Bare Arms

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After a last trip through the medina, a taxi ride to the border of Spanish Ceuta, a walk across the border, including a few minutes of real strangeness (walking through narrow metal cage-like passageways, with a dozen Moroccans waiting for something...they told us to squeeze by them....), a taxi to the ferry, ferry to Algecinas, Spain across the Straits of Gilbraltar, walk to the bus station, three hour bus ride to Seville and a final taxi ride to our hotel, we are settled in Seville for three days!

The culture change was most abrupt as we traveled by taxi from the Ceuta border: within minutes, we went from seeing poor Moroccan workers to people jogging and power-walking along the shore, dressed in expensive clothing....

The bus ride from Algecinas to Cadiz was stunning...the coast is known for kite-surfing and the bus filled up with young surfers.

I didn't expect to feel as free as I did last night, walking around in a sleeveless summer dress and sitting in a sidewalk cafe with other couples...the Moroccan culture of almost exclusively men in cafes had affected me more than I realized...

And this morning I was able to go running for the first time in 3 weeks too!

We spent the early afternoon today touring the amazing Alcazar here....I was so glad that we'd taken our side trip to Morocco before seeing it, since there has been so much cross-over between the countries, and now I have much more context for what I see here.

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Photos

The Ambassadors Room in the Alcazar
This was the main throne room in this 1100 year old palace.

There's goes my suitcase through the Medina
Leaving Morocco..

Border crossing
Work is going on the make the border more attractive and efficient.

Lots of wind farms
So much wind here that the high suicide rate is blamed on it!

Sunday evening Seville
Every evening the pedestrian street by our hotel fills up people: Kids riding their toy cars or kicking a ball around, older couples strolling arm-in-arm, friends chatting over 1 euro beers or on benches...

The river
Seville is the only river port in Spain and once controlled all the plunder coming from the Americas.

The Archive Building
Where all the records from the Americas are kept. the massive cathedral is in the background.

Alcazar
Virgin Mary blessing the conquistadors and protecting (Ha..right...) the natives under her cloak...

Alcazar
Detail of a wall