If yesterday we soaked up the feel of this incredible city, today we zero in on the Royal Alcazar of Seville. With Laura, who knows the palace like I know the farmette lands. Perhaps even better than that.
But first, breakfast.
It's still warm outside, but you can tell the weather is about to change. Storms will rumble through and from there it's downhill all the way! A forty degree downward spiral. But why worry about that on this day, when the skies are overcast, but the air? Like a summer delight.
(walking to the Alcazar)
To understand and really feel the beauty of the Alcazar, you have to recall the history of Andalucia. I'd gone over this with Snowdrop already and the walk with Laura certainly reinforced it. A quick review for those who are curious: after the fall of the Romans, southern Spain was conquered by the Islamic rulers of Northern Africa. It remained an Islamic stronghold for hundreds of years. Only in the Medieval Era are these dynasties weakened, and Andalucia, along with Seville, fall under the rule of the Castillian Catholic monarchs. At first, they allowed the Muslims to remain and practice their religion in a limited way, but pretty quickly those noble feelings fizzled and the persecution and forced religious conversion of the Muslims (as well as other non-Catholics) began.
All this explains the Alcazar's incredible architecture. I remember being floored by it back when I visited Seville with Ed. Today is no different.
The building began as an Islamic citadel in the 10th century. From there it morphed into a larger Islamic palace. But that's not the end of it: after the Castillian conquest of Seville, the palace was rebuild. Gardens were added and the palace was ornamented in the Mudejar style. (The Mudejars were the Muslims who remained here after the Christians took over. This was during the rather short-lived period of peaceful coexistence between the two religious groups in the mid-14th century.)
Similarities to the Alhambra in Granada abound, but let's put that aside for now and concentrate on the splendid elements of the Alcazar. Again, I'll refrain from detailed explanations. Just take it all in -- the plaster ornamentation, the tile work, the sculpted ceiling, the arched, horseshoe doorways, the courtyards, fountains and plant life. It's a beautiful place! As Laura would say -- you could almost forgive Peter the Cruel his murderous inclinations, because he left behind Alcazar -- arguably one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. (I suppose movie goers flock here as well, because it reminds them of the Game of Thrones, which was filmed on the premises, I'm told.)
To me, the gardens are equally exquisite.
Peaceful and contemplative.
And then there is the Labyrinth. Snowdrop just loved the Labyrinth!
Not at all easy to navigate. Laura and I were a bit unnerved by it, but the girl eventually lead us out.
Laura lingered with us after our Alcazar visit, suggesting we go back to Plaza de Espana (we buggied through it yesterday) and the Maria Luisa Park - a gathering place, a green space, with an architecturally impressive building, and with the iconic bridges that symbolize the four kingdoms of Spain -- Leon, Castilla, Aragon, and Navarra (with 48 benches representing every province of Spain).
And here's where we part ways. Snowdrop and I have quite the walk back to the hotel still before us and I do not like to push the little one too much, because it all then falls apart for her, for both of us.
Of course, it is Sunday. The first official day of Holy Week. Yesterday's procession? Just a wee Holy Week Eve thing. Today, everyone is dressed to kill. Men in navy suits, with ties, the women in high heels. Laura had said that the point is to wear something brand new and yes, heels are de rigeur! But of course, to an American, it's the brotherhood outfits that are absolutely disconcerting, for obvious reasons.
We haven't any intention of crowding close to a procession, but you cant avoid the Sevillian throngs, even if you're to the side of the routes where there will be the drums, the candles, the Christ bodies. The Sevillians seem to have completely succumbed to the demands of the week. (Normally, Spain has some rules about street photography that would have me hesitate in taking many closeups of people, but the rules state that there is an exception for festivals. Well now!)
Snowdrop sees all this of course, but she also sees the cheerful side of having festivities at every corner.
Me, I'm fascinated by the dressing up that has happened here -- to a degree I've not seen in a long time anywhere.
Well, and those hoods...
Young boys in dress shorts... old fashioned, or what!
It's after two. The girl and I are in need of a lunch. We get some help for this at our hotel. They make a call to a place that is in the opposite direction of a church, so that we would not be swallowed up by the crowds. Still, there are people. Everywhere.
But yes, it's a quiet enough spot, though crowded with locals. La Cayetana. An Andalusian "bistro." They literally brought out a table and placed it by the curb so that we could eat here, to the tune of buses and cars whizzing by.
(Snowdrop enjoys a text exchange with her mommy)
And again, she loves much of the seafood. We've established the mushy croquettes (sooooo Spanish!) are not her thing. But the shrimp in garlic and olive oil and the fried calamari? Yum!
We walk back to the hotel (a tourist today is easy to spot! dressed for the everyday, unlike these guys...).
... and once again the girl asks to swim.
... while below, you can spot a fragment of the procession, just one procession, making its way along the narrow streets of Seville.
As I've said before -- the weather is changing. We're leaving Seville tomorrow morning and we'll be entering a period of unusual cold for this part of the country. Because of this, I've somewhat reworked and modified our itinerary. More on this later. For now, I'll just end with our Italian pizza supper at La Piemontesa. It's a great way to end our unusual, but perhaps very predictable set of days in beautiful Seville. It still remains my favorite city here, in Spain. And hey, they even have great pizza!
Good night, on a drizzly night in goldenrod Seville.
