quote:

Originally posted by anniebanannie:

For example, though I lived in Sevilla 10 years ago, I never went to the Alcazar, a "site." I did this time, and I absolutely loved it. It was like a mini, serene Alhambra. I didn't go before because I was living there and it wasn't what locals did. Boo to me.

That's something I wonder about. Do people living in areas with excellent or world-class historical attractions ever visit them short of school field trips?

As for the Alhambra, one person I asked said that Granadinos do visit it...when the tourists aren't there. Somebody serving me at a bar in Pitres who was from Granada (and oddly enough, studying in Pitres!) asked me if I saw the Alhambra and told me it was beautiful. Finally, a kid from Jaen studying in Granada whom I met on the train was a security guard at the Alhambra and said he knows all the corners of it. Lucky!

When I lived in Sevilla, my friends and I did very little sight-seeing in the city itself. We all went to the Alhambra, Ronda, Madrid, etc., but within Sevilla itself, no. The locals we knew only went to those places when they had visitors (similar to when I see "the sights" in San Francisco).

I fall somewhere in the middle as well. I enjoy seeing some museums and stuff like that, but I have to have a variety of different things or I get bored. When I'm in mexico there are a lot of ruins. They are ok once in a while but I don't have any desire to see every possible ruin I can. I think I had just as much fun swimming in the cenotes as I did walking around the ruins. I like a combination of touristy sightseeing and hanging around in local restaurants talking with the locals, and relaxing on the beach drinking mojitos.

There are days I like history and culture, and days I don't.

Right now, for example, I'm on the tail end of nearly a year out, and if the plane flight was tommorow, I wouldn't mind in the least.

That doesn't mean I didn't just see a church with spectatular 16th century blue tiles open to the public, and an incredible main altar. I found it on a scout of the route back from the shoreline, as any good scout must do.

It doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy Sintra or Porto, either, or gumaraesh. It just means I wasn't on a mission from god to stuff myself with culture, at the exclusion of all else.

Right now, I can claim I'm probably one of the few tourists in Porto to have seen all four shopping malls. I like touring shopping malls. They're the modern version of the ancient mercado.

I have become a fan of food courts in shopping malls. The food in CaisCais on the street is a bit expensive, but the quality is just as good in the food court and there are 15 restaurants to choose from, and a breathtaking view of the ocean. People watching there is pretty good too.

Last day in Caiscais, then off to lisbon for a few more museums and then I fly home. CaisCais is a beach town. I take it for that, and enjoy THAT aspedt. It is current, it is now, it isn't dangerous, and it is special.

Almost all places have that aspect if you look for it, though clearly, theres no reason to spend time in a place thats dangerous, with bad food, and the people don't like you. So, one must be somewhat picky, eh???