In the South

The palm fronds swayed in the cool breeze while the sun’s rays warmed my back. No, I didn’t make the journey back to Florida with my parents, but went to southern Spain to visit the ancient paradise of Seville. This is a rapidly developing city with a long and storied history, beginning almost two thousand years ago with the Roman conquest of Spain. The city then passed through the hands of Visigoths until it came under the possession of the Moors, who left their indelible architectural mark on the area.

The first place we saw this Islamic influence was, surprisingly, the grand cathedral of Seville, which was constructed around a mosque dating from the Moorish occupation of the city. While work on the true cathedral began in 1402, the gigantic bell tower was repurposed from the mosque’s minaret, constructed in 1184.

The cathedral

I am not exaggerating when I say that this is a grand cathedral; it is the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in the world, with the central nave rising 138 feet above the ground, and it also houses the largest altarpiece. Almost eclipsing all of this architectural grandeur, however, is the tomb of Christopher Columbus, hoisted by four Spanish Kings above their shoulders.

The next stop on our tour of Seville was the Alcazar, a palace dating from 1181 and having a history of construction that lasts more than half a millennium.

A domed roof in the Alcazar

The Islamic influence is striking here, with a dizzying array of fountains, geometric arches, and large courtyards seen throughout the sprawling grounds. One of the most serenely creepy places in the palace was the Baños de Doña María de Padilla, which is a tank for rainwater collection.

Nicest rainwater tank ever

The last big stop during our stay in Seville was the Museum of Bullfighting, a sport that has placed a central role in Sevillian culture for centuries.

The bullfighting arena

A guided tour was required to explore the bullfighting arena and its museum, which actually ended up being pretty cool, especially since the tour was bilingual and we all got to get in the “Spaniards” group of the tour and leave all the other American tourists behind! The most memorable part of the museum was the bull heads mounted on the wall, ears cut off as rewards for the matadors with whom they performed a deadly tango.

The loser of the tango

On Sunday we took the high speed AVE (topping out at about 180 mph) to the cold of Madrid and the warmth of our señoras’ homes, embarking on what is sure to be the short last four weeks abroad!