Sunday, September 13, 2015

Settled into Sevilla


It has been a long time since updating the blog, delayed by the business of settling into Sevilla and the demise of my beloved MacBook Pro.  I'm hobbled until my new computer arrives, but able to piece together productive time on borrowed time on Ingrid's computer and from my iPad.

We arrived in Sevilla as planned on August 26, and settled into our museum-like apartment on Pagés del Corro in the historic district of Triana.  Triana is west of the rest of Sevilla, across the eastern branch (the "port") of the Guadilquiver River, but east of the main branch of the river, on what used to be and island (but now is more like a really long peninsula.  Our flat belonged to the owner of one of the main ceramic tile factories here (Santa Ana; Triana is the center of production of "azulejos"), but has been closed up since his death 6 years ago.  The family decided to clean it out and rent it, and we are the first to do so.  It is filled with old, dark-wood furniture, old-fashioned vases, tea sets, statues, and portraits, plus some really stunning tile work -- including a surprising tile portrait of Simón Bolivar.  We've been very busy working with our wonderful landlords to get everything back up and functional after 6 years of disuse, but it is a wonderful -- and huge -- flat.   It is much more urban than any of us are used to, and there are two tapas bars just a few steps away (and two floors down) from our bedroom window.  Since Sevilla life is 9:00-2:00 and 6:00-2:00 and in the street, we are entertained nightly with lots of happy voices, some singing, and an occasional "¡Ole!" from the tapas bars, and motorcycles zooming past on our narrow street.

The wonderful Triana Mercado (Market) is a couple blocks down a cobblestone street, and filled with little stands -- cheese and jams; fish; chicken, eggs, and rabbit; fresh pasta; bakery; fruits and veggies; tapas bars -- where we do most of our shopping.  There is also a grocery on the corner, and two bazars across the street which have just about anything, if you can find it.

We are a few buildings away from the intersection with Calle San Jacinto, a pedestrian-only street with lots of shops, ranging from banks to cell phones to pastries to tapas to shoes to roasted chickens to ice cream to pharmacies to ...,  which ends at the Triana Mercado and the bridge across to the rest of Sevilla.  We are within a 30min walk, bus ride, bike ride, or roller blade from pretty much anywhere in Sevilla, and really within 15 min of almost everything we need.
We've spent much, much too much time dealing with Sevilla's bureaucracy.  Sevilla shuts down for the summer, and most things don't open again until 1 September.  And most things require a chain of papers.  To get a cell phone you need a bank account.  To get a bank account you need either residency or proof of non-residency.  To get residency you need an empadronamiento, which requires an appointment, and the first one is two weeks out.  To get proof of non-residency you need a letter from the bank to take to the police office and then take that back to the bank.  To register for school you need the empadronamiento (not available until 9 Sep) to take to the Delegado de Educación, which then takes "unos días" before being able to register or even know which school, but school starts on the 15th...     I'll write up a guide on all this soon for future Sevilla immigrants.

The arrival at the Estación Biológical Doñana (where Ingrid and I are doing our sabbatical) was much smoother.  Montse met us with keys in hand,  signed the necessary papers to get our building passes, showed us to our office (with great windows!), and incorporated us into the group.  Pedro and his group has been traveling to meetings, so I won't be able to join with his group for another week or so.  

PhotoWe've been getting to know Sevilla, taking in a great flamenco show at the Museo del Baile Flamenco, biking (or roller blading, depending on preference) around the many bike paths throughout Sevilla, the tremendous gardens of the Real Alcázar, and with Montse and family to the beach.  We've eaten lots of great tapas  -- the most unique was huevas de maruca, which is very thinly sliced ovary of ling-cod.   Think chewy potato chip that tastes like smoky fish.




Finally getting to start some work again, mostly catching up on emails and such.  All of us are very ready for more regular schedules and productivity.

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