Sevilla | España

Our time in Seville was fabulous, however, getting there was not. We boarded the ferry from Tangier, Morocco for the short journey to Tarifa, Spain. After our ferry docked in Tarifa and we cleared customs our driver was no where to be found. We booked with what seemed a reputable transfer company and the bizarre part is we had been texting with the driver prior to arriving. He ghosted us! A mildly stressful situation - there was a lot of back and fourth, then dinner in Tarifa, finding an ATM and eventually a taxi to get us 2 hours to Seville. I had our amenable taxi driver stop for cervesas and we made the best of our much-later-than-planned road-trip! 

We were so ready to enjoy a night out (remember, we couldn't really drink in Chefchaouen) and it was midnight by the time we checked into our hotel. Fortunately, it was a stones throw from some swanky cocktail bars. 

At The Second Room the girls sipped fruity sangria and I a classic manhattan. Delicious drinks and winding down from all the transfer stress just in time for some extremely drunk old men to hit on us. Off to Torero - a beautiful Brandy cocktail bar. Perfect nightcap! I was enamored with the the presentation of my aged brandy. I was also ready for a comfy bed. 

Palacio Pinello delivered a comfy bed and then some. This 4 star boutique hotel in the Santa Cruz district is housed in a late 15th century palace. The rooms are situated around the stunning central courtyard where we had our breakfast each morning. Our triple room was very spacious, the bathroom and waterfall shower were too! It had soaring ceilings and really pretty furnishings .

In the heart of the historic center we arrived briskly to Real Alcazar where we spent the better part of the morning. I was glad we booked advance tickets to skip the lines. We lunched in Plaza de San Francisco, shopped for the kids, and went for rooftop cava spritzes at La Terraza del EME.  

La Terraraza boasts up close views of the Catedral and La Giralda which we would head to next! The Cathedral de Sevilla is majestic, we breezed through with audio guides. The climb to the top of the bell tower was worth it! Finally, we went for a late afternoon wine tasting at Lama La Uva which allowed a meandering walk to take in more of the sprawling city. 

Sevilla - rallying not dallying. purposefully meandering.

Citrus & Salt

We celebrated my first Mother's Day with brunch at Citrus & Salt. The vibe is coastal Mexican. My vibe is tired but still up for having fun in the city! We ate in the back room with cozy couches and ottomans - it felt sort of speakeasy-ish. It also felt perfect for dining out with a baby. I had a delicious Brunch Chimichanga ($13) containing scrambled eggs, refried beans, poblano queso, salsa and home fries. 

After brunching we emerged into the bright floral and skulls space for a cocktail at the polished marble bar. We had a little more time to spend before our ticketed time at Happy Place just down the street. A fun interactive exhibit, we strapped Cam in the Ergobaby and did all the pose-for-cute-photos and laugh at ourselves things. 

The margaritas here are really good, however, I sipped on a Rosa Spritz ($14) served in a dainty etched coupe glass. Codigo Rosa Tequila, Aperol, hibiscus, lemon and rose cava was a very good cocktail indeed. I'm a lucky Mom!

Citrus & Salt

142 Berkeley St

Boston, MA

Select Oyster Bar

One of the foods I can truly say I eat the most of (this time of year, especially) is oysters. I never seem to tire of these pristine specimens, and Boston does them oh-so-well. Take the recently opened Select Oyster Bar where an irreproachable selection is matched by stunning crudi and inventive fruits de mer. 

what we ate:

raw oysters ($2.75) | wellfleet, marthas vineyard, kumamoto

dressed maine lobster ($29) | fine herbs + lemon

faroe island salmon crudo ($14) | togarashi, pistachio oil, lime

flash seared hamachi ($19) | sweet corn salad, whipped avocado, lime slaw

spanish octopus ($18) | roasted tomatillo, chimichurri, blistered snap peas, serrano chili

and drank:

Ulacia txakolina rose ($15/glass)

hemingway daquiri ($13.5) | privateer rum, maraschino, fresh citrus

green issac's special ($13.5) | cap rock gin, coconut water, bitters, lime

Gramona Imperial cava ($65/bottle)

While I will admit that I can hardly keep up with Boston's booming restaurant scene, I was so happy that the ladies and I made it a point to visit Select in its infant state. Tucked neatly into a small, narrow space on Gloucester Street in the Back Bay - this bright, cheerful oyster bar with a charming back patio is a welcome addition to the seafood scene. 

Read Meghan's recap of our evening on Travel Wine Dine here.

Select Oyster Bar

50 Gloucester St

Boston, MA 02115