Sunday, March 29, 2009

Day 10 - Sevilla - February 22nd

I woke up on my overnight bus as the driver announced "Sevilla" and stumbled off at about 5am. I was tired and completely disoriented and attempted to get some sleep on a bench. This did not work so I heaved my backpack on and set off into pre-dawn Sevilla. I think this is why I had so much trouble navigating around for the rest of my stay here. I was tired, it was dark, and I was attempting to get oriented in this lousy state of mind.

A few Assistant friends had mentioned that they would be at a specific hostel in Sevilla so I made my way there, making several wrong turns along the way. I was not able to check in until after noon, but they reserved me a bed and let me drop off my backpack. I ventured out into Sevilla as dawn was just peeking up.

I am usually very good at navigation and quickly oriented within strange cities. Sevilla was my Bermuda. I spent so much of my short time here walking in the opposite direction, totally confident that THIS time I was right.

Wander, wander, wander. That was Sevilla for me, all day long, hours and hours worth, and I loved every little bit of it. I wandered South past the Cathedral and the Alcazares, through some gardens, along roads, under fragrant orange trees, to the Placa de Espana, the Parc de Maria Luisa, the jungle like park, by a marathon, the river, upstream, down by the bank, back into downtown, Barrio de Santa Cruz, narrow lanes, sunny plazas, sweating beer glasses, melting ice cream, a marching band, a peeing kid, bell towers calling out the passing of the day.

And all the while...going the opposite direction as desired.


Beautiful weather, matched the garden in the Parc de Maria Luisa


Jungle-like bit of the Parc de Maria Luisa


Sevilla is covered in orange trees, and they smell great


The leader of the pack


and the chasers


Moorish architecture has a huge influence on Andalusia


Sevilla rooftops


From the Jewish quarter looking at the top of the cathedral


Plaza de HOME!


Gorgeous Spainish plazas


Cathedral


My entertainment for the afternoon, in front of a group of locals and tourists lounging underneath the Cathedral, he dropped his pants to the ground and peed all over the sidewalk, mom didn't blink.


Random marching band parade


Such a wonderful place, Placa de Espana


Hairstyles are not the same as home, or are they?


Loved this place


The setting sun making it look dramatic


Warm sunlight


Struggling against winter


Sunset on the river

I was back at the hostel for dinner where I met up with Besty, Caitlin, and Sarah. We ate the hostel's Paella dinner, got a beer, and headed out to go see some Flamenco. We went to a free place in the Barrio de Santa Cruz, there was a mix of locals and tourists, it was not a full blown show but it was still very entertaining. We couldn't help but think that the dancer's face looked as though she was smelling something very foul while undergoing an appendicitis. The pain and disgust were just incredible!

I loved the Andalusian sunshine in Sevilla. I walked around in my t-shirt all day and felt so comfortable. It was a very welcome break from the oppressive Parisian winter weather. There is no mood-altering drug that can compare to a sun-soaked day after such a bleak winter.

I was surprised by and fell in love with the moorish influence that appears in the architecture of the city. It was a very exotic contrast to the parts of Europe that I have previously seen.