Seeing the Sights

Caught the bus into town which took us through narrow wee streets after a breakfast of coffee and a ham and tomato "bocadillio".  Our main objective was a visit to the Plaça d'Espagne but on the way there we visited the tobacco factory which was the setting for Bizet's opera "Carmen". It was a lovely old building more suited to its present use as a university  than a factory. The square, set in the Marie Louisa gardens was just as impressive as I remembered it from my visit there with Mum 27 years ago. Took loads of photos but its grand scale made it difficult to capture. The weather was warm and a cold beer  beckoned and I had the 5* Alphonso xiii hotel in my sights. Sadly there was a private function on in the bar and we couldn't get in so had to be content with taking some photos outside and had a "rebuijto" at a more down market establishment. Rebujito is made from equal parts of either Tio Pepe or Manzanilla sherry mixed with sprite or 7up and sprigs of mint. Nice and refreshhing and none too alcoholic.
We had the "menu de dia" in a restaurant close by the river and the "Torre del Oro" before heading back for a well earned siesta.
Juste and Joséphine being into flamenco found us a show in the evening in a bar not too far from where we were staying. Fortunately we were there when the doors opened and managed to get four of the few stools available. Nothing like one of those tourist places, it was less colourful but good and well appreciated by an audience that knew their stuff.