Seville revisited

Up early today to check the weather to see if we will go to Seville for the date. Forecast says 30% chance of rain, lets go. Pack up the car, pack an overnight bag just in case we decide to spend the night. As we are packing we can hear thunder, good thing we are leaving town.

Today we decide to take the pay roads as it will save an hour each way driving. This is an interesting new thing going on here. You get on the pay roads and somewhere along the way they take a picture of your license plate. There was 4 spots along the way like this. There are signs posted how much each section costs, I think ours totaled about 8 euros each way, and this saves an hour each way. Now we have 10 days to get to a post office to pay the tolls. How strange. This is new this year, and lots of controversy, can you imagine if you were only here for one week and had to figure this all out! Spain is claiming these tolls are illegal, they do not have them in Spain. Spain claims there has to be free movement between all the EU countries, and of course having to pay the tolls they say is cutting down on tourism from Portugal to Spain and jobs for the Spaniards to work in Portugal. Sounds like a Canada US thing.

Cross the border and Andre thought it was cheaper to gas up here so we stop outside Seville to fill up, cheaper, wow, 25 cents a litre cheaper, this was a good stop. When Andre came with the bus tour they stopped to fill up in Spain, so he figured it must be cheaper if the bus stops here.

Arrived in Seville, parked the car after missing our first planned parking spot, and were right next to the market, which of course Andre loved. First stop is a trip through the market. We both love visiting the local markets, lots of locals our shopping for fresh fruits and veg’s, lots of variety here, would have been nice to pick some up to take home, but it was too long of a day to sit in the car.

Market building

Inside market

From here we walk across the river to where the old part of town is. What a beautiful city. Since the cathedral opens at 11 we slowly walk around a little then head over, we knew the cathedral was on the plans for the day. We got there shortly after 11 and what a long line! We decide to wait since it has just opened it should go quickly. This cathedral is huge, so many chapels inside! It is in the guiness book of world records for the largest gothic Church in the world and the third largest catholic church in the christian world. One of the chapels is where the first voyage around the world started and ended. More than 200 started the voyage, and less than 20 finished. The remains of Christoper Columbus are here, the tomb is carried by 4 statues of men, very impressive, the 4 men represent the 4 kingdoms of Spain at that time. We spent nearly 2 hours in here. Some beautiful clocks, I thought they had already moved the clocks forward for tonight, but later we realized how stupid we were, there is an hour time difference between Spain and Portugal so it had already been open for an hour when we got here! 

Musicians outside cathedral playing spanish music

Tomb of a bishop

Christopher Columbus remains

Choir loft inside cathedral

Painting inside one of many chapels

Amazing ceiling

Inside treasury in cathedral

Alter

Organ, we heard one hymn, wow....

Columns were wider than some of the roads we have been driving on!

One of many stained glass windows

View of cathedral and tower from outside

We climbed the tower, when when I read the sign I read 17 floors to climb, but it was actually 37 levels to climb with 17 steps at the end. Quite the climb, it is not steps, but all ramps, designed this way so the person calling the people for prayers 5 times a day during the moors time could ride his horse up instead of walk up. This tower is the only part of the church that remains from the mosque. Beautiful views from the top, this really is a very pretty city, lots of tiny windy streets to explore.

View of Seville from tower

View of bullring from tower

Cathedral from tower

Bells in tower, lets leave before they chime!

ramps going down

Following our couple of hours of touring the cathedral time for lunch. Andre really wanted tapas and we found a little tapas bar that was in a great spot for people watching. Of all the places we have been so far this is definitely the city where we have seen the most locals out and about, a normal city, but still lots of tourists around. Andre had fried baby squid, and I had paella, Andre loved his, mine was disappointing. Because we were eating outside and not at the bar we couldn't order a bunch of small tapas to try, a little disappointing for Andre, oh well next time (Lisbon).

Lunch, fried baby squid and paella

After lunch we explored a little around the little streets, came across so many squares and Churches, some of the squares were just full of locals out having a drink and visiting. Definitely this is the thing to do here, men and woman both meet and greet with a kiss on the both cheeks and just meeting with friends out in the squares on a saturday afternoon seems like the normal thing to do.

Narrow twisty streets

We visited the lobby and walked around where we were allowed in the most expensive hotel in Seville, The Alphonso hotel.  I didn`t find it overly impressive, but I am sure in it`s day it was amazing.

courtyard inside Alphonso hotel

Alphonse hotel

We then decided to do a tour of the bull ring. Bull fighting season does not start until April, but we decide it would be something different to do to do this tour. This bull ring seats 12,000 and by mistake when it was built in the 1800's it is not quite circle, the only one like this in the world. They have approx. 35 bull fights here a year, and tickets start from 40 euro up to 150, and these are not for comfy seats, they are bricks you sit on, not sure if you bring your cushion! There is also a royal box,, that only the royal family can sit in, if they are not there the royal box is left empty. It was an interesting tour, heard the history of bull fighting and were given a tour of their small museum. Originally bull fighting was meant for military training, man against the strongest animal. Then the king had a set of rules made, no longer military training but now a show. The bulls are all still killed here, but as humanely as possible, which basically means quickly at the end of the show. There are 6 bulls killed a night, 2 each for 3 bullfighter each night. There is a hospital on site, every bull ring must have one, and there is also a chapel which the bullfighters visit before the show. I would have been torn whether I could have gone if it had been in season, not sure if I could have handled it. When they explained what all the different doors were for and they showed us the door where the 3 mules pull out the dead bull that would have done me in I think, not sure if crying or throwing up are good at a bull fight. and

Royal family box

Chapel, visit here before facing bulls!

From here Andre really wanted to show me more of the little side streets behind the cathedral and palace. It is extremely pretty back here, very quaint, lots of little balconies with flower pots out. Lots of little pubs and open squares, and so many churches. We wandered and wandered back here with no destination in mind, just exploring. We wandered and twisted around in the back streets a little too much and got totally lost. No sun today, couldn't figure out what direction we were going in, stopped a few times asking for help but still couldn't quite figure it out. The disappointing part is we kind of wandered out of the pretty part and ended up on streets that could have been pretty much in any big city in the world. Finally we found our way to the river, got our bearings and found our way back to the car park. So, and extra 1.5 hours of walking probably, but still a great day. We were on the hunt for paella mix for Jacques and Rollande, friends from home, so that kept us busy going in and out of stores looking for it. Finally found a store that had some, and also picked up some bread and cheese for supper on the ride home.

Arrived home at around 8PM, a very good long day with lots of driving and lots of walking. The last hour was in the dark so that was not so much fun, but the toll roads are very good here speed limit is 120. Tonight our clocks change here, so we lose an hour of sleep. Decide to watch the movie Marilyn that Andre picked up at the gypsy market the other day, I only made it through half the moving, so will try to watch the other half another night.