Seville

Santa Cruz Streets
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This morning we had a brief panoramic drive through of the city of Seville. Unfortunately it is raining so photos out of the bus are not that great. The local guide pointed out to us all the buildings which were built and used for the world expo that was held in Seville. Many of the buildings here are white in colour, and highlighted with ochre – the colour of the soil. It was great to see the enormous bull ring too!

When then departec the bus and took a stroll through the delightful Santa Cruz Quarter. Just after starting, a young man started to play a guitar and followed our group through the narrow streets. It seemed really Spanish to be serenaded as you walked through the narrow streets, past the buildings with the small iron balconies, coloured in white and ochre. Of course a tip was requested at the end and we obliged. We stopped at the central square which was just delightful and were given 20mins free time to have a coffee and comfort stop. We went into a local pub and saw lots of smoked ham legs hanging from the ceiling. When someone ordered a sandwich it was cut directly off the leg while you waited. I took the opportunity to do a little souvenir shopping (as you do!).

Flamenco Dancers

Santa Cruz Square
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As we continued on our walk, we saw lots of trees that were laden with oranges. The local guide said these were sour oranges and not edible off the tree. The local council however collected the fruit each year (about this time) and it was turned into marmalade.  As we turned a corner they were doing just this – sweeping oranges down the road.

We then entered our highlight visit of the morning, the visit to the Seville Cathedral – the resting place for Christopher Columbus. Our guide walked us around inside this huge structure, the third biggest Cathedral in the world after Westminster an St Pauls in London. It was strange to see the many smaller naves surrounding the central area gated off. This was because in times past, each of these were privately owned and maintained, so needed to be secured. We also saw the preparation for Holy week in the polishing of the large silver alter where the offerings are left by each religious region of Spain. What a job that would be – imagine how much Silvo!

Orange Anyone?
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The last task at the Cathedral was a climb to the top observation deck to see the full panoramic view of Seville. This climb was around the main tower, and 35 ramps later (puff, puff) the final 20 steps at the top were a real killer! But it was worth it to see the view at the top. The bull ring stands out amongst the predominantly white buildings.

Once back on terra firma, a small group of us head to a local cafe to grab a quick bite to eat. After this we head off to Alcazar – the old Royal Palace where Joe and I hire an audioguide to tell us about the different rooms and features of the palace. It has a very Arabic flavour, reminiscent of our trip to Morocco, with the mosaic walls, domed ceilings and open courtyards. We spent a good couple of hours here just wandering around and admiring the surroundings. We caught the city metro train and then walked the short distance back to our hotel, giving us just an hour before we were to head out to our Flamenco dinner and dance show.

Cathedral Pink Granite Altar
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The dinner was nothing to rave home about (and possibly the cause of my later distress). But the show was fantastic. With the men and women clapping their hands, stomping their feet, twirling their skirts and capes and fluttering their fans it was truly an entertaining evening. One of the better folklore shows we have seen on our many trips.

Unfortunately before the end of the show I was feeling quite unwell and spent the finale trying not to pass out. Upon return to the room things just got worse and we ended up calling the doctor in who gave me a shot of something in my butt to stop my retching and bring my fever down. He recommended a full day of rest with bland food. This meant us making the hard decision to leave the tour so I could spend a day at rest.