Thursday, March 19: How about some more sangria?

Man, is it hard to get out of the bed this morning!!  No going down to breakfast for me.  This morning I add a warm coke with the nabs and get dressed.  We meet up with our group to head for the Alcazar.  Before we leave, however, some of us decided to make reservations to eat out our last night in Cordoba.  Reservations being made, we head to the palace.  Now, I thought the Alcazar in Seville was beautiful with all the mosaics and tile work, but the one in Cordoba had the most beautiful gardens and fountains.  The official name of the Alcazar is The Royal Palace of the Christian Monarchs.  I guess the Christians got upset with the Muslims tearing down their cathedral so they decided to build a palace on the site of the Caliphal Palace (FYI: caliph--a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad).  Early records show that the Christian Palace exisited as early as 1359.  You know this Christian and Muslim stuff has been going on for a long time! Can you say Issac and Esau?!!  The major attraction of the palace is the gardens that are layed out in the Arab-Abdalusian style in which many of the native plants can be seen.

We begin the morning by strolling down one of the main fountains that end at the statues of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella facing Christopher Columbus.  Guess Chris is trying to make a deal with them about sailing somewhere!

I just couldn't let this photo opt get away.

Front--Lisa, Mary Ruth, Debbie, Louise, Natalie

Back--Natalie, Johnny, Paula, Drew

Lance is afraid I want some of these in our yard.

Disney World doesn't have anything on this place.

Kneeling- Ashley Giglo

Sitting--Dianne, Mary Ruth, Louise

Standing--Paula, Betty, Megan Kay

Ending our tour with one last photo

We have the rest of the day on our own so we group up and take off in the direction that slave driver Debbie points.  The old city had entranced us so much we decid to go back and scout it out some more and try to do a little shopping.

It is getting close to lunch so we think we might try to get a bite to eat in the newer part of town.  The people are out in force drinking, socializing and getting ready to eat lunch before the obligatory siesta.

Gearing up for lunch

Although this looks like a nice place to eat, it just does not have the charm of the old city, so we take off to find a taxi to get us back to where we enjoyed so much of the day before.

 We find our way back to the square where he had the wonderful sangaria, and the outdoor restaurant across from it.  We have a wonderful lunch of roasted chicken and potatoes along with some great olives.  We wander around a bit more and look at the beautiful mosaic and buildings.

One of the beautiful mosaics in a courtyard of a home

Now one of the items with which that many of us want to come back home with is Majorica pearls.  So we hit every shop making deals and talking down prices.  We all end up with our pearls and can't wait to wear them.  We are worn out from shopping (ha ha) and decid to go back to our sangria cafe and relax for a bit.  After one round, we head back to the newer part of the city, and in the process almost lose Paula again when she runs into a pole in the middle of the street.

The infamous pole

  Before we make our way back to the hotel, we visit some of the Roman ruins.

We make it back to the hotel for an impromptu social hour in Louise and Betty's room and then get ready to go out and eat.

The Pearl Girls--showing off our Myjorica pearls

MR and her birthday fan from me

Now, I know I haven't written one word about Drew this entire post.  I will let this picture speak for itself.

Wednesday, March 18: Where Has the Time Gone?

Yep, you read the title correctly. This coming March a year ago, I traveled to Spain for a wonderful spring holiday. In a couple of weeks, I will be leaving for France. I have not finished posting about my Spain trip, so I am going to try to pick up where I left off and finish the posts (if my feeble brain can remember everything I put in my journal in  short hand fashion. My plans are to put my trips into separate books so I will be able to enjoy them in my senile years!!!). Then I can have a fresh start on the France trip when I get back. I hope you will indulge me and enjoy reading about the rest of my trip.

Well, we get to sleep in a bit this morning so why waste the time getting up to go eat breakfast. I love my extra zzzzzzs. Paula and iI have our own brand of room service, nabs. Sad isn't it?! Anyway, we meet downstairs with our travel compainions and load the bus for a two hour ride that takes us to Cordoba. We settle in, and as we ride Violeta gives us bits and pieces of Spanish history along the way and answers our questions of which Drew has several. We arrive in Cordoba mid morning or a bit early. The entrance into town is via a 4-lane highway that that would make you think we were in the the American West. However, as we go father into the town the buildings become older and older, and then we see the old roman bridge that leads into the old part of town. I feel as if we are going back in time.

This bridge has had some reinforcement in previous centuries, but it is hard to believe this bridge goes back to the Romans. No cars are allowed on it.

Gate to the old town of Cordoba at the foot of the Roman Bridge.

Inside the gate of the old town

The day has turned to be a warm one, and we begin to look for something cool to drink and restrooms before we meet our guide Juan and tour the Cathedral of Cordoba.  After our break, Juan arrives and gives us a tour to one of the most instresting churches we have seen.  It is said to be a live witness to the Cordoban religious history.  That is an understatement.  FYI: A church is called a cathedral if it is the seat of a bishop of the church.  The cathderal started out as a Christian church, became a mosque, and then a Christian church again.  The original church San Viciente was destroyed by the Muslims and they began building the mosque on top of the ruins. Some of the mosaics can be seen from the original church.  It is believed that the church site also was the site of  early Celtic worship, of a Jewish temple built by Solomon, and for Romans to worship their pagan gods.  So to say the place has witnessed history is true.

Our guide Juan along with Violeta

One of the old Muslim entrances to the cathedral

The Tower or minaret.

The last renovation made on the tower was in 1793.  On the very top is a statue of Saint Rafael, the guardian angel of Cordoba.

Patio de los Naranjos ( Patio of the Oranges) 
Some of the trees are recorded to have existed since the 15th century.

The praying room of the mosque

The Mihrab-A niche in the wall of a mosque or a room in the mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca.

The beginnings of the Christian architect

The High Altar of the Cathedral

After our visit to the cathedral, we take a walking tour of the old town of Cordoba.  Juan take us to the Jewish Quarter of the old town. 

 

Narrow street of the Juderia (Jewish Quarter)

 

Statue of Maimonides

Maimonides was the preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars of the Middle Ages.

We gather on the bus again to head to our hotel in the newer part of town.  We get checked in and decide to find a place to eat lunch.  We have a hard time finding a place to eat and end up at the Restuarant Nebraska, a place that Drew is unhappy about but the meal turns out okay.  Since we are on our own for the rest of the afternoon and evening, Debbie, Natalie, Paula, Betty and I decide to go back to the old town and end up hanging out for a while in the Jewish quarters.  We visit the shops and find a perfect outside cafe that serves the most wonderful sangaria, along with a variety of olives that we can't get enough of.

Enjoying the beautiful weather while waiting for our sangarias.

The view from our table

In the Jewish Quaters the streets are very narrow and open up to whitewashed courtyards and windows and balconies that hold red geraniums and ferns.  There is usually a fountain and small outdoor cafes.

We finally have dinner at Patio de la Juderia and then return to our hotel.  I do the internet/e-mail thing and then go to bed.  No one has to rock me to sleep!

Tuesday, March 17, "Oh,no! Paula are you alright?!"

Well, what do you know? ! We get to sleep in a bit this morning. We don't have to be down for breakfast so early and will gather at 9:30 a.m. to strike out to take in Seville. As I mentioned in the last post, Paula and I are roomies at this stop, and we get along wonderfully. Although, I was so tired, I would have gotten along with most anyone.

We eat a casual breakfast, breads and jellies for me, along with juice. Violeta gathers us together to begin our day, which turns out to be a long one. We met our guide for the morning, Conchetta. She is charming and knows Seville in and out. Our first stop is at the bull ring, Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza. I wasn't too thrilled about going to a bull ring since I had had my turn at one when I was a child living in New Mexico. My family lived and worked with my grandparents there, and my mamaw made sure I got to visit every site there was in the west and in Mexico too. I don't remember a lot about going, but I do have this memory that it was not that much fun.

Entrance into the bull ring

Entrance of the Toreadors

However, the bull ring was interesting, and I did learn some things I did not know. FYI-The bulls were raised specifically for the bull fights and the meat from the slain bulls was sold or given to the people for food. How about that!!! Also, there was a small chapel where the toreadors went to pray before the fights. We visited the bullfighting museum where there were all kinds of fight costumes and recognition of Spain's outstanding toreadors. Conchetta told the story of Carmen and how her dealth by a jealous lover supposedly took place at this ring. The opera is based on this tragedy, and if you have never heard this story, you need to find an audio copy of Andy Griffith doing a comedy sketch of the story. It is great!

Debbie and me with the ring in the background

The chapel where the bullfighters pray

Entrance of the bulls

Bullfighter's costume

Portrait of well-known fighters

After the bull ring, we took a bus tour of the town. We saw some of the most interesting and unusual buildings that were built by various countries during the Expo of 1929. One of the most beautiful was the building and area known as the Plaza de Espana. Not only was it a large area, but the buildings and surrounding areas were covered with exquisite ceramics and mosaics.

The Golden Tower is one of two towers that guarded the Quadalquivir River entrance into the harbor of Seville. The other tower was destroyed at some point. In old times, a large chain was stretched across the river from tower to tower to prevent ships from moving about the river. It is called the Golden Tower because of the color of the tower at sunset.

Louise and I standing at the entrance to the Plaza de Espana

Ceramic bridge railing

John, MR, Me and Debbie

Mosaic walkway made from rock in the plaza

After our tour of the city, our bus let us out at the Parque de Maria Luisa. Then after our photo opt at the Gate of the Lion, we walked around the park and the Alcazar Garden and the old district of Santa Cruz.

The Gate of the Lion

A rubber tree in the garden area of Santa Cruz

The old city wall

Gardens in old town

Patio area of a home in the old city

Cross of the Locksmiths in the Plaza Santa Cruz

Our next point of interest was the Cathedral of Seville, the largest Gothic church ever built and the largest Cathedral in the Christian world. At this cathedral there is a fusion of Islam and Christianity and of several types of architectural design, including the Arabic design of the Muslims, the Gothic of the Middle Ages, and Baroque and Renaissance influence. The cathedral still has the original minaret of the mosque. FYI-A minaret is a tall tower. This is 34 stories high and and the original tower was used by the Muslims to announce each of the five times of prayer during the day. The eman (I think) had the job to make the trek up the tower to ring the bells to signal time for prayer. Apparently, this up and down five times a day got old, so the steps were changed into a ramp that allowed for a donkey to be ridden up and down the tower. At some point the tower was destroyed in an earth quake and was rebuilt on the same spot. All I can say is thank goodness for the ramp, which we trudged up and then ambled down. The view from the top of Seville and the countryside was gorgeous.

The Minaret. Yep. I climbed all 34 stories of this tower!

Closer view of the top of the Minaret. On the top is a weather vane of bronze called the Giraldillo, which in Spanish means something close to "revolving" or "turning around." The statue represents the triumph of faith. Notice that the bell tower part of the minaret is Renaissance architecture while the minaret itself is of a Islamic influence.

The entrance that is used by the Pope when he comes to the cathedral. In front of the door is the tenebrae candelabra.

One of the ornate altars of the several in the cathedral

It is not known where the bones of Christopher Columbus truly rest since they were moved several times. However, it is believed that they came to rest in the cathedral in Seville. This is the front view of the tomb.

We had worked up a thirst, and hunger was setting in so several of us found a quaint restaurant at which to eat. My meal of Roma tomatoes drizzled in olive oil with basil, along with bread to dip in the olive oil, was wonderful. I even broke down and had two $4 cokes.

On our way to eat lunch, Violeta pointed out that the man in the sunglasses and leather jacket was a former, well-known bullfighter. Apparently several people recognized him.

With our bodies refueled, our group gathered, and we prepared to tour the Alcazar de Seville. FYI-Alcazar is another name for palace. The palace, like the cathedral, was added on to several times, showing the various styles of Mudejar (Islamic) art and other types of architecture of later periods. Surrounding the palace and within the grounds of the buildings are beautiful gardens.

We spent a large part of the afternoon at the Alcazar and even had a moment of fright. As we are all walking around looking up at the ceilings with their beautiful workmanship, Paula missteps on a ramp and falls, hitting her head on a flower pot. I mean really HITTING her head. Her pupils dilated and she turned pasty white. We thought we had lost her for a minute. She gave us a scare and herself a large lump on her head for the next several days.

Following are pictures of the Alcazar and the surrounding gardens. My pictures do not do the palace justice. It is beautiful.

Entrance into the Alcazar

Plaza that opens after passing through the entrance gate

This is the entrance where Paula fell

The ceiling or copula called the Cuadra de la Naranja del Salon de Embajadores

Betty, Debbie, Louise, Drew, Dianne

We walked the Serpentine Street one more time, stopping for ice cream and visiting the shops for those last few purchases. We returned to the hotel and gathered on the roof-top patio for an impromptu cocktail hour before dinner.

Several of us decided to return to the hotel after dinner via the river walk and then caught a taxi back to our hotel. We prepared to leave Seville the next morning, and I fell into the bed like a stone.

Puente (bridge) de Isabell II, the first permnent bridge in Seville

P. S. Before we entered the cathedral, I turned to look over my shoulder, and across the street was this building with an American flag hanging above the door. My heart did a flutter beat so I took a pic. It was good to see a piece of home so far away.