SPAIN-SEVILLE-1020 THRU 1023

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October 22nd 2009

Published: October 23rd 2009

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KHALEH NAZ NOMAD FOUND

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THE REAL ALCAZAR

Ole!!!
A Flamenco guitarist, a singer, two Flamenco dancers, one man and one woman, in the middle of a enclosed courtyard of an old house in the Jewish quarters of Seville...The audience seated in the cloister area surrounding the courtyard...Firm, angry, determined, the Flamenco dancer stomped the audience into transcendence...The singer sounded like a Muadzin, his voice penetrating...The guitarist's fingers elegantly and effortlessly strobed the guitar strings...The Flamenco performance and the ambiance was magical...A great end to an eventful day...
Yesterday I visited The Real Alcazar, Seville Cathedral, and Plaza De Toros, and had a great Tapas meal for dinner, prior to returning to the hotel to rest and get ready for the Flamenco performance at La Casa De La Memoria, adjacent to the hotel...I love the name La Casa De La Memoria!!!!
The Real Alcazar is a beautiful example of Mudejar style. Mudejar are the Muslims from Andalusia who remained in the Christian territories after the re-conquest. I have questions whether they converted to Christianity or not...I read and hear different things...They incorporated Islamic patterns into many Christian buildings, these patterns evolved into other more fluent and flowy patterns. The Real Alcazar is beautiful and its gardens are breathtaking...
Right

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THE GARDENS AT THE REAL ALCAZAR

across the Plaza Del Triunfo from the Real Alcazar is Seville's Cathdral. It was a mosque prior to the Christian reconquest, but the mosque was destroyed and its minaret and Naranje courtyard were spared. The Minaret was turned into a bell-tower. The Cathedral is Gothic and is the third largest cathedral after St. Peters in Vatican and St. Pauls in London. It holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The massive columns and the nave of pointed arches create a very spiritual atmosphere. There is a ten story square ramp to the top of the bell tower/minaret...The are beautiful panoramic views of the city.
Seville is a maze of narrow streets...It is hard to decipher the city from the top of the minaret or even in maps...I found myself always looking for the minaret when I felt lost...It is a great city to get lost in...
Plaza De Toros...I loved it and I would definitely recommend a visit...It is walking distance to the cathedral and across the Guadalquivir river...There are only tours to it...The bullfighting season is between April and October, and it is not an event for the faint of heart...But for some reason I find the whole pageantry very

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PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS AT THE REAL ALCAZAR

intriguing, the Torro (Bull), the Toreros (The Matadores, the Picadores, the Bandelliroes), the Prince's Seat, the circular bull rink with a yellowish colored field, the chapel where the Toreros pray prior to evry game, the gilded costumes, the play between man and animal...
Today was walking around the city, doing some shopping, visiting the Torre Del Oro along the river and the Plaza Espana...
Tha sad things is I found alot of construction and rehabilitation work around Europe, especially in Spain. As a result there is a lot of cranes, tractors, sound, and traffic.
The things I find special about Seville are the private courtyards with beautiful mosaic and tile work. The mazed narrow streets, and the tapas bars, the side street/plaza Flamenco guitar players...
Did you know:
Tapas means to cover...There are several legends related to its origin...But in Andalusia Sherry drinkers used to cover their glass with small plates to keep it from fruit flies...The plates were topped with snacks, and eventually these small snack plates evolved into a certain style of cuisine...
Tomorrow I am off to Granada...That is the crowning glory for me...I am planning to be at the gates of the Al Hambra at 8:00