Stop III: Sevilla
Sevilla is my favorite city out of the four. It was big enough where there were many things to do, yet felt accessible enough for a tourist of three days like myself. We had the most free time in Sevilla, so I did a lot a wandering (a bit too much...read more).
What I saw in Sevilla:
1. Catedral de Sevilla -- the third largest church in the world
2. Plaza de España -- I can´t believe the building is now used for administrative offices!
3. Maria Luisa Park -- right next to the plaza, and where I got lost for the first time (it was big - I promise!)
4. the Strait of Gibraltar and the coastline of Morocco
The Catedral of Sevilla, like the one in Cordoba, used to be a mosque until the Christians took Sevilla from the Muslims. The professor was ecstatic about taking us to Catedral de Sevilla, but after the cathedrals in Toledo and Cordoba, which were beautiful and stunning for very different reasons, the Catedral in Sevilla was not as awe-inspiring as the other two. It was a beautiful building, of course, with higher ceilings (thank you flying buttresses!) and a huge bell tower in which I walked up - it is the only part of the cathedral that was part of the mosque and has it has its own name, la Giralda - but didn't strike me as much, I guess. The Catedral de Sevilla, though, is beautiful and you should go :)
La Giralda, up close and personal. I climbed up to the top :)
In Sevilla, we also went to the Plaza de España, which was built in 1929 for the Spanish-American exhibition (go to Wikipedia if you're that interested or watch the Stars Wars movie that features this site). That was probably the most recent building I've been to on this seminar. It was a large set of buildings built in a semi-circle with a moat and a large fountain in the middle. The buildings were so beautiful - I remember I gasped when I saw them in their semi-circle glory. Next to the plaza is the Maria Luisa Park, which reminded me of Central Park because of its size and the crazy surprises inside. The park had specific areas with various designs and plants that represented the different countries of the Spanish-American exhibition (for example, Venezuela, Argentina, etc). Some of the countries had their own exhibition buildings which are now museums. I got lost in the park and got separated from our group (don't ask). I also got lost in the tourist part of the city, but luckily I somehow navigated with the help of Giralda and los oficinas de turismo that were scattered in that part of the city. Getting lost was quite enjoyable, since Sevilla is a beautiful city and safe enough for a short Asian girl like myself to enjoy and not freak out (much). While I was lost and trying to find my way back, I took some random pictures so I wouldn't look completely clueless.
Apparently, it's just a bunch of offices behind me.
My favorite thing I did in Sevilla did not actually take place in Sevilla. We took a bus to Malaga, where we got on a boat to go whale-watching in the Strait of Gibraltar. Back in 711, the Muslims crossed the strait and entered southern Spain, defeating the Visigoths and marked the beginning of an empire that lasted until the 13th century (more or less). I got seasick in the middle, and I passed out until the end. The boat kept going making circles, and I was not in the mood for circles. At least I was awake for the beginning, which is why I have pictures. We didn't see any whales, but we did see one dolphin...even though the whale-watching was a bust, we got to see the coastline of Morocco!
The Rock of Gibraltar (part of Spain) and me in the Spanish sun.
The coastline of Morocco - can you see it?
Conclusion: Sevilla is gorgeous! Of course, like Cordoba, there was a modern part of the city (where our hotel was located) and a historic/tourist part of the city (where the catedral, etc. were located). It's interesting how some of the most beautiful buildings in Sevilla were all banks - in that case, I would love to work in a bank (they also have the shortest business hours in Spain).
Susan
PS Get lost in Sevilla!
PPS Once again, see more at facebook :)
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