The color is yellow.
The Virgin Mary everywhere.
Twisty, tiny streets
A relaxed pace.
Birds
Tiles
The sound of bells.
Ladies fanning themselves.
Eating very late at night and taking naps in the afternoon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Seville - Arrival night, 17 July
I arrive in Seville about 7:30 at night. I take a taxi to the Hotel Alminar, on a pedestrian street in the Barrio Santa Cruz. It is after 8:00 when I arrive at the hotel and still hot.
The hotel is very friendly and small - only 12 rooms - and I am the last single guest to arrive, which results in a warm "You must be Amy, welcome to Seville" from Francisco, the receptionist. I have room 2, on the ground floor at the end of the hall. It overlooks a lovely Sevillian townhouse with wrought iron balconies and lush plants.
I unpack and go out to talk to Francisco, who identifies some excellent tapas bars nearby. He tells me that I might get some food at 9:00, but this would be "optimistic" and not to expect much before 9:30 or even 10:00. He identifies a small bar called La Estrella, which I recognize from some of my research.
I am the first customer in for the night and I'm not sure what they said exactly to me, but I was sat down at a table and given a menu that I managed to order off of. Failing to identify the correct word for "beer" por favour, I managed "sangria" and this seemed to work. The food is delicious.
After dinner, I walk down near the Cathedral at night and take some photos of the buildings lit up at night. It is a very different experience, I know, then what it will be the next day in the heat of the full sun and the tourists.
My first 4 hours in Seville are complete and I am in love.
The hotel is very friendly and small - only 12 rooms - and I am the last single guest to arrive, which results in a warm "You must be Amy, welcome to Seville" from Francisco, the receptionist. I have room 2, on the ground floor at the end of the hall. It overlooks a lovely Sevillian townhouse with wrought iron balconies and lush plants.
I unpack and go out to talk to Francisco, who identifies some excellent tapas bars nearby. He tells me that I might get some food at 9:00, but this would be "optimistic" and not to expect much before 9:30 or even 10:00. He identifies a small bar called La Estrella, which I recognize from some of my research.
I am the first customer in for the night and I'm not sure what they said exactly to me, but I was sat down at a table and given a menu that I managed to order off of. Failing to identify the correct word for "beer" por favour, I managed "sangria" and this seemed to work. The food is delicious.
After dinner, I walk down near the Cathedral at night and take some photos of the buildings lit up at night. It is a very different experience, I know, then what it will be the next day in the heat of the full sun and the tourists.
My first 4 hours in Seville are complete and I am in love.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Seville, Day 1 - 18 July
I woke up to the sound of the Cathedral bells ringing and breakfast being prepared down the hall at my hotel. I decide over breakfast that today will be the big sites: the Cathedral & the Reale Alcazar (the Royal Palace). But first to find a cuandera (notebook). Despite Francisco's directions, I never do find the store that sells notebooks and get hopelessly lost on the narrow streets of Seville. But I'm not scared, because there are so many interesting things to see, like the tapas restaurant that tells you what they are serving that day by the items displayed in the window, like the whole fish in ice and the ham legs hanging. And I do find where all the shoe shops are! I head towards the Plaza Nueva and realize it is the wrong direction, figure out where I am and head back towards the cathedral - where I find a little notebook in the Cathedral shop.
The Cathedral & El Giradella - The cathedral actually life as a Mosque. The Moors ruled in southern Spain for 800 years. When the Christians "conquered" Seville, they did so peacefully, and so they came into a "clean" city which had not been damaged by war. As a result, they retained many of the original buildings and re purposed them to new uses. In Seville they were so impressed by the art and architecture, that they merged it into a new artistic style, the Mudejar (mood - ha- jar). The cathedral was consecrated as such in the mid 1200's and construction began in the 1300's and essentially was continually added to until the 1800's. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, and apparently was the largest in the world until St. Peter's in Rome was built. It is filled with stained glass from the centuries, finely detailed plasterwork, silver & gold. The silver alter is absolutely astounding, and the gold leafed High altar an awesome site.
The only remaining Moorish structure is La Giradella, the Tower. You can climb to the top of it using a series of ramps - no stairs, as they used to ride their horses to the top of the tower for some reason (I never found out why). From here, you have the most spectacular views of Seville.
From here, I went to the Reale Alcazar, which is still used as the royal palace for the King & Queen of Spain when they visit Seville. It was started as the al Caliphe's royal palace in 844, and extended by the Christian kings, Pedro the I and Carlos the V in the styles of the day. And so you have the most wonderful blend of Moorish style with Renaissance ceilings, Gothic arches and Baroque plasterwork, tiles from the 800's to the 1800's and gorgeous gardens. It is huge and it is beautiful.
I took many photos and then...the camera battery died. I wandered some more and decided I would come back the next day after I resolved the battery issue.
After I cooled down and located a new battery and a charger, I bought tickets to a Flamenco show right next door, at Auditerio Alvaraez Quintaro, right next to the hotel. Then I meandered down to Calle Sierpes, one of the pedestrian shopping streets. I went into a store selling art and crafts from around Seville and walked out with a hand painted fan and a necklace. I watched the artist, Concha, finish off the fan I wanted and we chatted in a combination of her good English and my very rudimentary Spanish. She told me the necklace I purchased was made by her sister, and had been used in several of the articles and advertising campaigns (and so it was, as I saw). I spent far more then I intended, but these will remind me of Seville each time I look at them or wear the necklace.
Just a word about Spanish fans. Do you think these are mere tourist trinkets? No, ladies in Spain use them frequently. If you ever experience the heat, you will use them, too.
Next, I went to the Flamenco show. This is a small venue and not one of the large Tablaos that have 2 or 3 professional shows a night and cater to the tourists. There are more and more smaller venues popping up and they have very good shows as well, often with the performers coming from the penas - the clubs and schools of flamenco. In Seville, the Tablaos are not considered real flamenco, because the whole story of flamenco is about passion, and they feel that after 2 or 3 shows a night, you lose that passion. Flamenco is the Andalucian country dance and song. It is not just the dancing, but the whole package. The singer and the guitar player are integral to the story, usually a story of longing for love, or a lost love, so kind of like American Blues, in some ways. There were several locals in this place, which I like because you get a different flavour for the performance. Tonight, the singer would start, and sometimes, you'd hear comments from the audience (in Spanish, of course), like a "right on" or "I hear you", encouraging him on with his story. Then comes the dancer, adding visual interpretation to the song.
The dancer was great, of course, but I have to confess, it was the singer who completely blew me away. I should have turned on the video of my camera to capture both the sights and sounds of this show.
After the show, I walked around the corner to Robles tapas. Casa Robles, the parent restaurant, is very famous in Seville, as the king & queen eat there when they are in town. I can't afford the meal prices there, so the tapas bar next door is better bargain. I sat outside, drank sangria, ate tapas and enjoyed the night.
The Cathedral & El Giradella - The cathedral actually life as a Mosque. The Moors ruled in southern Spain for 800 years. When the Christians "conquered" Seville, they did so peacefully, and so they came into a "clean" city which had not been damaged by war. As a result, they retained many of the original buildings and re purposed them to new uses. In Seville they were so impressed by the art and architecture, that they merged it into a new artistic style, the Mudejar (mood - ha- jar). The cathedral was consecrated as such in the mid 1200's and construction began in the 1300's and essentially was continually added to until the 1800's. It is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, and apparently was the largest in the world until St. Peter's in Rome was built. It is filled with stained glass from the centuries, finely detailed plasterwork, silver & gold. The silver alter is absolutely astounding, and the gold leafed High altar an awesome site.
The only remaining Moorish structure is La Giradella, the Tower. You can climb to the top of it using a series of ramps - no stairs, as they used to ride their horses to the top of the tower for some reason (I never found out why). From here, you have the most spectacular views of Seville.
From here, I went to the Reale Alcazar, which is still used as the royal palace for the King & Queen of Spain when they visit Seville. It was started as the al Caliphe's royal palace in 844, and extended by the Christian kings, Pedro the I and Carlos the V in the styles of the day. And so you have the most wonderful blend of Moorish style with Renaissance ceilings, Gothic arches and Baroque plasterwork, tiles from the 800's to the 1800's and gorgeous gardens. It is huge and it is beautiful.
I took many photos and then...the camera battery died. I wandered some more and decided I would come back the next day after I resolved the battery issue.
After I cooled down and located a new battery and a charger, I bought tickets to a Flamenco show right next door, at Auditerio Alvaraez Quintaro, right next to the hotel. Then I meandered down to Calle Sierpes, one of the pedestrian shopping streets. I went into a store selling art and crafts from around Seville and walked out with a hand painted fan and a necklace. I watched the artist, Concha, finish off the fan I wanted and we chatted in a combination of her good English and my very rudimentary Spanish. She told me the necklace I purchased was made by her sister, and had been used in several of the articles and advertising campaigns (and so it was, as I saw). I spent far more then I intended, but these will remind me of Seville each time I look at them or wear the necklace.
Just a word about Spanish fans. Do you think these are mere tourist trinkets? No, ladies in Spain use them frequently. If you ever experience the heat, you will use them, too.
Next, I went to the Flamenco show. This is a small venue and not one of the large Tablaos that have 2 or 3 professional shows a night and cater to the tourists. There are more and more smaller venues popping up and they have very good shows as well, often with the performers coming from the penas - the clubs and schools of flamenco. In Seville, the Tablaos are not considered real flamenco, because the whole story of flamenco is about passion, and they feel that after 2 or 3 shows a night, you lose that passion. Flamenco is the Andalucian country dance and song. It is not just the dancing, but the whole package. The singer and the guitar player are integral to the story, usually a story of longing for love, or a lost love, so kind of like American Blues, in some ways. There were several locals in this place, which I like because you get a different flavour for the performance. Tonight, the singer would start, and sometimes, you'd hear comments from the audience (in Spanish, of course), like a "right on" or "I hear you", encouraging him on with his story. Then comes the dancer, adding visual interpretation to the song.
The dancer was great, of course, but I have to confess, it was the singer who completely blew me away. I should have turned on the video of my camera to capture both the sights and sounds of this show.
After the show, I walked around the corner to Robles tapas. Casa Robles, the parent restaurant, is very famous in Seville, as the king & queen eat there when they are in town. I can't afford the meal prices there, so the tapas bar next door is better bargain. I sat outside, drank sangria, ate tapas and enjoyed the night.
Seville, Day 2, 19 July
Today I resolved to go back to the Reale Alcazar to finish taking the photos I missed after my camera battery malfunction the day before. I reasoned if I went first thing in the morning is would be (a) cooler and (b) less busy and I was right on both accounts.
When I walked into the Patio de Leon, I found a white dove's feather, so I knew it would be a good day. Doves are everywhere in Seville (joke: What is the difference between a dove & a pigeon? A: Doves have better PR.). The day before, I saw a small cat who had caught a dove and was carrying it across the Patio de Banderas - the dove was almost as big as the cat! Anyway, I like doves and pigeons and I have always believed that when you find the feather of a bird you like, it means good things, and this was true today. When I needed someone friendly to be nearby so I could have my photo taken, there was someone there. When I didn't want anyone else in the photo, there was no one to disrupt my view.
I spent another 2 hours at the Alcazar and still didn't manage to see all of it. Truly a massive space.
After a brief cool down - have I mentioned it was about 44 C every day??? (That's close to 100+ F) - so I took a fair number of those cool down periods - I walked down to the river, the Rio Guadalquivir to catch the bus for the city tour. it lasted about 1.5 hours. Sadly, it spent more time then I thought necessary at the site of the 1992 world expo, which has not been well maintained. When I completed that tour, I went on a short tour of the Plaza de Toros - the bullfighting ring and museum. the short tour was interesting and thankfully, out of the sun. The Plaza de Toros is very famous in Spain, mostly for its acoustics. I always pictured a bull fight to be a loud, noisy affair, but apparently this is not the case. They are generally quiet, and in the Plaza de Toros, you can hear the bull snort and the swish of the matador's cape. There was also a museum under the ring which concentrates on the history of the fight, and that was quite interesting too.
I hadn't eaten much during the day & the ever helpful hotel staff recommended tapas at a nearby place that actually served large portions, Habanares Colonanies. Good tapas, large portions, happy staff. Then I wandered around the Barrio Santa Cruz area towards Santa Teresa.
Seville on a Saturday night is a vibrant place! People out in the evening, enjoying the cooler air and each other's company. All the little bars and restaurants packed. Young men dressed up in costumes busking on the streets and smiling and laughing. People enjoying life. This is what I enjoy about Seville - the simple pleasures of living.
When I walked into the Patio de Leon, I found a white dove's feather, so I knew it would be a good day. Doves are everywhere in Seville (joke: What is the difference between a dove & a pigeon? A: Doves have better PR.). The day before, I saw a small cat who had caught a dove and was carrying it across the Patio de Banderas - the dove was almost as big as the cat! Anyway, I like doves and pigeons and I have always believed that when you find the feather of a bird you like, it means good things, and this was true today. When I needed someone friendly to be nearby so I could have my photo taken, there was someone there. When I didn't want anyone else in the photo, there was no one to disrupt my view.
I spent another 2 hours at the Alcazar and still didn't manage to see all of it. Truly a massive space.
After a brief cool down - have I mentioned it was about 44 C every day??? (That's close to 100+ F) - so I took a fair number of those cool down periods - I walked down to the river, the Rio Guadalquivir to catch the bus for the city tour. it lasted about 1.5 hours. Sadly, it spent more time then I thought necessary at the site of the 1992 world expo, which has not been well maintained. When I completed that tour, I went on a short tour of the Plaza de Toros - the bullfighting ring and museum. the short tour was interesting and thankfully, out of the sun. The Plaza de Toros is very famous in Spain, mostly for its acoustics. I always pictured a bull fight to be a loud, noisy affair, but apparently this is not the case. They are generally quiet, and in the Plaza de Toros, you can hear the bull snort and the swish of the matador's cape. There was also a museum under the ring which concentrates on the history of the fight, and that was quite interesting too.
I hadn't eaten much during the day & the ever helpful hotel staff recommended tapas at a nearby place that actually served large portions, Habanares Colonanies. Good tapas, large portions, happy staff. Then I wandered around the Barrio Santa Cruz area towards Santa Teresa.
Seville on a Saturday night is a vibrant place! People out in the evening, enjoying the cooler air and each other's company. All the little bars and restaurants packed. Young men dressed up in costumes busking on the streets and smiling and laughing. People enjoying life. This is what I enjoy about Seville - the simple pleasures of living.
Seville, Day 3 - 20 July
Today is my last day in Seville. It was destined to be a quiet one, because pretty much everything in Seville is closed up on a Sunday. careful planning of your visit is important if you will be here on a Sunday.
I woke up about 9:00 - late for me - and wandered down to the Sunday art market in the Plaza de Museo, right in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. the art market had an interesting mix of art styles, but sadly, nothing I could buy that would fit into one carry-on bag.
Next stop: the museum itself. It is suppose to be on of the best in Spain, with art from the medieval to early 20th C. The University of Calgary's Art History programme doesn't spend much time on Spanish artists, apart form the biggies like Goya & Picasso, so the fun thing about this museum for me was discovering names I've never heard of that are clearly famous in Spain. Most of the collection was religious art, so I did find it repetitive after a time. Sevilla is the city of the Virgin, so there were alot of paintings, reliefs and sculptures of the Virgin, certainly more then I have see in one place before. later art periods did focus on more every day themes: flamenco dancers, vistas of Seville, etc, and I enjoyed those as "snapshots" of Seville's past.
Next, it was time to get ready for my treat - 2 hours at the Banos Arabes - the baths. These are timed appointments and take you through 5 diferent baths, as would have happened not just in Roman times but also in the Muslim Hammans, and as is still done in countries like Turkey. 1st- the tepid bath, like a warm bath. You stay in that as long as you like. 2nd - the hot bath, recommended for 10 minutes. Ok, I could do that. 3rd - the cold bath, recommended for another 10 minutes. Yeeeee-ah, just a dip for me, please. 4th - the salt bath. Stay in that as long as you like. It was lovely to float in the water. 5th - the jet bath, essentially a giant hot tub. Stay as long as you like. Then you can go into the steam room if you want, as I did. And finally, a 15 minute massage....then some time in the quiet room drinking cold tea and water....
After drying off, I went up to the tea room and struggled with the menu. Nothing on that menu was in my little Spanish-English dictionary, so I was about to give up and to the point and hope for the best option. A gal who was in the tea room asked if I spoke English and if I needed assistance with the menu, and of course I did. We ended up chatting for awhile and I showed her photos of the Alcazar, which she hadn't been to yet. I offered to walk her by it, since it wasn't too far from the bathhouse. We ended up having tapas together at Las Teresas and wandering the near deserted streets of Seville on a Sunday night. Her name is Nikki Rowley and she been travelling for 4 months.
Finally, back to the hotel to pack. I leave Monday from this wonderful city - it has been a trip to remember!
I woke up about 9:00 - late for me - and wandered down to the Sunday art market in the Plaza de Museo, right in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. the art market had an interesting mix of art styles, but sadly, nothing I could buy that would fit into one carry-on bag.
Next stop: the museum itself. It is suppose to be on of the best in Spain, with art from the medieval to early 20th C. The University of Calgary's Art History programme doesn't spend much time on Spanish artists, apart form the biggies like Goya & Picasso, so the fun thing about this museum for me was discovering names I've never heard of that are clearly famous in Spain. Most of the collection was religious art, so I did find it repetitive after a time. Sevilla is the city of the Virgin, so there were alot of paintings, reliefs and sculptures of the Virgin, certainly more then I have see in one place before. later art periods did focus on more every day themes: flamenco dancers, vistas of Seville, etc, and I enjoyed those as "snapshots" of Seville's past.
Next, it was time to get ready for my treat - 2 hours at the Banos Arabes - the baths. These are timed appointments and take you through 5 diferent baths, as would have happened not just in Roman times but also in the Muslim Hammans, and as is still done in countries like Turkey. 1st- the tepid bath, like a warm bath. You stay in that as long as you like. 2nd - the hot bath, recommended for 10 minutes. Ok, I could do that. 3rd - the cold bath, recommended for another 10 minutes. Yeeeee-ah, just a dip for me, please. 4th - the salt bath. Stay in that as long as you like. It was lovely to float in the water. 5th - the jet bath, essentially a giant hot tub. Stay as long as you like. Then you can go into the steam room if you want, as I did. And finally, a 15 minute massage....then some time in the quiet room drinking cold tea and water....
After drying off, I went up to the tea room and struggled with the menu. Nothing on that menu was in my little Spanish-English dictionary, so I was about to give up and to the point and hope for the best option. A gal who was in the tea room asked if I spoke English and if I needed assistance with the menu, and of course I did. We ended up chatting for awhile and I showed her photos of the Alcazar, which she hadn't been to yet. I offered to walk her by it, since it wasn't too far from the bathhouse. We ended up having tapas together at Las Teresas and wandering the near deserted streets of Seville on a Sunday night. Her name is Nikki Rowley and she been travelling for 4 months.
Finally, back to the hotel to pack. I leave Monday from this wonderful city - it has been a trip to remember!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Upcoming Trips!
I decided to use some of my travel in lieu of trips, since I realized that I have not used all my entitled leave trips home. So I booked a trip to Seville, Spain! I am very excited - I have never been to Spain at all, and it was hard to choose a destination. I knew I wanted to be in Southern Spain, so I could see some of the history of the Moorish influence - and once I settled on Seville, and started to do some research, I am pleased to see the choice looks like a good one: It is suppose to have the best tapas in Spain, the best Flamenco & is the home of bull fighting (although I will probably give that a miss....)
My husband and stepson, Colin & Kristian, are coming out for a visit at the end of July. It's Kristian's first trip outside of Canada and he is very excited - well, as excited as a 16 y.o. will express. I've booked us a trip to Paris for the first weekend in August. We are going to take the chunnel over - so we will be in downtown Paris in just under 2 hours! I haven't been to Paris since my honeymoon in 1998, and it is one of my favorite cities, so I am very much looking forward to that.
Finally, I have two trips in the fall on plan: one, a weekend in Dublin with my Canadian colleagues, travelling with an Irish colleague of ours; the second is a trip to Marrakesh, Morroco. I've been wanting to go to Marrakesh since I've got to London, and after some research, decided to go alone, since no one else seems too interested in going with me.
Stayed tuned, as I publish my away trip logs!
My husband and stepson, Colin & Kristian, are coming out for a visit at the end of July. It's Kristian's first trip outside of Canada and he is very excited - well, as excited as a 16 y.o. will express. I've booked us a trip to Paris for the first weekend in August. We are going to take the chunnel over - so we will be in downtown Paris in just under 2 hours! I haven't been to Paris since my honeymoon in 1998, and it is one of my favorite cities, so I am very much looking forward to that.
Finally, I have two trips in the fall on plan: one, a weekend in Dublin with my Canadian colleagues, travelling with an Irish colleague of ours; the second is a trip to Marrakesh, Morroco. I've been wanting to go to Marrakesh since I've got to London, and after some research, decided to go alone, since no one else seems too interested in going with me.
Stayed tuned, as I publish my away trip logs!
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