We didn't begin Alison's birthday as ambitiously as our other days. When the 9 am alarm sounded, we snoozed until 10. Then when the 10 am alarm sounded, we shut it off and woke naturally at 12:15. It felt really nice to sleep so long.
We still accomplished a lot for getting a late start. We wandered to the Jewish quarter of the city, probably the most picturesque area. There were plazas everywhere, large & small, connected by narrow streets that changed names every 25 yards.
We made our way to the cathedral, the largest in the world, and arrived 10 minutes after it closed. Big bummer. So then we went to Alcazar, the Sevillan royal residence. We rented an audio guide and toured the public areas. My favorite part was the intricate tile work (pictures below). The patterns & most of the architecture were of Moor influence, though there were still more modern Christian influences from the Crusades.
Then we toured the Bull Ring, which they say is Spain's best. The stadium seats 14,000! (More pictures below) We learned there are always 2 bull fighters, 6 bulls, and 3 rounds. The bull is always killed in the final round, then the meat is sold in a special market. Apparently, the tail is the best part. 'Only' 3 men have ever been killed in this ring since it was built (we can't remember when), two in 1992. "It was a very tragic year," our tour guide said.
After the tour, we enjoyed our evening activity: a flamenco show! This was Alison's birthday gift from her dad. Thank you, Mr. Ulmer!
Alison & Margaret´s Flemenco poses.
My Flemenco pose.
On our way home from the show, we stumbled across some entertaining street performances. Men dressed with puffy sleeves, tights, and capes adorned with merit badge-looking patches and best in show-looking ribbons were playing various stringed instruments while singing and dancing. (See picture below) Once their set was over, we wandered off and noticed several other troops of men walking around with instruments. We have no idea what was going on... perhaps that's a normal Friday night in Sevilla. Perhaps they heard it was Alison's birthday. Either way, it was a great last experience in Sevilla.
Tomorrow we're driving to Cadiz, so be prepared to hear more about getting lost!
I think I have signed onto your blog and Barb and I are eagerly awaiting your next posts. Have fun! 5/22/09
ReplyDelete