Seville and Còrdoba

We chose our place to stay in Seville not for it being pretty and in a nice area, but for being convenient. This large hall for long term car and camper parking is about 8km from the city center. It also has a lot behind the hall, where one can park for a night or three and also sleep in your vehicle. There are toilets and showers, but that's about it.

The train tracks run RIGHT alongside and the highway is about 50 meters away. Also it's right in the flight path of the airport, which is only a few kilometers away. But there is a bus stop right outside, which takes you to the city in about 20 minutes, the bicycle lane starts just a few hundred meters away and there is a large supermarket across the road. The place is being watched 24/7 by humans and cameras and Simba, a beautiful little fluffball of a cat. As I said, not pretty, but practical. 

After getting me settled in, my human and Carmelo took the bike to town. They started their visit of the city by checking out the Cathedral. Since its completion in the early 16th Century, it's the largest in Spain and actually the largest gothic church in the world. Measured by floor space, it's number four of all churches in the world. And a UNESCO World Heritage Site, of course.

Which doesn't stop some people having loud (Spanish) conversations on their mobile phones during their visit. It's not like I am a religious person, but still, that's just a no-go. I'm pretty sure the question of whether the plants have been watered already by cousin Maria back home could be asked half an hour later as well. And outside!

One can climb the bell tower, called Giralda, with a height of 105 meters. Although you only get to 80 meters, it affords some great views over the city.

The church boasts another attraction, the tomb of Christopher Columbus. He died in Valadolid in 1506, but his remains were moved to Seville on order of his brother shortly thereafter. In 1542 they were moved to the Dominican Republic. In 1795 Spain lost control of it's territory and his body was moved to Havana, Cuba. Until they lost that territory, too, and he came back to Seville. Even after his death he was quite an adventurous character.  

The Royal Alcàzars of Seville, a royal palace, was built for the Christian king Peter of Castille on the site of a former Muslim residential fortress, which they largely destroyed in 1248, after they conquered Seville. Alcàzar comes from Latin and means castle. To this day the royal family resides here, when they are in Seville. 

It's very much like the Alhambra in Granada in style and layout, with intricate plaster work, painted tiles and large gardens. Just a little smaller and a little less grand.

In the oldest part of Seville, you can find the Metropol Parasol, a wooden structure designed by a German architect. What it's actually for is hard to say, as it doesn't seem to have a grander purpose. You can walk around the top of it for some views and there is a restaurant, of course, but otherwise...
It was meant to cost around 50 Million Euro, but by the time it was finally completed, years after the initial deadline, the bill said 100 Million. Sounds just like the new airport in Berlin. 

The night was surprisingly quiet and after Spanish class and chatting with our neighbor James from Northern Ireland over breakfast, they went to town again, this time by bus. First stop was "Plaza de España", a very impressive space built for the Ibero-American exposition in 1929. Today the semi-circular building is home to many government offices and agencies and the plaza is used for concerts and other events. You can hire paddle boats to drive around the moat.

The little cupboards on each side are for books, a "free library"

And by pure chance, there was a Flamenco demonstration going on in the covered archway. My human had considered visiting an actual show that evening, but was somewhat put off by it literally screaming "TOURIST". So this was a pleasant alternative. And it was really great! Three dancers, one singer and two musicians put on a great spectacle, hoping for tips from the crowd. Which they deserved and got.

Adjacent to the plaza is the large "Parque de Marìa Luisa", Seville's green lung. It's a nice space to cool off in the shade of the huge trees, have a picnic and just hang out.

Crossing on of the many bridges over the river Guadalquivir, you find yourself in Triana.

No one really knows where Flamenco came to life, but many believe it was right here, in this working class district, home to Andalucia's Roma people who used Flamenco to express their frustrations and problems of everyday life. 

Nowadays it's a pretty, hip neighborhood with small alleys, many bars and restaurants and, of course, Falmenco venues.

After ambling all over the city for most of the day, they got back home in the early evening. I then got surprised with a little beauty treatment, getting my windows cleaned an such, before we had a good chat and a glass of wine (or three) with our neighbor.

Saturday morning my human and Carmelo went to Còrdoba. Rather than driving the 130km there, just to have to come back the same way to then get back down to the coast, they took the train. 

The main sights of the city are the Mezquita de Còrdoba and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. Which, to tell you the truth, they only had a look at from the outside. You can only look at so many churches and palaces before you loose interest in paying yet another 20€ to see yet another one. 

By crossing the Puente Romana, which spans Guadaquivir, the same river that runs through Seville, you get to the other side of the city, which was largely neglected until very recently. Therefore, this bridge was the only one till the mid 20th Century. The first known construction was built by the Romans in the early 1st Century BC, possibly replacing a former wooden bridge. Most of the present structure dates from the Arab's reconstruction in the 8th Century.

Còrdoba's old center is one of the largest and best preserved in all of Europe. Therefore it's no surprise that a few hours pass easily, just by walking up one alley and down the next. The stroll being interrupted for the ocassional lunch-, ice cream- and beer-stop.

By the time they got back it was almost dark and it didn't take long until we all hit the sack. This will have been our second to last stop in Spain. There is only one more, Isla Cristina, and then we are off to new shores: Portugal!