A horse and carriage ride around the city established in our heads the general notion of the city. Our driver explained, in Spanish, what we were seeing and a little bit of information. We have no Spanish but we had read about the highlights and had a general idea of what he was on about. It was early- before 10. The traffic was light, the air cool and a magnificent day. Brilliant introduction to this fine city.
The thirty minute ride returned to the Cathedral of Seville, the heart (and soul?) of the city and many of the historical monuments are in the surrounding area including the Real Alcazar -Royal Palace. A UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, dating from the 10th century, it was initially an Islamic citadel but early in the 13th century it was conquered by the Christian Castilians and rebuilt and decorated in the Mudejar-style- ornamental motifs- representing peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians. There are also Gothic and Renaissance elements. Wow! It is huge. It was packed. We found it overwhelming and after about 90 minutes we gave up. Both of us were pleased we visited but the number of tour groups, the overwhelming number of people generally, the confusing and unreliable Q-Code auditory guide did our heads in. And it was Sunday- everyone seemed to be out and about.
Our location was amazing. Barrio Santa Cruz is a maze of tiny cobbled streets and lanes, dead ends and the narrowest footpaths I have ever seen. Negotiating the labyrinth is all part of the fun, and virtually everyone walks around peering seriously at their phone tracking the little blue arrow, watching their footing and avoiding vehicles that seem to squeeze themselves smaller as they meander through the ancient urban warren. Littered with colourful buildings, tapas bars, restaurants, cafes, ceramic shops, museums, little squares, churches, tiny boutiques selling mainly Asian jewellery and clothes and the occasional supermarket, it’s easy to loose yourself and fill your day with wonder.
A drink at La Bodega de la Alfalfa was in order, and when we overheard the couple beside us speaking English we found a way to engage. After an hour or so Bill and Sam, who were from the Gold Coast (almost neighbours) had made our night. Very keen golfers as well as avid travellers, we had lots in common and passed the time in convivial company. As we were making our way back to our room, I was distracted by the police presence and the crowd gathering. Curiosity got the better of me. It was a religious procession! The police car parted the crowd and led the procession of people in religious regalia, two marching bands and a float – a Paso -bearing a sculpture of the Virgin Mary (looking a little “Bo Peep”)- being carried by Costaleros the men carrying the float and hidden beneath, heading to the Cathedral. It was the procession of the Divina Pastora of Souls (Devine Shepherdess of Souls). The perfect culmination to a wonderful day.