walk around the beautiful and what you would expect to be a typical Spanish city.

My late lunch was warm zucchini cake with a creme sauce, pork with foie gras and pork with a sweet sherry and raisin sauce. Along with a glass of sherry and I am a happy Sevillian.

(The smell of orange blossoms is everywhere)

Monika arrives tomorrow and I am booking a tapas tour for dinner and a city walking your for Saturday. I'm here until next Sunday so I am looking for a few side trips as well but I am happy for the slower pace. Portugal was a bit exhausting in retrospect.

Adios for now