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We caught the bus at our front door for the ride into the historic center of Seville -- a short, easy ride. Before out 10:30 walking tour, we wandered a bit and were able to visit the Cathedral during Mass, but before the opening for tourists. This is Europe's third largest church, and the largest Gothic church in the world. Its massive size is evident from the outside; it goes on forever, dwarfing the nearby Alcazar. The interior is built on the same grand scale, with a soaring central nave and side aisles. The area reserved to the altar and choir is but a fraction of the enormous space, which is ringed with side altars. Of particular note is the one containing the tomb of Christopher Columbus, borne by statues of four kings representing the regions of Castile, Aragon, Leon and Navarre.
The cathedral was built on the site of
a former mosque (sound familiar??), but was not the cause of its destruction;
after an earthquake toppled most of the Muslim shrine, the cathedral was built
there. The original minaret was not destroyed and was used as the base for the
belfry, topped by a triumphant statue. The Giralda, as the tower is
known, is a symbol of Seville.
This was International Workers' Day, Labor Day, and a national holiday here in
Spain. While many businesses were closed, their employees and their
families were out in force, along with tourists from elsewhere in Spain and
beyond; there were many people gathered at Feel the City Tours' meeting
point. We were divided into groups according to language and we headed
off with our fellow English-speakers with the lovely Beatrice as our guide. She
entertained us all with history, legends and good humor beyond the cathedral
and Alcazar, and down the wide Av. Genova to the City Hall, with its two
facades the ornate 16th century "back door" and the more austere 18th
century neo-classical front facing the Plaza Nueva.
By the time we reached the riverfront at the bridge to Triana (birthplace of
Flamenco), the midday heat was on. The waterfront promenade was lovely
and shaded as we walked along it to the Tower of Gold, originally part of the
city's defenses and the gateway to and from the commerce with the New World
that made Seville and economic powerhouse in the 16th century.
The tour ended at the simply glorious Plaza de Espana, a semi-circular composition
of fantastic ceramic balustrades and lampposts, flowers, canal, arched bridges,
towers, a fountain and mosaic plaza -- all embraced by the former Spanish
Pavilion from the 1929 International Exposition. Arrayed below the
portico and balconies of the pavilion are a series of gorgeously tiled alcoves
with benches, maps, and scenes of each Spanish province, in alphabetical
order. It was an unforgettable scene on this sparkling afternoon.
After lunch in the park, we made our way back to the cathedral and City Hall for some more photos, and then wandered around the old center some more. We rested in the shade (it was about 100 degrees this afternoon) of the enormous Metropol Parasol, a honeycomb-like, multi-level affair, supposedly the world's largest wooden structure.
Our last stop of the day was the Museum
of Flamenco Dance, where we had tickets for a performance. The stage was
set in a small, intimate space and we had front-row seats for an amazing dance,
song, rhythm and guitar show. The energy of the dancers, and their
mind-bogglingly fast footwork left us in awe. While we understood nothing
that was sung, and had no knowledge of the fine (or even blunt!) points of
flamenco, we were enthralled!
This was a wonderful day in a beautiful city, and we're looking forward to another one tomorrow.
This was a wonderful day in a beautiful city, and we're looking forward to another one tomorrow.
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