I recently returned from a week of business meetings in Seville. Well, it was one week of business meetings followed by a week of touring and mixed business and leisure. Why not take advantage of a good thing?

I had been to Seville before but not in twenty years. When this client suggested that we meet at their offices, I seized the opportunity to maximize the experience and not only revisit parts of Seville but also take in some new spots. Of course, Seville is the world capital of tapas – those now infamous small plates – too often served at home but resembles anything but tapas. But in Seville, this is the real thing. And wine! Spain has world class wines that are rarely promoted and, as a result, often available at prices far less than one would expect to pay for such quality.

The trip went according to plan – the first week while I was in meetings, my wife scouted the territory for things I would want to see. Of course we saw the great historical sights: the Alcazar, the cathedral, and the Juderia – the Jewish quarter that existed prior to 1492 when Jews and Muslims were forced to convert to Catholicism or leave the country. For five hundred years the traces of a great culture had been lost. Most of what is now available to be seen was only recently discovered – often in churches that had originally been synagogues or mosques and converted for use by the church.

While we were there a major religious pageant took place – the Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is the Catholic holiday celebrated in Spain in honor of the presence of the body of Christ in the holy water. Like Christmas in New York, many store owners decorate their windows in honor of the event, competing in a contest for the best displays. The windows are revealed the night before the pageant and the city is filled with pedestrians seeing the windows and stopping for wine and tapas. The next morning, all of the local religious and civic groups parade around the old city, showing off the treasures of the church. Many carry scepters while others carry lighted candles that are about five feet in size. In order to collect the melting wax, they spread branches of rosemary, leaving the streets with an aroma much like that of my kitchen when my wife is cooking a roast or chicken.

That evening we attended the Plaza des Toros to see the bullfight. We attended with my client and his family. I had seen bull fights before but having an aficionado next to me explaining the innuendos made that bull fight exceptional and enabled me to understand the art and history surrounding the event. The thought of a bull fight is repulsive to many, and much of Spain has curtailed bull fighting, including Barcelona, but Andalusia, the home of bullfighting, continues to preserve the old art form. And an art form it is once you allow yourself to get passed the gore. I have made it a point to see a bull fight each time I visit Spain – provided one is available.

While in Seville I was also able to take a tour of Italica, the Roman ruins just outside the city. We also took a pleasant train ride to Jerez, a wonderful beach resort on the south western coast, below Portugal. Due to the extreme heat that can overcome Seville in the pre-summer and summer, many of my meetings were not scheduled until the late afternoon. It also remains light until about 10 pm and Spaniards take a very late dinner, making it convenient to delay the work day until later cooler hours. This enabled us to maximize our time in Seville and benefit from the ability to work and play. Jerez produces excellent Sherries and we toured the Tio Pepe (Gonzalez Bayass) wineries. Although it was a very commercial tour – a Disneyland for grownup wine lovers –it was worth the time. We also had time to visit the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, where we were able to observe how they trained horses to dance. There are weekly shows but we were not in Jerez on a “show day.” I suggest you check the schedule in advance to take advantage of the live performances. Even so, observing the training was a show in itself.

The following week started with a well deserved break at a beach – south of Jerez but also on the west coast – at Zaharas de los Atunes. This is a lovely fishing village where the fisherman net tuna at the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar as the tuna leave the Atlantic for the Mediterranean to spawn. This was the height of the season and the fresh tuna in Zaharas was unlike any tuna we have had. It was so fresh and tasty.

About town and in restaurants we would see charts showing the different cuts of tuna not unlike charts displayed in butchers showing cuts of beef. I had never imagined that different parts of the tuna could have such different flavors and textures. Each lunch and dinner was highlighted by a cacophony of tuna dishes. We had seared tuna, morrillo (from the top neck), tarantelo (from the lower belly), tuna tartare, tuna meatballs, carpaccio, and on and on. This town is into tuna like Heinz is into pickles.

We were in Zaharas just before the summer season began so the beautiful beach was not overwrought with tourists. I understand that in July and August, the town is much like the Hamptons and a lot of fun. I certainly appreciated the quiet. Cell service worked well and I was able to work via the phone while relaxing on the beach. Looking south along the beach line we could see the tuna boats and then across to Tangier in Morocco, a short ferry ride across the Straits.

I am fortunate that much of my work can be done remotely and, as a result, my business trip kept me busy working, both with my Spanish client who demanded much of my time, but also with my domestic clients who needed my attention. The icing on the cake was experiencing new and exciting sights – the best of both worlds.

Oh yes, after Zaharas de los Atunes, we spent a few days touring Cordoba. But that is for another time.