The Rain in Spain
Contrary to popular belief, the rain in Spain does not fall mainly on the plain, as evidenced by the downpour that started last night and lasted into the morning. The forecast is for more of the same for the next five days so time will tell how much we are actually able to accomplish. Nevertheless, we are in a lull at the moment and, back at full strength are ready to roll out.
We have tickets this morning for the Real Alcázar, a 700 year old royal palace still in use by House Martell (and the Spanish Royal Family but that is much less interesting). It is particularly notable for its Mudéjar style, reflecting the confluence of cultures in the region.
As impressive are the outdoor spaces surrounding the palace. ranging from intimate courtyards that would have been reserved for members of the royal family, to the vast sculptured gardens the extend out for acres in almost every direction. The only thing I see missing is a royal hammock.
The Catedral de Sevilla sits right next to the Real Alcázar and is also on our list of stops, but first we set off in search of the churros we saw on display a few days ago during our initial reconnaissance. Unlike the dainty rings we have seen elsewhere, these look more like a large coil of rope that, laid out end to end, are probably taller than I am.
It takes some searching through the warren of tiny streets and alleys but ultimately we are successful, although, in practice, the presentation doesn’t live up to the hype.
Jacked up on sugar and carbohydrates, we head back to the cathedral, which for several hundred years was the largest in the world (while St. Peter’s is quite a bit larger and I did earlier refer to it as a cathedral, technically it is not as it is not associated with a bishop). Given its vintage, it is a return to the classic gothic style.
Off to one side we a buzz of activity next to this set up:
Turns out this is the tomb of Christopher Columbus, although there is some dispute as to whether his remains actually lie here or in the Dominican Republic. These seems to be far less desire here to topple this monument than there would be back home, although it is labelled Cristóbal Colón, so perhaps angry protestors have not yet made the connection.
Our tickets include entry to a few other areas of the complex, including the bell tower, La Giralda, but we’ve hit our church limit it seems and instead start our journey back to the hotel.
We’re off to Granada tomorrow bright and early (our tickets for teh ALhambra at at 10:00 AM and it is a two hour drive from here) but, even with the change in weather, I’m a little sad to see our time in Sevilla come to an end. There is a fairly large university here, scattered across many of the old buildings in the areas we have spent the past few days so, Roberts boys, if you are actually reading this, semester abroad.