Andalucia Part II

Hey y'all, here's the second installment on our trip through Andalucia...


So on Wednesday we woke up and went to a very nice breakfast at the Hotel. Breakfast is usually pretty small here so it's nice to see a full spread for breakfast. Sausage is very popular here at all times of the day, not like breakfast sausages, but more like what you would recognize as salami. They had 6 different sausages plus all sorts of breads and things. Very tasty.


It took us longer than usual to get going from the lobby. We were all there, so we didn't know what was up. Our professor, Andres, gathers us up and tells us what the deal is. See, we were supposed to go see Los Reales Alcázares or The Royal Castles of Isabel and Fernando. However, no one was allowed to visit them on this day. Everyone was confused at first but Andres went on to tell us how, although the Castles and Palaces throughout Spain are big historical and tourist sites, the royal family can use them whenever they want. So today, either the royal family was in Sevilla or they were hosting other heads of state here! That's so mindblowing; I'd love to be able to just call up a 550-year-old castle and say, "Look, I think I'm hosting a party with Presidents, Kings and, of course, Celebrities. Could you clear it out of tourists for me? Okay great, see you Saturday." How cool would that be?!

So, although we couldn't see the castle, we were allowed by the guards to visit the royal gardens. the gardens were originally designed by the Muslim rulers and then expanded by the Christian kings, including one who had a huge portion built just for a wedding. I think it was Carlos I.

The gardens were beautiful and decorated with towers and fountains and a really unique section that looked almost like you were in a natural cave. Walking around the outbuildings, a lot of the structures were very worn down. Muslim and mudejar (Christian buildings built by Muslim artesans that thus appear like Islamic art) buildings wear away very quickly because they had a different philosophy. The Muslim rulers built their castles very quickly, so that they could be enjoyed to the fullest during their lifetimes; they didn't really care what happened to the building once they died. Christian rulers were determined to build structures able to withstand centuries, which is why there are so many beautiful cathedrals, monestaries, and Christian castles in existence.

After our time in the gardens, we went on a walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz (the Santa Cruz Neighborhood) which was a Jewish ghetto many centuries ago. The neighborhood has a large wall around it and at nighttime the wall can be completely closed to the outside. The Jewish people are never able to live without persecution and medieval Spain was no different. During the time of Muslim rule, their beliefs were respected but they weren't allowed to be property owners and were restricted in what occupations they could have. Jews made the best of their situation and, since followers of Islam are not allowed to lend money to one another, the Jews were able to establish a prosperous culture based on commerce and banking. When the Christians came through in the late 15th Century, they kicked out not only the Muslims but the Jews as well: convert or leave. What the Christian Kings (Isabel and Fernando) didn't realize is how much their economy would drop by kicking out the Jewish people. Interesting note: the Jewish culture from Spain, known as Sefardi (may sound familiar) settled in what is now Turkey and other parts of the near-mid-east. Many families today still have the keys to their families' houses of the 15th Century, always thinking they would have the opportunity to return.

After that, we went to the Cathedral, the largest in the world according to Guiness World Records. Technically, St. Paul's in London and St. Peter's in the Vatican could be considered bigger, but the first is Anglican and the second is a basilica so they don't really count! Anyways, the church was absolutely enormous. It still fascinates me how much power the Catholic church wielded in the medieval ages. The royalty typically aligned themselves directly with the Church, the Church had great stores of wealth, and a strong bureaucracy. As a result, their was no problem (other than time!) in building a huge cathedral. The tower of the Cathedral in Sevilla was originally used by an Islamic prayer-leader who would ride a horse up the 36 ramps, 5 times a day to lead the Muslims in prayers. When the Catholics came in, they added a massive bell-tower on top. We got the opportunity to walk around-and-around up the ramps to the top. The view was spectacular and definitely worth the hike! This picture is from only half-way up, but it was one of the best ones!

In the afternoon we had lots of free time so some friends and I went to the Plaza de España which was a semi-circle shrine to Spanish culture, built for a long-ago World's Fair in Sevilla. Since then, it's extensive plaza and large fountain have been the main site for the evening strolls, paseos, that all Spaniards seem to take. The whole plaza is decorated in ceramic tiles, an art form characteristic of southern Spain.

In the evening, after some churros and chocolate (which is more like a melted chocolate bar than hot chocolate!), our class went to a local cultural center for a flamenco performance. I didn't expect all that much from the performance, I mean, it was at what I thought was a community center. However, as soon as the guitar player started, all 75 people in the intimate audience were captivated. When the beautiful dancer waltzed on stage, we were all mesmerized by the flowing sounds and sights of the performance. By the time it ended an hour-and-a-half later, we all thought we had traveled to another world, somewhere far across time and distance. In other words, the performance was simply amazing.

After the show, a group of us went out for tapas, we had chile rellenos and stuffed potatoes, a nice meal to gather in outside of the rain. By the time we left it started pouring, then hailing, so I bailed out and headed to the hotel with friends. A good choice, because those who chose to stay out were absolutely drenched by the time they came home.

This day was fun-filled and packed with excitement but we still had another day and a half which I'll post later!