After having spent more than a week in Sevilla things are starting to become more familiar, and I am starting to feel more comfortable in this beautiful city that will forever be a part of my heart. Last night Katie and I walked to the Cathedral and met up with some friends to watch football at an American sports bar near the central part of the city, it seems that we are always meeting for something near that area, and on our way I used my ipod touch to keep track of how far we walked. It turns out that it’s a 1.25 mile walk to the center (plaza nueva), no wonder our legs have been hurting...
Some interesting things I have seen and done in this past week here in Sevilla:
I officially visited/toured the cathedral and learned a lot about the history of the building and it’s presence in Sevilla.
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Ankle-Breakers |
We started in the interior garden/patio area, which is the only remaining evidence of the fact that it used to be an ancient Muslim mosque. It had an elaborate system of little canals for fresh water to run through. This was used as a purifying ceremony for the Muslims before they entered the Mosque. They would wash their hands, feet, and head before entering. There is also an abundance of trees which makes a very refreshing place to go after a service. I termed these extensive canals as “ankle-breakers,” because you definitely need to watch where you are going.
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View from the tower |
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After our stroll though the patio area we headed up the tower. To get to the top of the tower (Giralda) there are few stairs, there is actually just a spiral slant to the top. This was used so that the bell-ringers could ride their donkeys to the top to ring the bells. After seeing Sevilla from a different point a view we ventured back down to the main part of the cathedral and saw the interior of the cathedral, the site where Christopher Columbus is buried, and many other small elaborate rooms, each with a distinct purpose.
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The high altar |
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Good ole' Christopher |
After our tour of the cathedral we went to the Alcázar of Seville, or the royal palace of Seville, originally a Moorish fort.
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Near the entrance |
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The gardens! |
It was so cool because it is literally in the middle of the city, but once you enter you are instantly refreshed in the gardens of the palace, the whole palace being surrounded by a thick wall, protecting the palace from the harsh city sounds. I saw so many breathtaking sites here it is hard to recount them all. I will let the pictures stand for themselves. It was above all a Shangri-La. :)
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Tall girls stick together :) |
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Intricacy... |
One thing that I will address that I have found interesting in all of my tours, not just in Sevilla, is the incorporation of Moorish, Catholic, and Christian history in the architecture, sculptures, paintings, and much more. I am starting to learn how to differentiate between the three (special thanks to my History of Spanish Art class), and I find it fascinating how much history is literally built right on top of itself. For instance in the palace there will be rooms that the first floor has an obvious Muslim flair, and then the second Catholic, and on top of that the more modern Christian influence.
The night I talked about attending, Salir con Españoles, was so so so much fun!! Katie and I were in a group with four other girls and we met a Spaniard named José. He was super nice and we had a fun time getting to know each other and sharing/comparing our different cultures. He took us to an open plaza to get drinks and thats where we started with all our questions and ice-breakers. One of the girls had to leave after this so then it was just us four. After he took us to an amazing tapas place to get a little food and we talked even more. The last place he took us was to a traditional flamenco dancing spot. He had a test to take in the morning so we said goodbye to him there, but we all stayed to see/listen to the dance/songs.
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Flamenco girls. |
It was incredible. I loved seeing the woman dance, it was just incredible how fast she was able to move her feet and hands, something that I will never forget. I definitely want to see more.
Well, that’s about it for now, I will be back with more soon. :)
One thing I do want to say that I am loving so so so much here in Spain is the siestas, just saying, I might be bringing those back home with me. It is so nice to sleep through the hottest part of the day.
That is all.
Adiós!
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