Albert and I went shopping this morning, then I came home and made cookies for Marge's last day in class. Then we ate an early lunch and hit the road at about 12:45.
First stop, the Real Alcazar. Albert had been many times, but it was my first visit (and of course, Marge's). We spent a little over two hours looking through the palace and the gardens. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe - the upstairs is still the official residence in Sevilla of the royal family of Spain (the royal family role is mostly one of patronage and charity).
Although there are many amazing rooms and patios with intricate tile work and carving from floor to ceiling,
My favorite room is probably the tapestry room. The breathtaking size of these tapestries is lost in photos, but I have included the one with Albert for scale - they are amazing.
After checking out the gardens from above,
We headed straight from the Real Alcazar to class - with not a minute to spare (well maybe one minute to share cookies with the other students and teachers).
After class, Marge and I headed up to the Setas - first we checked out the Roman ruins in the basement, and then up the elevator to walk on top.
We stayed up there for a quick bite to eat and then off to intercambio.
With tomorrow being a holiday in Spain, the group at intercambio was small and my normal partner was not there. So, we mostly practiced our Spanish as a large group.
Then, Marge and I headed home with a quick side trip to admire the Triana Bridge from below.
We made it home by about 10:30 and spent a little while chatting before it was time for Marge to head off to bed. With a morning airport bus to catch, there will be no sleeping in. Of course with the day off, I can always come back home and take a long siesta.... our next guest doesn't arrive until Thursday after all.
