Viva Seville
Hello to all,
My roommate, Sarah, and I travelled by metro and then by bus in order to reach the free internet provided by our university today. (What college students will do to save a Euro or two!) :) The weather has turned a bit dreary, yet still quite warm. The perfect weather to catch up on some emails.
Seville is classic Spain: flamenco, paella and bullfighting. The people are proud to be Spanish and take great care of their beautiful city. Although quite touristy in certain areas, it still has that mysterious Spanish intrigue... amidst the darkness the lone guitar player and the forceful tapping shoes. For a large city it feels so earthy, so natural. Grand bullfighting advertisements are posted all over in the original hand drawn style, almost as if they had been there for decades.
Seville is situated along the beautiful Rio Guadalquivir and separated by easily distinguishable barrios. El Arenal is dominated by the while bullring, the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranzas and protected by the 13th century Torre del Oro.
Torre del Oro
Several views of the Rio Guadalquivir
I took pictures of this bridge for my father! This bridge was building for the EXPO held in Seville and is the first to be suspended completely from the top and supported only at the edges.
A beautiful building, the top was decorated with statues of important figures in the history of Seville.
The Plaza de Toros!
This is called the Plaza de Espana - so impressive!
Alyssa and I thought this picture is really funny because we hadn´t noticed the beer bottle sitting next to me! I promise it wasn´t mine! :)
Just East of El Arenal is the barrio Santa Cruz, where we stayed in two different hostels. The first night we feared for our personal safety and relocated early the following morning. Always an experience. : ) Santa Cruz, a maze of alleyways and shaded streets, is home to the best-known sights of Seville: the Gothic cathedral and tower, La Giralda, the Real Alcazar and the Archivo de Indias. The Calle de las Sierpes, where we stayed our second night, is Seville´s favourite shopping streets.
These pictures are examples of some of the architecture found in the barrio Santa Cruz. Desafordunadamente I can´t recall what the names of the buildings were... guess I will have to return sometime! :)
This is the ornate streetlamp found in the Plaza del Triunfo. In the afternoon we found many people wandering about, enjoying the street music and the beautiful weather.
This beautiful entryway belongs to the 18th century Archbishop´s Palace which is still used by Seville´s clergy.
The cathedral occupies the site of a great mosque built by the Almohads in the late 12th century. The bell tower, La Giralda and the Patio de los Naranjos remain from the original Moorish structure. The cathedral was built with the intention that those who came to see it would think the creators mad. It was absolutely amazing, there are no words to describes such magnitude of art. Alyssa and I were speechless and awed by the interior of the cathedral and by the view of Seville from the top of La Giralda.
La Giralda
More of the cathedral
This is the side entrance to the cathedral
Although difficult to see in this picture, the Retablo Mayor is of Santa Maria de la Sede, Seville´s patron saint, sitting at the high altar below a waterfall of gold. There are 44 gilded relief panels which were carved by Spanish and Flemish sculptors.
Inside the cathedral we also found the Tomb of Columbus, but apparently there is quite a bit of controversy regarding the validity of this claim!
The following pictures were taken from the small windows lining the 34 story walk up to the top of La Giralda.
I love this picture, the gargoyle is so intimidating!
I also love the contrast of the white dove against the Gothic building
From the view we could see the Plaza de Toros!
I really emjoyed this view
In the Patio de los Naranjos the Moorish worshippers would wash their hands and feet in the fountain under the orange trees before praying.
Also in the barrio Santa Cruz we found the Real Alcazar, the royal residence of Pedro I. The Alcazar is decorated with Mudejar, Muslim and Christian combination, patios and halls. The gardens were absolutely amazing! What a place to live!
There was so much to see, what a beautiful city!
¡Viva Sevilla!
My roommate, Sarah, and I travelled by metro and then by bus in order to reach the free internet provided by our university today. (What college students will do to save a Euro or two!) :) The weather has turned a bit dreary, yet still quite warm. The perfect weather to catch up on some emails.
Seville is classic Spain: flamenco, paella and bullfighting. The people are proud to be Spanish and take great care of their beautiful city. Although quite touristy in certain areas, it still has that mysterious Spanish intrigue... amidst the darkness the lone guitar player and the forceful tapping shoes. For a large city it feels so earthy, so natural. Grand bullfighting advertisements are posted all over in the original hand drawn style, almost as if they had been there for decades.
Seville is situated along the beautiful Rio Guadalquivir and separated by easily distinguishable barrios. El Arenal is dominated by the while bullring, the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranzas and protected by the 13th century Torre del Oro.
Torre del Oro
Several views of the Rio Guadalquivir
I took pictures of this bridge for my father! This bridge was building for the EXPO held in Seville and is the first to be suspended completely from the top and supported only at the edges.
A beautiful building, the top was decorated with statues of important figures in the history of Seville.
The Plaza de Toros!
This is called the Plaza de Espana - so impressive!
Alyssa and I thought this picture is really funny because we hadn´t noticed the beer bottle sitting next to me! I promise it wasn´t mine! :)
Just East of El Arenal is the barrio Santa Cruz, where we stayed in two different hostels. The first night we feared for our personal safety and relocated early the following morning. Always an experience. : ) Santa Cruz, a maze of alleyways and shaded streets, is home to the best-known sights of Seville: the Gothic cathedral and tower, La Giralda, the Real Alcazar and the Archivo de Indias. The Calle de las Sierpes, where we stayed our second night, is Seville´s favourite shopping streets.
These pictures are examples of some of the architecture found in the barrio Santa Cruz. Desafordunadamente I can´t recall what the names of the buildings were... guess I will have to return sometime! :)
This is the ornate streetlamp found in the Plaza del Triunfo. In the afternoon we found many people wandering about, enjoying the street music and the beautiful weather.
This beautiful entryway belongs to the 18th century Archbishop´s Palace which is still used by Seville´s clergy.
The cathedral occupies the site of a great mosque built by the Almohads in the late 12th century. The bell tower, La Giralda and the Patio de los Naranjos remain from the original Moorish structure. The cathedral was built with the intention that those who came to see it would think the creators mad. It was absolutely amazing, there are no words to describes such magnitude of art. Alyssa and I were speechless and awed by the interior of the cathedral and by the view of Seville from the top of La Giralda.
La Giralda
More of the cathedral
This is the side entrance to the cathedral
Although difficult to see in this picture, the Retablo Mayor is of Santa Maria de la Sede, Seville´s patron saint, sitting at the high altar below a waterfall of gold. There are 44 gilded relief panels which were carved by Spanish and Flemish sculptors.
Inside the cathedral we also found the Tomb of Columbus, but apparently there is quite a bit of controversy regarding the validity of this claim!
The following pictures were taken from the small windows lining the 34 story walk up to the top of La Giralda.
I love this picture, the gargoyle is so intimidating!
I also love the contrast of the white dove against the Gothic building
From the view we could see the Plaza de Toros!
I really emjoyed this view
In the Patio de los Naranjos the Moorish worshippers would wash their hands and feet in the fountain under the orange trees before praying.
Also in the barrio Santa Cruz we found the Real Alcazar, the royal residence of Pedro I. The Alcazar is decorated with Mudejar, Muslim and Christian combination, patios and halls. The gardens were absolutely amazing! What a place to live!
There was so much to see, what a beautiful city!
¡Viva Sevilla!