Thursday November 1st 2018 - All Souls' Day
The rain had cleared overnight and the day dawned much brighter and more promising.
For breakfast we had some coffee, tea and some bread we had brought back from the previous night's dinner at the Orangerie. Then it was off into the city of Seville again.
This time we decided to walk along the river bank of the Guadalquivir River which runs through Seville and is a very long river running way up into Spain and the considerable distance to the coast.
(Courtesy Wikipedia)
We walked the short distance to the river but this proved to be in the port area which did not allow access to the river bank, itself. We walked along past the old port buildings until we reached the Delicias Bridge where we again tried to get access to the riverside. This proved to be impossible but a little further on there was access to a riverside park and we started our walk along the river from here. The river was quite busy with rowing shells with 4 or 8 oarsmen or women, kayaks, paddle boards and even a Chinese dragon boat. Moored alongside was a large river cruise ship and the port proved to be more active than it seemed when the Delicias Bridge opened to allow a larger cruise vessel to access this part of the river. The riverside walk was pleasant enough in the sunshine but the city does not seem to have made the most of what could be a much nicer walk with a bit of tidying up of the area. Although I missed the drama, at one point, MAC and Paivi witnessed a couple of kayakers falling into the water and having to be rescued by the small rubber boats which were patrolling the area.
At the next bridge, we came into the city proper and arrived at the Torre Oro or 'Gold Tower'.
Here we crossed the road and walked towards the Alcazabar which is a large old fortress in the city center. On the way, we stopped for a snack and a cup of coffee in a small cafe called Taberna El Papelon.
We had, perhaps, not anticipated that All Souls' Day would be a public holiday and that Seville would be very busy with visitors, not just from abroad but also local people.As we neared the city center, the crowd grew thicker and at the Alcazar, there were long lines waiting to get in. Trying the cathedral as an alternative, we found that closed for services until mid-afternoon.
So, we set off through the charming narrow streets to find a recommended ice cream shop which after some time we located and enjoyed some of their all-natural delicious ice cream.
Retracing our steps, we arrived back at the cathedral where we found quite a long line waiting to get in but it seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace so we joined it and in 15 minutes or so we were at the ticket desk where for a reasonable 4 or 5 euros, each as pensioners, we gained access.
Words are totally inadequate to describe the enormous building. Not only does its size amaze but the decoration and sheer scale are difficult to either describe or really comprehend. It is aid to be the largest cathedral in the world and may well be even if others make the same claim. It is certainly the largest church building I have ever entered. There are massive columns, a vaulted and decorated roof and many chapels all decorated with sculpture, gold and silver-work, tapestries and other regalia.
One thing that dominates the church (if anything can dominate such a structure), is the resting place of Christopher Columbus (Colon). The coffin is born by the statues of four bearers and is high above the throng of visitors. I suppose that you could spend a long time exploring a church of this size but it does, after a while, become overwhelming and there is a dizzying overload of sights at every turn.
Bill and Paivi decide to climb the tower for city views but we demurred and after a brief visit to the gift shop waited outside in the courtyard for them to come back down. In the gift shop, I saw, what I thought was some genuine Seville orange marmalade with those wonderful really bitter Seville oranges and so bought it only to find later that 'marmalade' in Spanish meant jam and this was. in fact. blackberry jam. I was not amused or pleased!!
It was quite pleasant sitting in the courtyard and after some time, Bill and Paivi descended. The trip to the top was not by steps but by a long winding ramp which was unusual.
More photos of this amazing edifice can be seen at
https://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/catedral.htm
This gives some details of the history of the cathedral and if you click on 'Photos', there are further photos of the interior, many better than mine.
At this point, Bill, Paivi and MAC wanted to go to the Plaza Espana to see it in sunlight and perhaps get a sunset picture. I decided to get a cab back to the apartment as I was tiring by then and the day was not yet over and I wanted to enjoy dinner without falling asleep.
The others returned after a while and after a rest, we set off the short distance to a restaurant called Salvador Rojo at Avenida Manuel Siurot, 33, which had just opened at 8.30 p.m. Such are the dining schedules of the Spanish!! This is a very nice place indeed which usually serves a very reasonable tasting menu. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, this was not available on the night were were there but the a la carte menu proved to be excellent. As an introduction to Jerez, where we intended to visit the next day, we each had a glass of sherry as an aperitif before embarking on some excellent food for our appetizers and main courses which included ravioli, beef loin, duck and monkfish all washed down with a nice bottle of wine. The young lady who served us was excellent and very helpful and friendly within the limits of her English but she tried very hard and we had little difficulty in making ourselves understood.
We walked home and were soon in bed after quite a tiring but extremely enjoyable day. Seville is a wonderful city and I would come back here in a minute. There is lots to see and we only 'scratched the surface'. The small streets are a joy with lovely balconies and doorways, small shops, restaurants and bodegas. Walking around is a feast for the eyes, ears and all the senses. There are many events happening in Seville throughout the year and it seems to be quite a cultural center. We did not make it to the area called Triana, across the river on the west side of the city, which is the 'bohemian' and 'flamenco' area but maybe next time.
For breakfast we had some coffee, tea and some bread we had brought back from the previous night's dinner at the Orangerie. Then it was off into the city of Seville again.
This time we decided to walk along the river bank of the Guadalquivir River which runs through Seville and is a very long river running way up into Spain and the considerable distance to the coast.
(Courtesy Wikipedia)
Length: 408 mi
Discharge: 5,802 ft³/s
We walked the short distance to the river but this proved to be in the port area which did not allow access to the river bank, itself. We walked along past the old port buildings until we reached the Delicias Bridge where we again tried to get access to the riverside. This proved to be impossible but a little further on there was access to a riverside park and we started our walk along the river from here. The river was quite busy with rowing shells with 4 or 8 oarsmen or women, kayaks, paddle boards and even a Chinese dragon boat. Moored alongside was a large river cruise ship and the port proved to be more active than it seemed when the Delicias Bridge opened to allow a larger cruise vessel to access this part of the river. The riverside walk was pleasant enough in the sunshine but the city does not seem to have made the most of what could be a much nicer walk with a bit of tidying up of the area. Although I missed the drama, at one point, MAC and Paivi witnessed a couple of kayakers falling into the water and having to be rescued by the small rubber boats which were patrolling the area.
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| People enjoying a nice day (It was All Saints' Day so a holiday in Spain) on the river. |
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| A Chinese dragon boat practicing on the river |
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| A tile map of the Guadalquivir River |
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| A fashion shoot for bridal wear using Gold Tower as a backdrop |
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| The Gold Tower |
We had, perhaps, not anticipated that All Souls' Day would be a public holiday and that Seville would be very busy with visitors, not just from abroad but also local people.As we neared the city center, the crowd grew thicker and at the Alcazar, there were long lines waiting to get in. Trying the cathedral as an alternative, we found that closed for services until mid-afternoon.
 |
| Throngs of visitors trying to enter the Alcazabar in Seville |
So, we set off through the charming narrow streets to find a recommended ice cream shop which after some time we located and enjoyed some of their all-natural delicious ice cream.
Retracing our steps, we arrived back at the cathedral where we found quite a long line waiting to get in but it seemed to be moving at a reasonable pace so we joined it and in 15 minutes or so we were at the ticket desk where for a reasonable 4 or 5 euros, each as pensioners, we gained access.
Words are totally inadequate to describe the enormous building. Not only does its size amaze but the decoration and sheer scale are difficult to either describe or really comprehend. It is aid to be the largest cathedral in the world and may well be even if others make the same claim. It is certainly the largest church building I have ever entered. There are massive columns, a vaulted and decorated roof and many chapels all decorated with sculpture, gold and silver-work, tapestries and other regalia.
One thing that dominates the church (if anything can dominate such a structure), is the resting place of Christopher Columbus (Colon). The coffin is born by the statues of four bearers and is high above the throng of visitors. I suppose that you could spend a long time exploring a church of this size but it does, after a while, become overwhelming and there is a dizzying overload of sights at every turn.
 |
| The simply incredible altar screen, the life's work of a Belgian artist who didn't live to see its completion. |
 |
| The resting place of Christopher Colon (Columbus) |
Bill and Paivi decide to climb the tower for city views but we demurred and after a brief visit to the gift shop waited outside in the courtyard for them to come back down. In the gift shop, I saw, what I thought was some genuine Seville orange marmalade with those wonderful really bitter Seville oranges and so bought it only to find later that 'marmalade' in Spanish meant jam and this was. in fact. blackberry jam. I was not amused or pleased!!
It was quite pleasant sitting in the courtyard and after some time, Bill and Paivi descended. The trip to the top was not by steps but by a long winding ramp which was unusual.
 |
| Ratly also enjoyed the view |
 |
| The stuffed crocodile, known as El Lagarto is always a fun spot for kids. It was a gift from the Sultan of Egypt to King Alfonso X, for asking for the hand in marriage of his daughter Berenguela. Although the Sultan did not wed the princess in the end, the crocodile stayed, and was stuffed. Now it is one of the cathedral's quirkier relics. |
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| Scenes from the courtyard of the Seville Cathedral, the landing where you can see the large bell was where the intrepid climbers ascended to. |
https://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/catedral.htm
This gives some details of the history of the cathedral and if you click on 'Photos', there are further photos of the interior, many better than mine.
At this point, Bill, Paivi and MAC wanted to go to the Plaza Espana to see it in sunlight and perhaps get a sunset picture. I decided to get a cab back to the apartment as I was tiring by then and the day was not yet over and I wanted to enjoy dinner without falling asleep.
The others returned after a while and after a rest, we set off the short distance to a restaurant called Salvador Rojo at Avenida Manuel Siurot, 33, which had just opened at 8.30 p.m. Such are the dining schedules of the Spanish!! This is a very nice place indeed which usually serves a very reasonable tasting menu. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, this was not available on the night were were there but the a la carte menu proved to be excellent. As an introduction to Jerez, where we intended to visit the next day, we each had a glass of sherry as an aperitif before embarking on some excellent food for our appetizers and main courses which included ravioli, beef loin, duck and monkfish all washed down with a nice bottle of wine. The young lady who served us was excellent and very helpful and friendly within the limits of her English but she tried very hard and we had little difficulty in making ourselves understood.
We walked home and were soon in bed after quite a tiring but extremely enjoyable day. Seville is a wonderful city and I would come back here in a minute. There is lots to see and we only 'scratched the surface'. The small streets are a joy with lovely balconies and doorways, small shops, restaurants and bodegas. Walking around is a feast for the eyes, ears and all the senses. There are many events happening in Seville throughout the year and it seems to be quite a cultural center. We did not make it to the area called Triana, across the river on the west side of the city, which is the 'bohemian' and 'flamenco' area but maybe next time.
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