Perfect Day

What’s your definition of the perfect day? Mine is spending an afternoon in Seville, eating tapas and drinking either sangria, cerveza Cruzcampo, or tinto de verano at a local restaurant where the décor is old-fashioned, the walls are lined with bottles of wine, and from the ceiling hangs air-dried meat. Seated outside, I can feel the sun’s warmth on my shoulders and look up to see plump oranges dangling from tree branches People pass by, making loud steps on the cobbled streets. What’s that off in the distance? Just the world’s largest cathedral.

Now, here comes the food (sure, not in a timely fashion, but you come to Europe for the experience, not the service). Spanish omelet, paella with chunks of seafood, carrilleras (tender, slow-cooked beef cheeks in red wine sauce), fried sardines, and grilled octopus. Everything is reasonably priced and so good that you could make a day of it. No other place to be. Just eat, drink, and be merry.