6-9 October We had 4 nights in Seville and stayed close enough to be able to walk everywhere. Our host also had some great recommendations that allowed us to go to places where the locals went, as well as see the sights. Tomb of Christopher Columbus On Saturday night we had an early night. After our noisy apartment in Madrid we expected to have a quiet evening. But we heard what we thought was the neighbours playing music or watching a movie on TV. As the music got louder we realised it was live so we got up and went outside and discovered a religious procession going past the end of our street. Initially there were not many people around but soon it seemed that the whole neighbourhood was there. There were two floats being carried by young men. And many matching bands. The progress was very slow as (we think) the young men had to have many rests. But it was fascinating for us all the same. At one point the float started again when we were just close by so we sheltered in a doorway with another guy. There was almost no room between us and the float and we smelled the flowers as they went by right under our noses. We finally got to bed after 11:30pm. I suppose when the weather is hot you have your celebrations in the cool of the night. One morning we went out for a traditional Sevillian breakfast. We followed our hosts instructions to a place where the locals go. It was an experience. Delicious churros with chocolate - very light and fluffy. A bustling place where you had to wait for a table. Bull fighting is alive and well in Seville. One day we visited the bull fighting arena. It was only a short wait to do the museum and arena tour so we did it. The commentary was all about the art and danger (for the matador), and nothing about the poor old bulls, except for one who was so noble he was spared by the matador. One of the main sights of Seville is the Alcázar of Seville. This was the old moorish palace that was taken over by the Kings of Spain when they defeated the moors. Very impressive. For those interested some scene from Game of Thrones were shot here. The other main sight is the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world. As well as seeing inside of the cathedral and climbing the bell tower (which was a converted minaret), we did a tour of the roof which was awesome. The guide said that when they built the cathedral, they were concerned at how God would see it from above and this influenced some of their design decisions. At one point we were wandering around on the roof and when we returned to where we thought we were supposed to be, the guide and the others in the tour had disappeared and we didn't know where to go. Luckily Howard was with the guide so I texted him and the guide came back for us. As part of a walking tour we visited Plaza de Espana which was built for the world exposition in 1929. One night we went to a Flamenco Bar near to where we live, recommended by our host. It was flamenco music, rather than dancing, and was really a bit of a jam session. With one guy playing the guitar and other people joining in. Some to play guitar, others to sing. The bar itself was tiny and the roof seemed to be held up by scaffolding which looked like it had been there a long time. Beers were only 1 euro each. Quite an enjoyable night. Everywhere we went there was something interesting to look at. Here are just a few highlights.
1 Comment
Hilary
13/10/2018 01:40:45 am
Well you missed Hope and I by a few weeks! I love southern Spain. We had temps over 38 most of the time. Hopefully you’re doing a little better.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWe are sharing stories about and travels on our barge Moondance. Archives
August 2023
|