I spent last week in Spain, staying in Madrid and Sevilla and also visiting (on day trips) Toledo and Ćordoba. What a lovely country. So much culture. Such great food. Such great people. Sevilla is one of the best cities I’ve ever visited. So charming and beautiful. I didn’t want to leave. And it all felt like such a bargain after our visit to Italy last year. The flights, hundreds of dollars cheaper. The hotels, half what the large cities in Italy costs. The food? Quite affordable in the ultra-touristy spots. Dirt cheap a few blocks away where the locals were eating. Our last night in Sevilla, the three of us (me, wife, 6 year old boy) had half a dozen different tapas plates, beer for the adults, soft drink for the child (which costs more than the beer), and dessert for around $30. Did I mention the trains? Fast and clean. Such a better way to travel than modern flight.

I mostly walked around with my X100s out and ready to shoot (from the hip, mostly) while the family and I took in the streets and the sights. Only on a few occasions did I get to venture out alone and photograph. In addition to my Fuji digitals, I’d brought two film bodies (a Leica M3 and a Holga), but didn’t even shoot 3 complete rolls (waiting to finish off two before I process).At some point I need to visit Europe solely for photography. No distractions. But I’m pretty happy with the results from shooting here and there with the family in tow.

NOTE: You can click the photos above to view larger. You can also find them in higher resolution at the gallery site (where you can view full-screen slideshows, purchase prints, and view a few more not shown here): http://gallery.rodneyboles.com/spain