Sevilla y el sabor de Andalucía

Sevilla felt a lot like one of those dreams where no matter how hard you try to run, you still end up moving slowly. Sevilla's bustling social atmosphere and its many attractions including massive parks, towers, and cathedral were just enough to make me appreciate life in Andalucia, the southernmost autonomous region in Spain, the likes of which Sevilla shares with cities like Granada, Córdoba, and Cadiz.

Highlights

Flamenco

I can honestly say I emotionally invested in this performance. The stage was simple: slightly elevated with two chairs. Broken up into acts, the performance used only four people (in different combinations and varying tempos). The vocals, (cante) performed by one male singer in this case, made for a melody unlike anything I'd heard before—and clearly shows a mix in its Arab and Spanish roots—almost like a mix between a prayer call and a forlorn love song. In between the vocal range of the singer and the sporadic guitar (toque) skills of the guitarist, the dancing (baile) put the show over the top for me. One man and one woman clapped their hands (called palmas) and danced with extreme precision. As I watched their feet quickly and violently slamming against the dance floor (verb in Spanish: taconear) it was obvious that they had all poured years into their artform.

Torre del Oro

My favorite building in Seville. Built in the 1200s, this tower served a Moroccan dynasty (Almohads) to control port access to Seville. The tower, this is now according to Wikipedia, is built from mortar, lime, and pressed hay. Apparently, there used to be another tower on the other side of Rio Guadalquivir and people would drag a chain across to block off the river. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the naval museum inside the tower, but it was a joy to look from the outside.

Parque de Maria Luisa, Plaza de España

Aside from this being used in Star Wars, this park was built for the Ibero-American Exposition World's Fair in the1920s. The park includes fountains, ponds, and a variety of tropical trees. The plaza itself, the major feature of the park, includes a small moat around the edge where people rent row boats and enjoy Sevilla's sunshine. An art deco masterpiece, the plaza also boasts impressive brickwork with tile inlays—all kept pristine. The plaza today includes the town hall, and a few museums. Since we had free time, we rented what I call "bike carts" (pretty much a pedal-powered golf cart) and rode through the park's paths (these pictures will be added to a Sevilla slide show).

Alcazar

This building was initially a Moorish fortress and is the oldest palace still used in Europe. The building contains examples of "mudéjar" architecture, meaning it was built by Muslims during Christian times. My favorite feature was the integration of Roman columns in the building (as the mudejares used the Roman remnants to support their structures, making for less work). This is made even more interesting by the Romans' use of prehistoric artworks and stones to build their structures (making for a repeating pattern, at least to me).
The upper levels of the Alcazar are used for the royal family of Spain, though the family hasn't visited in years. Still, people maintain the rooms in the event they decide to show up (this made me feel for those that have to maintain the rooms for no particular purpose).

We visited Los Baños de María de Padilla and also made our way to La Casa de Contratación (house of trade) where Columbus met with Ferdinand after his second journey. The chapel contains one of the first paintings of the discovery of the Americas.

Also, there is a fantastic garden (of course) with a labyrinth, fountains, and buildings made for the Andalusian summers.

Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla

This is the oldest bullring in the world. During the Seville Fair in Semana Santa, the plaza has one of the most renowned bullfighting events in the world. Here, bullfighting on foot began in the 1700s. WIth a guided tour, we looked at art pieces depicting bullfights, some sculptures, matador (or torero) outfits, and bull heads placed around the ceiling (which made me feel quite uneasy, to be honest). Apparently, when a matador has done well, he may be awarded between one and two of the bull's ears, and also the bull's tail. Because I feel weird writing about this, I'm going to move on!




Catedral de Sevilla

La Giralda

Small view of part of the Cathedral's
 exterior.

Finally, we make it to the Sevilla Cathedral
(Catedral de Santa María de la Sede). us's body. This Roman Catholic Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and third-larges church in the world. It was completed in the 16th century. The Cathedral is actually an adaptation of an ancient mosque. The minaret (used to call Muslims to prayer) converted into a bell tower (La Giralda) and the orange tree patio (Patio de los naranjos) are the two remaining elements of the mosque. The rest pertains to the 16th century cathedral.

There are 15 elaborate entrances to the Cathedral. Inside, there are 80 chapels. Here are the dimensions to give you an idea of the size of this building: Length 443 ft * Width 330 ft (at nave,main body of the church, 49 ft) * Height (138 ft). Meant to demonstrate the city's wealth, I'd say the builders completed their goal. There is a massive altarpiece inside depicting the life of Christ and was the work of one craftsman. Unfortunately, the piece was under renovation when we visited.

Rapid fire: The good and the weird (not mutually exclusive)

+Eating bull tail at a tapas bar
+Seeing a Spaniard playing American folk music outside the cathedral
-Watching a pack of wild cats devour a dead animal in a gully
-Nearly stepping on a vendor's "artfully-placed" collection of paper fans meant to catch tourists off guard