Jan. 3 & 4, 2015
Sevilla is surrounded by farmlands and orchards, and full of history and Morrish Influence. As we drove towards the city it is a quick transition from these rural areas to the city. Ride bus #3 into the town center and back to our hotel. (1.4 Euro pp.)
First stop Torre Del Orso. This tower marks the spot where ships would return to Spain after their exploration of the new world. They would offload all the gold they had collected and give it to the Queen. The cost to go to the top was only 3 euro, and gives you a great view of the city.
Next stop the Alcázar of Seville or the royal palace in Seville, Spain. It too has Morrish roots as it was originally a Moorish fort. The palace is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and it was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site! The palace is much less elaborate than other palaces we’ve visited on this and other trips but has the most beautiful gardens we’ve seen. There is much Morrish influence that mostly shows in the tiles that adorn every corner of the palace.
Final major stop, the Sevilla Cathedral, is right across the street from the palace. This cathedral took our breath away. Originally it was built as a mosque though most of that was torn down by the Christians who desired to build an even more impressive place I worship. The only remaining part from the mosque is 2/3-3/4 of the bell tower, or the Giraldais, it was originally built as a minaret during the Moorish period, with a Renaissance style top added by Spaniards. It too became a World Heritage Site with UNESCO in 1987.
We enjoyed the climb to the top, 34 flights but no steps. It was purposely built without steps so historically during the Morrish period horses could take people to the top to call for prayer!
There’s a lot to see and do in Sevilla, we tried to hit the highlights in our short time there, getting a good sense of the city. Out big take away, they smoke a lot of cigarettes and there are 1000’s of babies/children in strollers everywhere.
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