Sevilla, Córdoba...where to begin?

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Yesterday (Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012) was my first full day of sightseeing and strolling around Seville. The best thing about a city like Seville is that even when you get lost it's not a problem because there is so much to see and the street life is such a big part of its charm. I set out from the hotel on foot in the direction of the Cathedral. You'd think a building as impressive and imposing on the city's skyline would not be hard to find, but us North Americans are not used to how narrow the streets are and how much that both disorients you and blocks your view (one advantage, on the other hand, is that most of the narrow streets are shaded so you can get relief from the 40 degree heat quite easily). The other thing that we're not used to is how difficult it is to find the street names, and how short they are, almost changing name at every turn. So, after some wrong turns I did eventually find myself at the Cathedral. The tower of the cathedral is one of the city's best known landmarks and is known as La Giralda. The cathedral is truly impressive, as are the views of the city from La Giralda, which is a good thing because the state of my cardiovascular health is apparently not at Olympic levels just yet and photo-taking was a much-needed break after walking up the 35 ramps to get to the top (they circle upward at right angles). The one other memorable thing about the Cathedral is the "fortune-tellers" -- also known as women who give you flowers and more or less con you out of 20 euros or so in the confusion -- who continually harass people in line to get in. That has been the one sitting-duck-tourist-incident so far. All in all, not so bad and, as Lynne always says, as long as it's a good story, no problem (the full version is more "colourful").



After the Cathedral it was on to the Reales Alcazares, a royal fortress that consists of a number of different buidlings and gardens and was buildt by the Moors in the 12th century. This was the first truly Moorish bit of architecture that I visited, and it was stunning, especially the Hall of Ambassadors and the gardens. This was exactly what I came to Andalusia to see, the unique mixing of architecural styles and cultures that is the heritage of the Moorish period, and I was not disappointed. The geometric mosaics, the Arabic calligraphy, the pools, the arches -- all even more impressive than I had expected, and I had pretty high expectations!



The rest of the day was spent mostly walking around, with visits to the Torre de Oro, a Moorish tower on the riverfront that provides some nice views of the city, and the Plaza de Toros Maestranza, Seville's bullfighting ring. The bullfighting ring was interesting, but suffice it to say I'm not planning to give up my TFC season seats or Blue Jays pass for tickets to the bullfights. So ended the day.



Today (Wednesday, September 5, 2012) I was up early and off to the train station to catch a train to Cordoba for a day trip. This one of the days I was looking forward to the most when I planned this trip. Cordoba was one of the jewels of the Moorish period in Andalusia, the largest and most culturally advanced city in Europe at the time, and the centre of a long period of cultural, scientific, and philosophical intermingling among the ruling Muslims and the Jewish and Christian minorities. It was the home of Maimonides, the Jewish philosopher, and the Islamic philosophers Averroes and Ibn-Arabi (for part of their lives). The most famous attraction is the Mezquita, which was originally a mosque and was later converted to a cathedral when Ferdinand and Isabella defeated the Moors and expelled the Jews and Muslims. It originally had over 1000 columns and over 800 remain. It is hard to describe in words or in pictures how the use of space and the columns create a feeling of infinity, as if the buildling continues in all directions without end. It is now a cathedral and has all of the usual elements of a large European cathedral, but combined with the breathtaking architecture of the original mosque. This did not disappoint, in fact it was better than I could have imagined.



It's hard to imagine what could stand up against the Mezquita, but this is Cordoba, and it is a remarkable place. My next stop was the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, which dates from the 1320s and was built by the Chrisitan kings after the Moors were defeated. The architecture still retains its Andalusian character and the gardens are stunning. After the Alcazar I walked across a Roman bridge and visited the museum about Andalusia in a tower at the other end of the bridge called Torre de la Calahorra. The tower provides amazing views of the city.



Under the Moors the Jewish community flourished in Cordoba, and the old Jewish Quarter is one of the most charming parts of the city. The narrow winding streets are spectacular, and you could spend almost a full day just walking around this area. The Jewish community was expelled in 1492, and much of the original quarter was destroyed, so there is only one surviving synagogue. Unfortunatey it was closed today, but I was able to visit the museum next door called Casa de Serafad which is dedicated to the history of the Sephardic Jews in Cordoba. One famous street in this area is called the Calleja de las Flores and provides postcard perfect views of the tower of the Mezquita framed by whitewashed houses and flower pots.



One more full day tomorrow in Seville, and then on to Granada.

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Photos

La Giralda
The tower forms part of Seville Cathedral

Reales Alcazares
Hall of Ambassadors

La Mezquita
Over 800 of the original columns remain

La Mezquita 2
The Miharab (which shows the direction of prayer)

Alcazar - Cordoba
Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

Comments

[Jocelyne Laplante]

down memory lane
Love your blog. Bob and I have visited Spain and this just brings me back to wonderful times. When you are in Granada, you may want to visit the cave homes( I forget what they are called). I am sure Lynne told you about her visit there. Quite an amusing tale. When you visit the Alhambra, beware of the flower ladies. They are all over the place. You may also encounter the beggar women with their children in tow ( supposedly injured- broken arm, etc.) This is just a ruse to open your heart and especially your wallet. If you are planning on visiting the Costa del Sol, a visit to Ronda would be a must. It is situated in the mountains and well worth the trip. Mijas ( LLadro pottery) and Nerja ( beautiful caves) are also interesting. Well, enough of my trip to memory Lane. Have a great vacation and take care . Jocelyne

[Rick]

wow!
Looks amazing!!