Sweet, sweet Sevilla

Forgive me for my tardiness on this one, folks. I headed south to Sevilla about three weeks ago, I do believe, and I've yet to tell you the tales of my trip. So here goes nothing.

Sevilla is almost directly south of Don Benito, about 150 miles. By car it would only be about 2 1/2 hours, but we went by bus. That took slightly more than four hours. I got a tad "bus sick" during the trip - in part, I think, because I was staring so intently at the south-of-Spain scenery as it whizzed by - but the illness cleared up pretty quickly when we arrived at the Plaza de las Armas bus station, which was only a couple of kilometers from our hostel. (If you ever travel to Sevilla, make sure you know which bus station you're arriving at/leaving from. There are two: Plaza de las Armas is mainly for national/international routes, while the Prado station generally houses regional buses for Andalucia. The two stations are only about 2 1/2 kilometers apart, so it's not terrible to move between them, but if you're in a hurry to catch a bus, you don't want to show up at the wrong place. However, judging by what I've experienced so far on multiple bus rides, the bus will leave at least 15 minutes after its scheduled departure, so you'd have some spare time. Had to get that dig in there, although I'm saving my public transport grievances for a separate post.)



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Our hostel, Sevilla Urbany Hostel, was about a kilometer or so (0.6 miles) from a couple of the main sites in Sevilla: the Cathedral of Sevilla and the Real Alcázar (the royal fortress). It was a bit of a farther jaunt, about 2.5 kilometers, to the Plaza de España. Additionally, Sevilla Urbany is very close to a great shopping area with H&M, Mango, Stradivarius and other too-awesome-for-me-keep-out European stores. I made it away from there with only one sweater, so I think that's pretty good.

Sevilla is a beautiful mix of Spanish and Moorish architecture; my friends (a girl from my tiny Nebraska hometown who is also teaching here in Spain, a Brit and a girl from Kansas) and I spent much of our time wandering around, and that was OK with me. But the walk to the Cathedral was particularly beautiful.

The beautiful street leading to the Cathedral

I love this architecture.

I have to say, though, as gorgeous as the walk to the Cathedral was, it didn't outshine the Cathedral itself. I know a lot of people are bored with churches; after all, Europe is overflowing with decadent religious spots. But this one is not to be missed. Trust me, I've seen Notre Dame in Paris and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and I was much more enchanted by Sevilla's gem. To be fair, I visited those other churches more than four years ago, and I'm naturally inclined to favor Spain, but really, the Cathedral of Seville is pretty awesome. Look for yourself.

It is absolutely HUGE.

That's me trying to show the massive scale of the doors.

Here's an informational excerpt so you learn a little something while you hang out on my blog:

The Cathedral of Seville (Catedral de Sevilla) is an expression in stone of post-Reconquest confidence and wealth. Built on the site of a mosque, it is the third largest church in Europe and the largest Gothic building in Europe. It also boasts the largest altarpiece in the world.

History

Built on the site of a grand Almohad Mosque, Seville's cathedral was built to demonstrate the city's power and wealth after the Reconquista. In the planning stages, a member of the chapter is said to have commented, "we shall have a church of such a kind that those who see it built will think we were mad."
Inspired by this goal, the canons of Seville renounced all but a subsistence level of their incomes to fund the construction. The cathedral was completed in just over a century (1402-1506), quite an achievement given its size and Gothic details. It was probably designed by the French master architect of Rouen Cathedral.
Along with the city's Alcazar and Archivo de las Indias, Seville Cathedral was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Seville Cathedral was built on the same large, rectangular base-plan of the mosque it replaced, but the Christian architects added the extra dimension of height. The result is an astonishingly large building that breaks several size records. Measured by area, Seville Cathedral is the third largest in Europe after after St. Paul's Cathedral in London and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but measured by volume, it surpasses them both.

The total area covers 11,520 square meters. The central nave (the longest in Spain) rises to 42 meters and even the side chapels seem large enough to contain an ordinary church.
Two parts of the mosque were thankfully preserved in the cathedral: the Moorish entrance court (Patio de los Naranjos); and the Giralda, originally a minaret, converted into a bell tower. (See our separate La Giralda article.)

The cathedral is entered via the Puerta de San Cristóbal on the south side, just inside of which is the tomb of Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón). Columbus was originally buried in the cathedral of Havana, on the island he had discovered on his first voyage in 1492. But during the upheavals surrounding the Cuban revolution in 1902, Spain transferred the remains to Seville.

A monumental tomb was sculpted for the explorer's new resting place in Seville. Sculpted by Arturo Melida, it was designed in the Late Romantic style and is held aloft by four huge allegorial figures representing the kingdoms of León, Castile, Aragón and Navarra. There have long been doubts about the authenticity of the remains in Columbus' tomb, and DNA tests are currently underway to find out if they really are those of the explorer.

The huge interior of the cathedral, with a central nave and four side aisles, is lavishly decorated. Gold is everywhere. But at the same time, there is a sense of overall simplicity and restraint in decoration, for the grand monuments are confined to the side aisles and the huge nave is left mostly empty.

Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/seville-cathedral

Most incredible organ I've ever seen.

Incredible views from the belltower.

While posing for a photo outside of the Cathedral, I got hit by one of the ubiquitous horse-and-carriages that flood the area. Yes, you read that correctly. I literally got hit by a horse and carriage. The wheel ran into my body quite forcefully, and I was knocked to the ground. The hordes of tourists around me looked on in horror and slight amusement. The carriage driver didn't apologize. HE HIT ME AND THEN DIDN'T APOLOGIZE. I still can't believe that part, but it gets better. Afterward, he solicited my friends and I to pay for a ride. Are you kidding me, sir? I cursed at him in English, but he didn't seem to care.

Quite close to the Cathedral is the Real Alcázar, which is a gem, too, although I preferred the Cathedral (my friends preferred the Alcázar, so different strokes for different folks, I suppose). We arrived at the fortress on a Sunday morning and spent about 45 minutes or so waiting to get in. I can't imagine what Sevilla is like in the summer, during peak tourism season. Must be God awful.

Some facts about the Alcázar (also referred to as the palace): 

Soon after the Almohades, a Moorish dynasty, gained control of Seville in 1161, they embarked on a building frenzy. They constructed a number of baths, towers, a lavish grand mosque and a fortress-like palace known as the Al-Muwarak (the Blessed).

In 1364, after the Reconquista - the reconquest of Moorish Spain by Christians - King Pedro I commissioned the construction of a new palace, the Palacio Pedro I, at the site of the Al-Muwarak. Craftsmen from across Andalusia created a magnificent interior in Mudéjar style, arranged around a number of patios. Over the years, other monarchs kept expanding the palace, resulting in a diverse complex with different architectural styles. The top floor of the palace is still actively used by the Royal Family.

Source: http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/realalcazar.htm

Also an interesting tidbit (Wikipedia is the source):

The Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) lies off the la Monteria [a part of the Alcázar]. It was built in 1503 by the Catholic Monarchs to regulate trade with the New World colonies. The Casa dealt with trade related legal disputes on trade with the Americas. The "Casa" includes a chapel where Colombus met with Ferdinand and Isabella after his second voyage. The chapel houses The Virgin of the Navigators, one of the first paintings to depict the discovery of the Americas and one of the earliest paintings to depict Columbus.

Entrance

The inside was full of gorgeous tiles.

We walked to the Plaza de España after visiting the palace. A Welsh guy we met on the street had mentioned that the Plaza was worth visiting, but I wasn't super enthused to see it. I've seen lots of European plazas, and they're generally just large, open spaces surrounded by buildings a few stories high. They're generally great for people watching but not much else. The plaza in Sevilla is a glorious exception. It was built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. Today the building is used for government offices and museums, for the most part. The plaza is inside the lush Maria Luisa Park, which would be worth wandering through if I ever make it back.

After visiting the plaza (I think it was afterward; my chronology is all messed up, it may have been before), we made a quick stop at the Macarena church. Further proof that no one does gaudy like Europe:

Our final mission in Sevilla was to eat churros con chocolate, a very typical Spanish treat. They looked like intestines but tasted so much better. 

This has gotten to be a pretty windy post, so I think I'll leave it at that. If you don't take away anything else from this post, remember this: Sevilla is worth a visit.

Buenas noches,
Teresa

Travel details: 

How we got there: I took a bus through the LEDA bus company from Don Benito (Extremadura) directly to Sevilla. It lasted about four hours, and the price was 18.75 euros each way. Make sure to purchase a return ticket immediately upon arrival in Sevilla, regardless of where you're returning to. Buses fill up fast, I'm told. If you buy a round-trip ticket with "vuelta abierta" (open return), make sure you make a reservation for a specific departure time at the station upon arrival. Sevilla also has a train station, if you prefer that route. It's also quite easy to rent a car in Spain if you're 25 or older, but I have no idea what it'd be like to drive in Sevilla.

Where we stayed: Sevilla Urbany Hostel, in an eight-bed female dorm. Sevilla Urbany was pretty clean and reasonably priced. We each paid something like 12 euros a night, which included a bare-bones-but-decent breakfast of toast, juice and cereal. I would stay there again. It was centrally located, within walking distance of the sites, and it was very close to what we dubbed "America Square" (horribly ethnocentric, I know). "America Square" had Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald's and a load of Spanish eateries, too.

What we did: We visited the Cathedral of Sevilla, the Real Alcazar and the Plaza de Espana. We also wandered a bunch. If you're visiting town, definitely visit those three places. BUT, be sure to bring your student ID if you are/have recently been a student. The Cathedral is 8 euros for an adult and 3 euros for a student 25 and under. The Alcazar is 8.50 for an adult, I believe, and 2 euros for a student.