Casa Ferinand and Isabella

3/23/07

Today I had breakfast in the hotel and set out to see the Seville Cathedral and the Alcazar Palace. I found the Cathedral first, and wandered in its gothic coolness.



By now I've seen enough cathedrals that I don't pore over them, but this one was pretty magnificent. All I kept thinking was of all the millions of hours spent culling and carving stone, building, and all the artisans that painted and gilded and carved and inlayed wood and marble and glass and tile. All in devotion to God. Multiplied by every gothic cathedral in Europe. The thought of it, and the sheer cost of it all is staggering. Christopher Columbus is buried there, and for some reason, people were photographing each other at his tomb. I mean, really. He didn't "discover America;" he just forged a path for others to pillage.













Then to the Alcazar palace. I thought I'd only spend a few hours there, but that was before I entered its gardens. They were so beautiful, and rambling, and weren't nearly as precise and contained as French formal gardens. I kept trying to picture the current king and queen of Spain (who have a residence in the upper floors) strolling these gardens. I had lunch at the cafe on site, where ducks (yes, ducks) kept begging for crumbs like sparrows. I spent most of my afternoon idlly walking through the orange trees and palm fronds, listening to the music of the cooing doves in the garden.


Tomorrow, Cordoba!