Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Out and About, Centro, Seville, Andalusia, Spain



I want a pair of these shoes! But, what I really want is to turn back the clock to my working days when I wore conservative suits and ties and wing tips to work and have the audacity to tie on a pair of these and wear them to work. What a hoot that would be! Dreams of yesteryear.



It was a weekend day so we opted for a leisurely lunch in Plaza del Salvador, one of our favorite plazas to people watch, relax, and enjoy some grilled vegetables.



It is chock full of people, eating, drinking, hanging out, enjoying the sunshine and life in general.



Kids roam about, musicians stroll for tips, and friends and family meet and greet - always with "dos besos" (two kisses), one on the air beside each cheek.



Dressing in all black is the style for this group of women who stood nearby waiting for three more friends to arrive before they all wandered off together - all three new arrivals were dressed and accessorized completely in black also.



After lunch it was off to the the river to see the world there. Palm trees and sunshine - two of my favorites.



A gaggle of kayakers paused to enjoy the moment together. (Texture overlay added).



And speaking of enjoying the moment........In the grassy park along the Centro side of the river, hundreds of folks hang out on the grass in small groups drinking beer and/or smoking hookahs. I stopped and asked these men if I could take a picture of their hookah. They were friendly and obliging and even insisted I have some. Not wanting to be rude, of course I accepted. Don't worry, it was strawberry flavored herbs - no tobacco, no ganja - they said the ganja is for in the night.  Although ganja is not exactly legal here, apparently private possession of small quantities for individual use is accepted and police do not enforce. There were perhaps a hundred separate hookah groups I saw walking through the park - but I don't think they were all smoking strawberry!



A young boy tightly clutching his lollipop in the setting sun.



Lousy photo but, I needed it to illustrate the point. Bachelor and bachelorette parties are big here in Seville. We have seen at least a few every weekend day we have been here. These three people at center above are at a lively bar where each is celebrating with different groups of parties. The betrothed dresses up in some outlandish attire and then goes out in public with friends to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. The man at left is a bumblebee, the woman is a pirate, and the the man in red is a matador. They all have a great time as do the random other spectators cheering them on.



Adult lollipops - sweets, sweets, and more sweets - almost as ubiquitous as the red devil scooters.



Sunset over Triana.



As the blue hour deepens, the view is fine from Centro on the north side of the Triana bridge.



Walking home through the back streets of Arenal, a roaming flamenco trio is playing outside a small bar, the patrons spilling into the street to watch and listen. We have been in town for five weeks now and many of the roving troubadours are starting to look familiar. It's a fun and flexible way to make some money as a musician.



And speaking of music, almost reaching home, I am again captivated by the church next door - orchestral sounds filtering through the doors, drawing me in.



I watch and listen and once again, am glad to be enjoying life in Seville. A place of music, and dance, and passion, and friendly people.


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