If, while traveling, you start to wonder where you can find some article you forgot or ran out of…well…in Spain you have absolutely nothing to worry about.  You can find it ALL, at El Corte Ingles.

 

What can I say?  Seville – at least the historic areas  of Seville – is simply charming and well worth the trip.  Spain’s main source of income, I understand, is tourism.  They know how to do it right.  Day and night there is no denying, this city has it charms. I did not go to the “mandatory” flamenco dance exhibition, dinner included.  I had my hands full, trying to get all I could out of the research staff and very well organized records at the Archivo General de Indias.   Since I has not truly looking for administrative information about Spain’s relationship with “las Indias” from the 15th century – and that is actually the main reason for existence of this gigantic Spanish institution, I decided to see if they had the original book about heraldry that was cited by our distant relative, Gabriel Agraz Garcia de Alba when he wrote his very thorough book about our family.  Sure enough, a helpful staff member looked up the book.  After getting a username and password so I could log in and after placing all my electronic stuff into a locker, I was allowed to go upstairs to read the book.  I found:  word for word – the text cited by Gabriel Agraz in his genealogical study which my brother, sister and I have.  However, the resources here in Seville can shed no light on my main quest:  Exactly WHO was that “caballero” who legend says saved the life of the Visigoth King of Asturias, Alfonso II-The Chaste, in the early 9th century.  Anyway, at least I can now certify that the story we have heard so far, has documentary legs.  And, now, for those anxiously waiting, here is my video report from Seville.