So the picture decided not to load but imagine sitting in a lush garden with a fountain trickling in the background. The flowers are not quite in bloom however there is greenery all around and orange trees in every small plaza. In Andalusia this is typical scenery. Everywhere, especially at the Alhambra gorgeous landscape as far as you can see. I learned from various sources in my travels that these orange trees have a very interesting history. One guy from California that we met said that the King did not want the orange peels to be all over the streets so they were cross-bred with limes/lemons in order to have a bitter taste. Whether this is true or not is beyond me. Another source said that these oranges were used for marmalade. After a little bit of research I have found that this is also not the case. In fact my teacher Pepita clarified that these oranges (mostly seen by me in Sevilla) are exported to Britain. Seville oranges are used in the classic sauce bigarade, traditionally served with roast duck. Another tidbit about oranges is that when they first reached Europe, they were so rare that they became a symbol of opulence to be offered as luxury gifts. Hearing various ideas about how these oranges are actually used was a fun experience in my travels. My senora buys us oranges and we go through marmalade as if it was going out of style. Finding out what is fact verse fiction about one of my favorite fruits was quite an experience. I am still not sure of their intended use -those that come from Andalusia but I am definitely more educated about these tasty treats.