10/19- For
our last full day in the amazing Sevilla we were off to an early start, ready
to make the most of
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| The Alcazar de Sevilla |
our day! The first thing we did was head to the Alcazar de
Sevilla. It’s a centuries old royal palace that was originally a Moorish fort,
and it’s actually still in use today. It has been around during all of the
different cultural conquests, so it has Arabic influences as well as Christian
Renaissance type as well. We spent most of the afternoon exploring the
intricate grounds, full of many sections like baths, patios, and gorgeous
gardens! We took tons of photos, especially since every corner of the place is
the perfect photo opportunity. The architecture and artwork was really similar
to the Alhambra in Granada- so while it was gorgeous and a fun day with the
girls, I think we were ready to be done admiring intricately carved walls! Also
the admission was 9 euros and even though I tried to convince them that we were
students and should get the discount, they were mean and wouldn’t let us.
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| Interior of the Alcazar |
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| Julia, Me, and Liz in the Alcazar- looks like Granada! |
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| Fountain and Gardens at the Alcazar |
We
started wondering around the city, and the weather was absolutely perfect. We
got some pizza for lunch (you can only handle so much jamón), and then walked along the river to the must-see Torre del
Oro. It’s a military watchtower from the 12th century, and it is a
unique and beautiful icon of the city. While there isn’t much to do besides
look at it and admire the surroundings, I’m still glad we got to see it! We
continued walking along the river and we ended up stumbling across the Plaza De Torros, and decided we might as
well pay for the interior tour. That ended up being a very good idea! I didn’t
realize that the famous bull fighting ring I always see pictures of was this
one in Sevilla. We went on a guided tour and learned about the history of
bullfighting. We got to see old matador outfits, stuffed bulls, learn the
traditions, and where the matadors get ready before they head into the arena,
etc. It was also the perfect opportunity to take some “classic Spain” photos! I
think we all enjoyed learning about the customs of bullfighting, as nerdy as
that may sound. It was very educational!
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| Torre Del Oro |
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| Matador Statue outside the Museum |
After
that we decided to cross the bridge and explore the other area of the city. We
passed an area where
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| Bullfight Reenactment |
people put locks on the bridge to symbolize their love-
like the ones I’ve seen in Paris and Austria- I guess that’s the new trend in
Europe these days! We then decided to stop in some random side street and got
icecream, and at that point Julia and I both decided we needed to find
bandaids, stat. We made poor shoe choices, and after tons of walking all day,
our feet were in pretty bad pain. However, it was siesta time in Spain (the
afternoon), so everything was closed. We tried like 5 different places to no
avail. Finally- we had luck by finding a store owned by chinos. Thank God they
don’t follow Spanish siesta traditions J
At
that point, we decided to make the long walk back to our hostel. We got some
more sightseeing in along the way, and stopped at this weird structure that
looks like a giant mushroom. Supposedly it’s an architectural “must see” in
Sevilla and there was all this hype, but I personally just thought it was ugly!
We then did some gift and souvenir shopping, and when we got back to the area
where our hostel was, we took siestas of our own. It was much needed!
Once
we woke up from our naps and freshened up, we headed back out into the city
again for (of course!) tapas and sangria. The two staples of life. We found a little place in the barrio of Alfalfa, and had a great night out, as always. We toasted
the end of our time in the wonderful Sevilla, and then went back to the hostel
and packed.
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| Beautiful Seville/Sevilla |
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