I am a native New Englander, born and raised in Wethersfield, Connecticut. I love my town, its historic homes, ancient burial grounds, rich celebrations of the passing seasons. But there is something special, almost magical, about living in Seville. Here are the top six reasons why I love to live in the capital of Andalusia:
1)Because I feel more like myself in Seville than in almost any other city in the world . . .
2)Because my Spanish friends are still my friends even after thirty years . .
3)Because the Gypsy families that continue to invite me into their hearts and homes are humble, loving, gracious and kind . . .
4)Because I can eat several tapas and a glass of wine instead of a formal dinner . . .
5)Because I can walk to most places and don’t need to own a car . . .
6)Because even though I love the scent of apple cider, of pumpkin pie and fall in New England, I adore the aroma of the azahar, the orange blossom—that iconic scent of Seville. I love the sweet, seductive, tropical smell of it. I love the way it floats on the air on a warm spring night. The way it announces the intoxicating olfactory arrival of Easter and Semana Santa.
To me, the orange blossom takes me back to a special time in my life when I was young and in love. It reminds me of romantic evenings strolling cobblestone streets lit by iron lanterns. Of a time when there was nowhere else I would have wanted to live but in Seville.
This post is by Susan Nadathur the author of the emotional page-turner
City of Sorrows that I so enjoyed and couldn't help racing through. It's a moving tale of sorrow and guilt built around three men whose lives become intertwined and the honour and hierarchy of the close-knit gypsy community in Seville to which one of them belongs.
Read here more on
Susan's website to see more about her and her work.
