Sevilla

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There is usually not much time that passes between the time that I've experienced what it is that I have experienced and the time that I write these blog entries. First, it's alot easier to write because it is so fresh in my mind and the excitement of the day is still very much present. So the fact that my netbook gave out on me on my last day in Cordoba means that the rest of these entries were going to have to be written once I got home. I normally take notes here and there throughout the day but this meant that I would have to be a little bit better at it. I guess I could have just skipped writing about the last three weeks of this trip entirely but I just thought that it was a shame to not have the full trip documented. I had come so far!! Plus this is how I remember what is what on some of the pictures that I have taken (seeing that I never print them out!!)

So first ... a quick thought on my last day in Cordoba. The heat got the best of me so I actually ended up spending most of the day in bed (in the end very lucky that this was pretty much the only day that I truly felt under the weather out of the full 86 days!). The maid checked in on me a couple of times after I told her that I was not feeling well ... now that is hotel service!! The only reason that I made it out of the hotel was to actually make it to my appointment at the arab baths. Similar to the Scandanavian baths, it is a rotation through the warm, hot and cold pools plus there is also a steam bath. The setting was absolutely gorgeous and peaceful. They served the most lovely tea which reminded me of the Turkish Delight from Davids Tea ... yum. Unfortunately it was over too quickly but it definitely helped me and I certainly felt 100% better the next day and ready to make my way to Sevilla. What I also found interesting is that I had at that point seen quite a few ruins of arab baths and although the one I visited was obviously a reproduction of that it certainly gave you a good sense of what these ancient baths would have looked like back then.

Sevilla was exactly what I thought it would be and how I pictured towns in the south of Spain to be. So charming and full of character. The highlight though had to be the fact that I arrived just in the nick of time to see the Corpus Christi procession. I had seen indications that this was about to take place in Toledo and Granada and it is truly just dumb luck that I stumbled upon the actual procession here in Sevilla. As I checked into my hotel, I could hear the bells of the Cathedral clanging away so I quickly grabbed my stuff and bolted out the door to get to the Cathedral which was just a stone's throw away from the hotel. Regardless of your faith, it is always interesting to see or participate in these kinds of events that seem to touch and gather such a large number of people. The atmosphere and energy that it creates is palpable and simply incredible. Or was that the heat??? And to show you how important this procession was ... that very evening, it was re-broadcast in full on local television.

My visit of Sevilla of course also included a visit to the Cathedral and to the Alcazar. The Cathedral ... well by this time ... it was just one more church to add to the list. Not to downplay how beautiful it was but seriously after nine weeks and I don't know how many churches ... they were all starting to look alike! I did take the time to climb the tower which gives you an amazing view of the city. The climb is a little easier because it is not stairs but ramps ... 37 ramps which are numbered so you know how far you've come and how much you have left. It's at that point that I also started realizing that all of this walking had definitely whipped me into shape over these last nine weeks. People were huffing and puffing up these ramps and I was just powering through like nothing ... yay me!!!

I also took the time to visit another bullfighting ring. The only reason that I wanted to see this one in particular is that it included a small museum as well. The tour was guided and it included interesting information about the sport itself. I have said it before that I am quite torn about this sport and I did get quite a few opportunities to watch it on television during my stay here in Spain. It's not pretty and I cringed through about 90% of it. What I did learn though is that there were many sports practiced in Spain and the reason that this became so popular was because the meat from the bull was given to the poor. A little karma but oh that poor little defenseless bull ... well actually ... not so little ... minimum 450 kg and not so defenseless ... but still one of God's creatures ... poor little thing.

Apart from that, there was no map and no purpose. Just aimless wandering through the streets and just soaking in the last little bit of Spain because from there it was onwards to Portugal. I will let the photos do the talking ... at this point I think that they tell the story much better than I do.

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Photos

1 My room
At Hotel Amadeus

19
Quite a crowd had gathered!

20 Media coverage
I actually saw the full replay on TV that evening

21
A little loud when you are standing right next to them!!

Comments

[Anne]

Hoorah!
It's so nice to have you back detailing your marvelous trip. Thanks.

[carfour]

Thanks Anne
It's a little bizarre writing it so long after it actually happened ... glad to see that you are enjoying the blog. Just three or four more entries and then I am done for a little while.