Seville's No. 2 Attraction

Next to the cathedral (figuratively and literally), the Real Alcazar is Seville's biggest attraction. More or less a mini Alhambra, the Alcazar is the royal palace of Seville, where Spanish kings lived, and others married, as early as the 14th century. See photos here.

Backtracking just a bit, last night I checked out "Eastern Promises," the latest film from Viggo Mortensen and director David Cronenberg (responsible for 2005's "A History of Violence"). Critics are salivating over it, and rightfully so. It may be more brutal than a bullfight, but it's well done. The film deals with the Russian mafia, so if you're into mafia, you'll probably like it.

That said, the movie-going experience was slightly different from the day before (after all this was a Friday night instead of a weekday afternoon). Tickets were twice as expensive, a man sat next to me explaining everything to his wife, and we had assigned seats. Yes, assigned seats. Rows and seats were numbered, and the tickets corresponded. A little unnecessary I think and difficult if two friends try to buy tickets separately and sit together.

While I'm on the subject of the movies, Myriam showed my roommate and I her movies. She's into a wide variety of genres, including American films dubbed in Spanish as well as actual Spanish films. She had everything from "American Beauty" to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." She's awesome.

And finally, an update on Italy. The flight is booked. The "hotel" is booked. Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18, two friends and I will be in Italy. Friday is Milan to see the Duomo (cathedral) and Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, "The Last Supper." We'll spend all day Saturday in Venice, then head back to the Milan airport for an early morning flight back to Seville on Sunday. I can't wait.

One promise left unfilled. Check back tomorrow.