September 4, 2019

September 4, 2019

This morning we had a city tour of Sevilla, Spain. We started at the Plaza de Espana. The field and surrounding pavilion were built for a 1929 Iberian World’s Fair. It was a subset of the International version held in Barcelona that year. Aimee and I found it to be very cool. This semi-circular brick structure is well-decorated with tile work and has alphabetical alcoves representing the largest cities in Spain. I have a grand time taking photos for an hour.

We then drove to Old Town Sevilla and parked. We walked through the modern Jardine de Murillo with its monument to Christopher Columbus. We continued on through Barrio Santa Cruz window shopping along the way. Popular souvenirs included decorative tiles, flamenco dolls, and fans. Fans would be useful today as Sevilla is having a heat wave.

One of the reasons I wanted to come to the southern Spanish province of Andalusia is to continue the Muslim history we learned in Morocco. In 711AD, after sweeping across the North African coast, the Muslim army pushed north crossing into the Iberian peninsula. They were finally stopped in France in 732AD. The Islamic Moors ruled Spain and Portugal for centuries. When the Moorish Caliphate splintered, the Catholic inhabitants were able to organize and slowly retake their land piece by piece in an age known as the Reconquista. Sevilla was recaptured in 1248. We finish our tour at the World Heritage Cathedral of Sevilla. This Cathedral was built on the site of the Moors' mosque. It was the largest church in the world when finished. It still is the largest Gothic church.

We got a guided tour of the cavernous Cathedral and its many fine adornments. The one item though that Aimee and I both best remember is an obscure fact on the origin of the word, Alligator. While hearing the story why one is hanging in the doorway, we learn the name is derived from Spanish for lizard, El Lagarto. Funny what silly things stick in our minds. Seville, a river port connected to the sea, became the center of Spain’s colonial trade. As a result, Christopher Columbus’ coffin is on display in a prominent position, resting upon the shoulders of four kings. Sadly, the coffin contains only one finger of his remains.

The bell tower for the Cathedral is the old Minaret from the mosque. After we left the tour, we climbed the spiral ramp to the top for grand views of the city. I almost jumped out when one of the massive bells peeled unexpectedly overhead.

We stopped with our friends for beer and Tapas (bar snacks). Aimee and I tried Jamon (ham) and Pork Loin slices. Both are supposed to be delicacies because they come from Black-hoofed pigs fed only acorns. They were good but I think they are an acquired taste.

After lunch we toured the adjoining Royal Alcazar. An Alcazar is a palace of the Moors. It was extensively remodeled by a Christian King after the Reconquest. Because he hired Moorish craftsmen it still retains a lot of Islamic decoration. The palace is a maze of rooms. Most are underwhelming, although a few rooms still retain their original finery.

Afterwards we walked around the extensive walled garden. The Alacazar has become a popular tourist attraction because some scenes from Game of Thrones have been filmed here. There are several peacocks roaming the gardens, two with chicks. They are quite tame, taking pieces of food out of our hands.

We window shopped in the Santa Cruz area again buying some sweets. Since it is hot we stopped to cool down with some refreshing Sangria. This is a Spanish drink of wine mixed with fruit and juice.