Sendero Group Travel Blog

I started my trip early Wednesday morning and arrived in Sevilla Thursday afternoon. Crazy how you lose a day and a half with flights, layovers and time changes. Just to avoid the jetlag, I decided to keep moving, so after settling in at the hotel, I headed out to the AEGIS conference. It was only a 5 minute walk from the hotel in the Engineers building at the University of Sevilla. There were still classes going on, so there were students as well as conference attendees. Only in Spain would you see a student enjoying a beer in between classes.

The conference exhibits were in the main courtyard when you first entered the building. Most were universities or research organizations, Vodefone was there, but I heard from them right before my presentation on Friday. The focus of the presentations was to encourage manufacturers to make the technology accessible from the ground up or at least give engineers low level access so that we can modify the user interface to suit our needs.

All my memories of Spain flooded back in once I hit the streets after my presentation on Friday. I basically walked from one end to another and meandered everywhere else. (strangely enough only my calves were sore - probably from walking carefully on the cobble stones).





On Saturday I went to the Alcazar (the details in Moorish architecture are mind blowing - you could sit all day and study just one archway and still not see all the intricate details - would be a tactile field day as well) and explored around the plaza with the Cathedral and la Giralda. I found my favorite restaurant again, San Marcos, best Italian food ever! I even fit in some shopping in the commercial district. Oh yeah, and it rained off and on all day, at one point I was huddled under a sun umbrella enjoying our tapas while the storm (equivalent to a North Carolina downpour) raged on. Hilarious.



On Sunday I walked to the Plaza de Espana which is a huge half-circle bordered by tiled alcoves each representing a different province of Spain. In the center is a large fountain (was under construction). It is right next to a Maria Luisa park, so the walking was definitely scenic. Then I spent the rest of the day going from place to place just trying to soak up the Spanish culture, cafe con leche, sangria, manchego cheese, olives, listening to Spaniards constantly talk, the music - discovered a new band Alis... Such a good time.