APR-04: Cadiz

TOUR DESCRIPTION: STUNNING SEVILLE
A scenic drive through Andalusia’s cork plantations brings you to Seville—Spain’s fourth-largest city. Your walking tour begins with an inside visit at Seville’s cathedral—the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Sea. Next, you will spend time in the magnificent Alcazar, a monument to the Moorish occupation of Spain, surrounded by glorious gardens. Following an in-depth walking tour around the old Jewish Quarter, lunch is served buffet-style at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, a panoramic drive will show you the new and cosmopolitan part of Seville. The Torre del Oro and La Giralda Tower are seen on this part of the tour.

TOUR EXPERIENCE
We arrived in Cadiz before sunrise.  It was raining, and was still raining when we we boarded our bus for Seville.  The drive to Seville took about 90 minutes. The rain accompanied us. Our guide told us Spain has had more rain this spring than in any spring in the prior 70 years - a meteorological phenomenon we would have been happy to miss.

We rolled through agrarian countryside passing occasional villages. They raise fighting bills in this part of Spain.

We drove into Seville past numerous impressive buildings, many constructed for the 1929 World Exposition. We got off the bus in the old quarter of the city, walking the narrow streets and alleyways.

The rain finally abating, we came out in a plaza with the Alcazar Palace on one side and Seville Cathedral on the other.

 We first visited the palace. I did not find a good vantage point to get an exterior picture similar to the one of the cathedral.    I would have liked to have a wider angle lens for some of the interior shots.

 

 

 

   

 

 

In one of the gardens the pink columns incorporated a peculiar design. According to our guide, during the 18th century designing gardens to look like caves was a fad. It was referred to as grotto architecture. Whether true or not it is a good story and fitting that this was (allegedly) the origin of the word "grotesque".

 

Seville Cathedral is absolutely huge, housing no less than 45 altars. The main altar is 180 feet high.  Continuing a almost humorously long list of churches and principal buildings around the world that have been undergoing renovation or restoration during our visit, the main altar was obscured by scaffolding.

We visited the "grave" of Christopher Columbus. He is actually not buried, but rather in the casket borne aloft by four knights.

According to our guide the question on whether these are really the remains of Columbus has finally been confirmed by DNA testing.

By the time we exited the church the weather had turned warm and sunny. We walked a way before boarding the bus to go to the Macarena district of the city for lunch. Yes, Seville gave the world the Macarena.

 

 

 

After lunch the bus took us to a building that had a drab exterior, but not so the interior courtyard. Now a government office building it was originally the Spanish Exhibit at the 1929 World Expo.

 

 

 

This time when we boarded the bus it was for the trip back to Cadiz and ROTTERDAM.