Nancy and Bob travel diary: Sevilla the first two days

March 18-19:
Every city we have visited has a very different atmosphere. It is as if Spain is many countries in one. We have enjoyed everything each place has to offer. Toledo has its cathedral, Cordoba the amazing Mezquita, Granada the Alhambra, the Costa del Sol its beaches and sun....but Sevilla is special. James Mitchener put it best "Sevilla doesn't have ambiance it is ambiance". There is nothing quite like walking down the Avenida de la Constitution beside the locals in the evening with a cellist playing on the sidewalk. Unfortunately there are more accordian players than cellists, they are not quite the same!

We arrived on the bus from Cadiz in the early afternoon. It was 24 and sunny so we were optimistic we might get some good weather. First stop in any new city has to be the tourist info place. In Spain they are a little different. We asked about the Sevilla card which can reduce the cost of visiting the city's monuments. When we asked for information about it they said "no, not here" quite emphatically. Now I find that a little odd. They showed us on a map where to buy the ticket and we set off.

At my suggestion we purchased the 48 hour Sevilla card which allowed us to get into all of the main monuments including the bull ring, the cathedral and the Alcazar Real. It also included a bus tour and a cruise on the Quadalaquiver River. SO the clock was ticking....so much to see so little time!

We decided to wait until the next day to start the clock on the Sevilla pass. We spent the rest of the day and evening just looking around.

The cathedral is lit at night and it is very impressive.

The bull ring is also lit at night and looks very attractive. It is the second oldest bullring in Spain, next to Ronda's.

I had to include this picture of the waiter at the restaurant where we had dinner that night. When you order fish they come to your table and fillet it for you. Now that is service!

If the picture above looks familiar don't worry....different city, different protest, different police. the President of Spain who is also the President of the EU seems to be following us around Spain. Most inconvenient for us. If you remember the Alhambra was closed for the EU ministers. We planned our day around a morning visit to the Real Alcazar (Royal Palace). When we got there it was closed because the Spanish government with president were meeting inside. Outside were the usual protesters. Spain's economy is in a bad way and the people are very angry. Organized protest occurs regularly.

We walked down by the river to the Golden Tower but that was closed too. So the bullring it was...unfortunately it was open. We had been looking forward to seeing a bullring since we missed the one in Ronda because Bob was sick. We were dismayed to discover the King was due to address his subjects on the 25th March from the centre of the bullring. They were good to go for that with a huge tent in the centre of the ring. No photo ops!! There seems to be the same argument about the origin of professional bullfighting as Canadian hockey. Sevilla claims it started there. We did not get into the argument.

The Prince's gate from where the bullfighter gets to leave when he has killed his third bull. Sort of a goal for up and coming bullfighters.

I was wondering if this was a kind of elite thing so I asked how many people in Spain would have seen a bullfight. I was told immediately "100%". Even more popular than hockey!

A carefully taken photo of the ring avoiding the tent.

The corridor around the ring...it was clear.

There is a museum and a sort of art gallery with unusual paintings of bulls and men killing bulls. I include this photo so you can see what I mean by odd paintings. I can't see that in my living room!

The matador prays in a special chapel before the fight. Bob says that is unfair as the bulls have no chapel.

Next the bus tour. Only an hour and you get a good idea of the layout of the city and get to see things you would never know were there.

In the afternoon we took advantage of a break in the clouds to go into the cathedral and climb the Giralda. The tower is 90 metres high. It was constructed by the Moors in the 1100's. The muezzin road a mule to the top of the tower to give the call to prayer six times a day. In this century we are the mules going round and round to get to the top for a spectacular view of the city.

This is the Silver Alter in the Seville cathedral.

Christopher Columbus received his orders and blessings from Isabella and Ferdinand in this cathedral before his voyage to the America's. DNA evidence has confirmed that his bones do indeed rest in this place. See his tomb in this photo.

The view from the Giralda.

The bells still ring in this tower.

The cathedral from the Giralda.

This little dove was resting on the side of the Giralda as we climbed down. It is like he posed for us. of course a big zoom helps!

Here is Nancy in the ramp of the Giralda.

Some of the treasure they have on exhibit in the Treasury. A little bit on the gaudy side but I think worth a bit!

You can see where all the gold and silver from the Americas ended up. This is the main alter and it is made of gold (and dust)!

This is the ceiling in the Sacristy (I think). very ornate.

The pillars, the ceiling and the high alter.

A painting by Murillo of the patron saints off the city. Above the alter in the sacristy.

The cathedral in Sevilla.

We finished the day with the boat cruise on the Guadalhiver River (included in our pass!), the same river down which Columbus sailed when he left Sevilla for America, that was pretty much the coolest part of the cruise. It was about an hour long and goes a little up and then down the river. You get a pretty good look at Triana the artsy part of the city on the other side of the river.

You also get a look at the more industrial side of Sevilla...not the most picturesque!

I am not sure I would like to eat the fish they are catching in this river.
In the evening we joined the locals on a a tapas tour of the bars near (and just under) our hotel. Not the quietest address in town.