Culture and Catch-up in Seville
Everything, from the smells, the food and the atmosphere to the architecture and even the way Spanish was spoken felt completely alien from the image of Spain I had formed after living in Barcelona.
My overall impression of this city was one of tranquility, and as we wandering through the town centre, I felt comforted by the simple coloured or whitewashed buildings, often with yellow edges, and the numerous churches hidden on every street corner. Seville was an important centre in Al-Andalus, during the Moorish reign of the Iberian peninsular which started in 712 and lasted for five centuries and evidence of this presence can be noticed everywhere.
After the “Reconquista” when Christians regained control over Seville, the famous Cathedral de Seville was built on the site of what had been the city´s Mosque. Many of the stones used to build the cathedral came from the Mosque, and the minaret was turned into what is now known as the Giralda. This bell-
tower rises above the city giving spectacular views to those brave enough to walk up the long ramp to the top. The Cathedral is also famous for its long nave, and the orange garden which varies between being the second or third biggest in the world within a church depending on who you talk to. It was particularly beautiful at this time of the year as the trees were still covered in oranges, offering a beautiful contrast to the gothic style architecture of the cathedral. I was however very baffled by the audio-guide as, wanting to improve my language skills, I chose to listen to it in Spanish, and was confronted with a thick Andalusian accent! I also insisted on visiting the Real Alcazar, another Moorish in
spired Palace which also boasts some renaissance style, and the bullfighting ring where we were given a concise and informative tour by a very surly guide. However one of the main highlights for me was Plaza de España. We rented out some bikes for a few hours and took a gentle ride along the river, and through the Parque Maria Luisa to this utterly bizarre Plaza. It was built for the Spanish-American Exhibition in 1929 and is an odd semicircular building in an unidentifiable style covered in coloured tiles, with a section for each region of Spain. Perhaps because i
t was so different to anything I had seen before,and because of the beautiful greenery that surrounded it, I found it utterly enchanting. Our cultural feats did not stop at architecture. We enjoyed a varied selection of tapas, the best being on our final evening with a couch-surfing friend called Antonio who had previously shown us some of Seville´s hidden gems. We even ventured into an overcrowded bar for some Flamenco, which originates from Andalusia and combines music, clapping and dance in a rhythmic and beautiful show. All this combined with a little shopping and a lot of catching up made for a fantastic trip!
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