April 14, 2010 -- Sevilla & the Alcazar

The highlight of this day was our visit to the Alcazar, the 10th century Moorish palace that was extensively added to and renovated by Pedro I and successive Christain rulers. To illustrate the value that the latter owners placed on Arab architecture and art, they employed entirely Moorish design and craftsmanship to complete its various stages. The Alcazar lies in the heart of Sevilla and its cool gardens and grounds are free to all. The palace is a jewel of Mudejar (Moor- ish) patios, foun- tains, salons or halls, dazzling domes, ornate archways, rich mosaics and tapestries, and sculptured gardens. The palace is a place of both power and tranquillity.
The massive Gothic Seville cathe- dral with accom- panying Giralda Tower is also very impressive. It features a beautiful Moorish courtyard, massive vaulted Gothic columns, the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and an impressive Treasury Room boasting extreme opulence. This is a legacy of Sevilla being the entrepot for trade with the Americas and the port through which tons of gold and silver entered Europe. We climbed 37 flights to the top the Giralda Tower for photos of Sevilla. Instead of steps this ascent was made by way of a ramp so that the bell-ringer could ride his horse to the top of the tower. Good Thinking!

Back on the street Duane posed with one of the street "statues" who stands perfectly still until someone puts money in his "collection" jar. Once that is done, the performer strikes another pose and, once again, remains perfectly still until additional money is added.

We had many choices for tapas that evening. This photograph shows the Ste. Theresa Taberna and its huge collection of hams on display -- a frequent site in the cafes and bars of Spain.

We enjoyed our tapas in Santa Cruz (the old Jewish quarter) and then attended a great Flamenco show. We eschewed the popular tourist shows and attended a show by artists who were students of Flamenco song, music and dance. Rythms was maintained by the Flamenco guitar, hand clapping, castanets, intricate high heeled boot-tapping and stamping. It was an emotional performance, with the artists extemporaneously and alternately portraying their grief, anger, pain,and exuberance.

Heading home after midnight, we walked through streets featuring crowds of locals spilling out of numerous bars along the way.