Arrival at the hotel in Sevilla - Caroline, Rita, and Deena.
The land changed as we rode to Sevilla, coming down out of the mountains where Ronda and Grazalema are perched into a flat agricultural plain. As with all metropolises, the industrial outskirts and residential areas ring the city. Coming into town, the bus took us alongside the Guadalquivir River. The bus stopped short of the hotel as it was too big to get down the street and we were greeted by the hotel van, which took our luggage while we walked around the corner to the hotel.
Once the check-in preliminaries were done (we weren’t able to check into our rooms yet), we set out for the Alcázar, the royal palace. We met our guide, Virginia, outside the palace. She conducted us through the building and courtyards including the Casa de la Contratación where Ferdinand and Isabella conducted business relating to the New World. One of the courtyards, Patio de la Monteria, was bordered on each side by a façade of a different era. Much of the palace, that reflected the Moorish style, was rebuilt in the mudejar style by King Alfonso. Virginia led us through the mudejar styled rooms with their elaborate decorations, and then into the gardens. (Mudejar is a term that refers to the Moors after their forced conversion to Christianity.)
The palace is still a functioning residence of the monarchy in Spain, so when King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia visit Sevilla, the palace is closed to the public.
Arrival at the hotel in Sevilla - Caroline, Rita, and Deena.
Marilyn, Rich, Judy and standing Nadji, Ralph, and Oakley.
The lobby of the hotel.
The exterior of the hotel.
Part of the cathedral in Sevilla - we visited the church the following day.
Inside the Alcázar.
One of the trees was still in flower - floss silk tree, Chorisia speciosa.
One of the four façades on the Patio de la Monteria.
A second façade.
Our guide Virginia, standing in front of a third façade.
The fourth façade.
A painting in the palace, depicting the opening ceremonies of the exposition of 1929 that was hosted by Sevilla.
The weathervane on top of the Giralda - the bell tower of the cathedral.
Virginia discussing the gardens in the courtyards of the palace.
The lowered beds are characteristic of the Moorish garden, so the flowers and or fruit may be picked easily.
Used the Pillars of Hercules motif, the royal motto 'Non plus ultra' became 'Plus Ultra' after Columbus.
An ornate fixture to hold the door hinge.
The palace was built by a Christian king who was on good terms with some of the remaining Muslim kingdoms.
One of he ornate interiors.
Out in the palace gardens.
Judy, Caroline, and Jonathan enjoy the lunch of tapas.
Judy, Caroline, Jonathan, our day guide Virginia, Rich, Ralph and Janet.
Joyce (on the phone), Joel, Marilyn, Judy, Caroline, Jonathan (obscured), and Ralph.
Looking up the alley where we were seated.
A view of the cathedral.
The courtyard of our hotel viewed from our room.
From the palace, we went through the old Jewish quarter on our way to the tapas bar. The streets here are so narrow, most of them are restricted to pedestrian traffic. Nonetheless it is a vibrant street life. We reached the tapas bar, which was situated on one of these pedestrian ways, and proceeded to inhale lunch. There was a shop next door to the bar that go patronized heavily by our group as we sat outside eating everything that went by. I stayed away from wine, drinking Coca-cola to help settle my stomach, but I did sample all the plates that went by – except for the croquettes, which for some reason were completely consumed by the other end of the table before the plate reached us.
As usual, lunch took a couple of hours, and as the tour headed across the river for some more urban walking, Jonathan and I went back to the hotel for a siesta. I was feeling a bit faded after my bout with food poisoning and I slept soundly for a couple of hours.
We met again in the lobby, where we caught up (or tried to) on our diaries before leaving for supper. Nick led us back through the close streets of the Jewish Quarter to a seafood restaurant. We went upstairs, which we had to ourselves, except for a female sparrow that had gotten in at lunch according to the waiter. The starter was a tomato-based soup that was topped with ham and hard boiled egg, followed by a salad and then paella. I again handed off the mussels to Jonathan, but enjoyed the rest of the dish.
Afterwards, the group went to a flamenco dance demonstration, but Jonathan and I went back to the hotel, as I was still feeling a bit washed out. I hit the sack and was out until morning light.