Trip to Spain: Tapas, tours and a cursed washroom

As we discovered on a recent vacation in Spain, dealing with unexpected events can be a major part of travel. My husband Tom and I were staying in Seville in southern Spain and had booked a walking and tapas tour leaving from the tourism office.

We had a pleasant walk from our hotel and arrived at the tourism office in plenty of time. After picking up a few brochures, I decided to use the washroom in the municipal building next door. I went out the side door as instructed, looking at the brochures as I went, and the next thing I knew I was laying on the ground. I wasn't paying attention and had no idea there was a sizable step going out the side door.

I was shaken up and thankfully didn’t break anything, but my timing could not have been worse, as three well-dressed businesspeople on their way out of the building witnessed this lovely display of gracefulness. They were very concerned and stopped to help me up, and within seconds we were joined by a tall, burly security guard who did not look amused.

I assured everyone I was fine and went off to the washroom. Still feeling slightly shaken, I went into a cubicle and shut the door, barely noticing that each cubicle had floor-to-ceiling walls. As I sat in total darkness, it occurred to me that it was taking a long time for the lights to come on. I finally opened the door a crack and discovered a light switch on the outer wall of the cubicle. The rest of my washroom visit was uneventful and my husband looked relieved when I finally emerged.

Diving, snorkeling and hiking in Tahiti

We then met our Spanish tour guide, Luis, and had a delightful walking tour of the historical area of Seville, followed by refreshing cold drinks and delicious tapas.

Our tour finished up at the tourism office, and after saying good bye to Luis, I decided to use the washroom before leaving. Everything was going fine until I discovered that the deadbolt-style lock on my door was stuck and I could not get out. After a hilarious conversation consisting of me explaining my predicament in English and banging on the door while receiving responses in Spanish from another woman in the washroom, she went and got some help. The door was soon unlocked by the same burly security guard, and he looked even less amused with me after my latest episode.

We finished off our day with a traditional Spanish dinner and flamenco show and I am happy to say no more unexpected events!

Janet McMaster is a winter visitor from Canada who is very thankful to be able to spend her winters in Mesa.

TELL US WHERE YOU’VE BEEN: To contribute to Your Travels, send a large, high-resolution JPEG attachment photo and an essay of up to 400 words to traveleditor@arizonarepublic.com. We are unable to acknowledge individual submissions, but we will contact you when your item is scheduled to be published.