Anyway, it was a really busy weekend because we did two cities in two days. Our first stop was Sevilla. The first place we visited was Plaza de España. It was pretty much a public gathering place with a moat you could paddle boats in, a fountain in the center, horses, and some amazing architecture. Many famous movies have actually been filmed there which is pretty cool. All along the walls there are different mosaics dedicated to each province within Andalucía and each of the 4 bridges represent the first 4 kingdoms that united to form modern Spain: Aragon, Castille, León, y Navarra.
Next we moved on the Alcazar. This is basically just a castle and military fortification. It was AMAZING! Everything had an Arab as well as Christian influence. We got to tour the inside of it and the gardens. It is still in use as a palace, and the upper rooms remain prepared for the arrival of the royal family at any moment! We then took a break for lunch and sangria...yum! We got to eat outside by one of the main monuments and listen to Spanish guitar music...it really doesn't get any better than that, especially with the extremely good weather we have been having (but I hear you have great weather at home home too). After lunch we went to the Cathedral of Sevilla. This was a very cool experience because I learned about that exact cathedral in my art class, and I actually got to see it in person! My favorite part was climbing the bell tower. It is called the Giralda because in Spanish the verb girar means to turn and it has a weather vane on the top of it that turns...so hence the name Giralda. It was a great view of Sevilla from the top! Here are a few photos:
The inside of the Alcazar...the patio actually. I have more pictures of the inside, but this was one of my favorite parts.
Gardens of the Alcazar! Awesome to walk through
The pond in the Alcazar with Brenna, Sarah, and Melanie!
La Giralda...we climbed that tower in the Catedral de Sevilla :)
Oh right...did I mention that in the Cathedral we got to see the tomb of Christopher Columbus? So cool.
We made it up the bell tower!!
Below: The view from the top!
Plaza de España!!!
You can see some of the brides, the moat, and fountain.
Us on the Puente de León! (look at all the mosaic!)
That night we went to see a play called "El perro de hortelano"...it was a comedy and actually pretty funny! Much easier to understand this time because we read the play in class before actually going to see it!
The next day we went to Córdoba, my favorite stop of the trip. First up was the ruins of Medina al-Zahra. Although that is in Arabic, it translates into The City of Sarah. The legend of this city is that the Arab king of the time married a girl from Granada named Sarah, but she was always sad because she did not see the snow or landscape of the Sierra Nevadas. In one night, in order to cheer her up the king built this new city to resemble Granada and planted thousands of cherry trees to blossom white and resemble the Sierra Nevadas...que romántico! In reality however, it was the strongest and most strategic point in the kingdom of Córdoba. Since I am a history major...it was one of the coolest things ever! I wish we had gotten more time to spend there, but we had much more to see!When we actually arrived in Córdoba, we visited the old Jewish neighborhood. There is a long history of Jewish/Arab/Christian conflict in Córdoba and it remains a big influence on the city today. You can literally see the evidence of each culture. We saw some of the old markets and the synagogue. After that, we had free time until our tour of the catedal/mezquita. During this time my wonderful and amazing friends told a random group of singers on the street that it was my birthday...thank you. They then sang to me, made me dance with all of them, and wear a cape! It was quite embarrassing, but at the same time so much fun! That is Spain for you I suppose...
After that we got to enter the cathedral/mosque. It had to have been the single most breathtaking building I have ever seen. I have photos, but they won't do it justice. The blending of cultures and styles is mind blowing. You can see the remnants of old Roman streets, the architecture of the Arabs, and then structures from both the Gothic and Renaissance periods according to Christians. If any of you have a chance to go to Spain this is a MUST see. Here are some pictures of this city:
Bev with the ruins of Medina al-Zahra behind her
Allie just climbing up the ruins...I am not quite sure if that was allowed.
Arcs in Medina al-Zahra...everything in Spain has arcs!
Jewish market place...live Spanish guitar music was playing while we were here. The music is everywhere in the streets...I am going to miss it when I have to come home!
Inside the cathedral/mosque...this part is the mosque. The arcs were endless and incredible to see in person.
This part of the building began the transformation into the cathedral...here is part of the Gothic stage. The Christians actually elevated every single part that they rebuilt because they believed they were the better religion.
The lighting inside was very dim, but it only added to the experience.
I like this picture because you can see the transformation of the mosque into the cathedral.
The cathedral...Renaissance portion and main alter
This is the Guadalquivir River that runs through both Sevilla and Córdoba. Fun Fact: it is supposed to be the river that Hercules moved during his labours to clean out the Stables of Augean in a single day!
Finally, here is me dancing with the street performers in Córdoba...two more joined in later. So much fun!
Last fun fact: When we drove home we passed 3 more castles/churches...each of which was a fortilization of the Reyes Catolicos during the Reconquista. I wish we could have stopped because on the building was a Catholic church built on a mosque, built on a visigothic church, built on a Roman temple, built on an Iberian temple... HOW COOL IS THAT??? Just try to imagine how many people lived there, walked there, worshipped there, and it is still standing today!
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