Don't Be Bitter... Orange

TREE-TRIMMING.

It's the time of year here for the "Seville Oranges" to be harvested. There are more than 14,000 bitter orange trees lining the streets and plazas of Sevilla. They outnumber every other tree in the city and have been around Sevilla for centuries. It's said the Moors began to cultivate them here in the 12th century. Some trees in Spain are said to be over 600 years old.

 WORKING THEIR WAY AROUND THE PLAZA.

The other morning, while we enjoyed our café con leche and tostadas downstairs at El Sanedrín, a work crew arrived and began to trim the trees and box up the oranges on our plaza. The same business is going on all around town. Then the oranges are shipped off to make marmalade.

 LOADING THE TRUCK.

Now we can look forward to the pungent fragrance of the orange blossoms that begin to bloom in March. It will bring back sweet memories of Southern California. We were overwhelmed with the fragrance our first spring in San Diego when we drove into the hills past the orange orchards, with the car windows down. Some years later, we sat by the pool on warm spring nights in Palm Springs and breathed in the citrus-laden air from the trees we had planted behind the hotel. I'm told the entire city of Sevilla fills with the scent. Too bad I can't do a "scratch-n-sniff" blog post.

LATE THAT NIGHT IN ANOTHER PART OF TOWN.