Day 13 - Seville

On my only full day in Seville I decided to get around and see some of the sights. First up was The Torre del Oro on the banks of the Guadalquivir river. It was built in the 13th century by the Berbers during the Almohad Almohad dynasty to protect the city. 

During the middle ages the tower was used to store riches from the Indies and the New World. 

The Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. Besides being a very long name, this is the oldest bullring in Spain and still hosts bullfights. It is also the start of the procession for the Feria de Abril festivities. The mounted horsemen and families in horse-drawn carriage start their journeys through the city to the fairgrounds from here. 

The Alcázar of Seville was originally the site of a Moorish fort, but after the Reconquista by the Christians in the Middle Ages they built the Alcázar. 

It is one of the best examples of Mudéjar architecture. This was the name given to the Muslims who remained in Iberia after the fall of Al-Andalus.

The Patio de las Doncellas

Salón de Embajadores

Every now and then you need to remember to look down. 

Here I am in the extensive gardens of the Alcázar. 

This is a peacock. It was just the two of us hanging out for a while. 

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world after St. Peters in Rome and Basílica do Santuário Nacional de Nossa Senhora Aparecida in Brazil. 

THe Giralda was originally a Muslum minaret and then converted into and expanded to become a bell towers for the cathedral. 

 In keeping with most of the churches I have seen in Spain I was disappointed with the interior. I guess I'm just getting tired of the dark and mid-evil style of these Spanish churches. I was spoiled by the Renaissance churches of Italy and was hoping for something more like that here. 

There where some highlights like this in the church though. 

A view from the bell tower in the Giralda. 

Here some more of those lovely ladies who were all about the city for the fair. 

After tourning the Alcázar and the Cathedral I worked up a little appetite so I sat down for a beer and tapas. Today was octopus salad. Yum! 

After going back to the hotel and getting cleaned up I set out to find a good Italian place for dinner. I've been craving Italian ever since I arrived in Spain. I was not disappointed by this excellent tortellini con carne with a couple glasses of vino tinto.  

Here's something you don't see every day. While eating my dinner there were a few mounted horsemen who rode up and "parked" in front of this bar across the street. They sat there for about 20 minutes while mounted and people brought them food and drink. It's stuff like this that makes me love to travel so much. 

After dinner I went for a stroll through the city at night. After around midnight things really start to get peaceful like this.