Monday, April 30, 2012

Yes we are in Seville, and no I don't need a haircut!

We tried to get a train to Seville yesterday but the 11.24 am and the 2.00 pm trains were full so we had to take a bus (which was also full). We are paying top dollar (euro) for a fairly small hotel room so we wondered what was going on. It is the week of Seville's Feria de Abril or April Fair, which is possibly the largest annual Fair in Andalucia. A lot of women and their daughters are walking around in flamenco dresses and many Sevillians (those not in uniform) are out and about eating and drinking.

Today we walked into town and queued up to see the Seville Cathedral and its tower (the Giralda). The Giralda was once the minaret of the original mosque on this site until the Christians conquered the city and took over, changing the minaret into a steeple (as you do). The architects of this Cathedral said in 1402 "We're going to construct a church so large, future generations will think we were mad." They were right.

Now I know that these cathedrals are meant to be big, but this one is !!#&%+ huuuge! In fact we didn't think of it so much in terms of a "church", but rather more like a Medieval religious mall. It has 80 chapels if you need to shop around for your particular saint. And the treasures contained within - Judith thinks that Spain could solve its financial woes if it sold off just a fraction of them.

The remains of Christopher Columbus are claimed to be here in an elaborately carved catafalque (above). However, that is a matter of debate and DNA testing is being conducted to establish the truth. I'm not sure that the truth should stand in the way of a good story, so I'm sure that whatever the outcome, many people will continue to believe the status quo. Besides, it is an impressive allegorical sculpture so it must be true.

The second day in Seville we walked to the Espacio Metropol Parasol which is a large structure that the locals call "the mushroom" and which has caused a bit of a stir. You are meant to be able to take a lift up on top to see the city but it all seemed to be closed. Took some good photos though. We then went to the Real Alcazar de Sevilla (the royal palace of Seville) which, again, is lavish, enormous, impressive and showing the moorish heritage of southern Spain (took some more good photos).

We watched TV for the first time since we left Australia on the first night in Seville. We tuned in to the BBC 24 hour world news service. It had a special segment on how unemployment in Spain is currently at 25% and in fact unemployment among the under 25's is at 50%! We can see the evidence of Spain's economic woes right here in Seville in the number of apartments for sale and to let.

Incidentally, the BBC program had a panel discussing Rupert Murdoch's appearance before the Leveson inquiry. It was brilliant! (not his appearance - the panel discussion).

Our next stop is Cordoba, and we are looking forward to it, but we are thinking that three cities in quick succession in Andalusia with its moorish heritage might be a bit of overkill. We'll let you know...


 

2 comments:

bootesy said...

I'm enjoying reading your travel stories. What a fantastic adventure you have both had.

bootesy said...
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