Spain 2011 Day 12 Friday June 3

Spain Day 12
by Linda Roccos on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 4:26pm
Spain day 12, Friday, June 3, 2011 -- Seville

GLOBUS: “During your sightseeing tour with a Local Guide hear about the city’s role in Roman times, its conquest by the Moors in 712 AD, and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. Admire Maria Luisa Park, the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the university that used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Then, stroll through the narrow lanes of the charming SANTA CRUZ QUARTER. Highlight is a visit to the ALCAZAR, founded in the 11th century as a Moorish fortress, with its Palacio de Don Pedro. End your tour on Cathedral Square. The rest of the day is at leisure. For those interested, an optional extended guided visit to the cathedral is available. Tonight, for a truly Andalusian night out, reserve a seat at the optional flamenco show. (Breakfast)”

Today we toured Seville, first by bus past many wonderful buildings left over from their Expo of 1929, when many countries built grand structures. Unfortunately there was this stock market crash that year, so the Expo was not well attended. Then we walked through the very narrow streets and small squares of the old Jewish quarter, with very quaint tiled doors and windows with grills on them, which seems to be common down here, not from crime, but as tradition.

We went to the Alcazar here, the fortress/palace, and it was more impressive than the Alhambra was, as there were more well preserved rooms, with much color left in the grillwork and stucco carvings. All of the many rooms and courtyards had tiles on the lower part of the walls, and carved designs up high and on the ceilings.

After a short lunch stop for half a sandwich and iced tea (no wine midday or I couldn’t keep going), we went on our own to the cathedral, which was pretty big, the larges Gothic church in Spain, or in the world as they said.

Dinner was early as it was an optional flamenco show in a dinner theater, so we left the hotel at 5:45 for the place, which was not very far away. Dinner was salmon in a thick saffron sauce, very tasty, and free wine flowing or sangria. The show started at 7pm while they were still serving the dinners, and lasted until 8:30. They do three shows every night, very busy place. The show was very theatrical and colorful, quite different from the flamenco shows that I had seen in New York, but it was a lot of fun. Tried taking pictures, but hard in the stage lighting.