Day
131: Around Seville - Sat 13 Sept, 2014
Strange noises half the night as everyone (except us) keeps Spanish time. Asleep after midnight and awake 5.30am - 3 hours before dawn! Gave up trying to sleep in our carpark and went over to customer lounge where let in by janitor, for shower, wash hair, and then computer, internet and photo work until 9.30am. Organised flight tickets home, baby gifts paid, Norway tolls finalised. Very satisfactory!
Delightful horse and carriage ride into town around 11.30am - so much more fancy than bus or taxi. Past fountain/ statue, beautiful orange, red and yellow striped tourist information, consulates, palace, theatre, 18th century tobacco factory, bullring.
Continued through Maria Luisa park, buildings from 1929 World Expo, fountains, gardens, tall stately trees, people and children celebrating.
Found post office for stamps and sent half of gifts, souvenirs, maps and brochures we have accumulated - instantly felt so much lighter! Lunch of veggie paella and fried fish with sangria. Lined up for Seville's amazing Cathedral of St Mary of the See, the largest Gothic cathedral in world. Built on site of mosque from late 1100s, it is survived by an orange tree courtyard, and minaret - the Giralda Bell Tower (with its "Faith" weather-vane).
We were impressed by the High Altar, the Choir, enormous number of chapels, ornaments, statuary, the famous painting by Goya, and the funerary crypt of Christopher Columbus (corner bearers representing four regions of Spain at the time). The single altar piece is one of the largest in the world - gilt abounded.
The Treasure Rooms had stunning chalices, crucifixes and monstrances.
Our wait on the line in the beginning proving well worth the effort, we came out to the Square for a reviving coffee. Wanderoos agreed - we really like you Seville!
Walked a further 1.5km in heat (high 30°s) to bus stop, then 1km back to car yard from bus stop. By that time GirlRob felt ill in the heat; sat outside chasing shade and breeze until sunset, meagre salad roll dinner and early bed.
Strange noises half the night as everyone (except us) keeps Spanish time. Asleep after midnight and awake 5.30am - 3 hours before dawn! Gave up trying to sleep in our carpark and went over to customer lounge where let in by janitor, for shower, wash hair, and then computer, internet and photo work until 9.30am. Organised flight tickets home, baby gifts paid, Norway tolls finalised. Very satisfactory!
Delightful horse and carriage ride into town around 11.30am - so much more fancy than bus or taxi. Past fountain/ statue, beautiful orange, red and yellow striped tourist information, consulates, palace, theatre, 18th century tobacco factory, bullring.
Continued through Maria Luisa park, buildings from 1929 World Expo, fountains, gardens, tall stately trees, people and children celebrating.
Our 4km walking
tour included Barria Old Town, Gold Tower ( a dodecagonal military watchtower built to control access to Seville via
the Guadalquivir River), and a multitude of buskers – a horizontal
basketballer placing ball in hoop; a “giggly thing”; a “scary thing”, a
recorder player; and flamenco guitarist and dancer.
Found post office for stamps and sent half of gifts, souvenirs, maps and brochures we have accumulated - instantly felt so much lighter! Lunch of veggie paella and fried fish with sangria. Lined up for Seville's amazing Cathedral of St Mary of the See, the largest Gothic cathedral in world. Built on site of mosque from late 1100s, it is survived by an orange tree courtyard, and minaret - the Giralda Bell Tower (with its "Faith" weather-vane).
We were impressed by the High Altar, the Choir, enormous number of chapels, ornaments, statuary, the famous painting by Goya, and the funerary crypt of Christopher Columbus (corner bearers representing four regions of Spain at the time). The single altar piece is one of the largest in the world - gilt abounded.
 |
| Tomb of Cristobal Colon (aka Columbus) |
 |
| Goya: Cristo Crucificado |
 |
| Overwhelming central altar |
The Treasure Rooms had stunning chalices, crucifixes and monstrances.
 |
| Coronation Crown |
Our wait on the line in the beginning proving well worth the effort, we came out to the Square for a reviving coffee. Wanderoos agreed - we really like you Seville!
Walked a further 1.5km in heat (high 30°s) to bus stop, then 1km back to car yard from bus stop. By that time GirlRob felt ill in the heat; sat outside chasing shade and breeze until sunset, meagre salad roll dinner and early bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment