Seville, Day 4

Day Four. One of the things I most wanted to do was to have a typical Spanish meal. So I asked my professor, and Antonio gave me several recommendations. Since I had class until 3:00, it would be tough. but should be possible. However, I was already fighting a headache, and by the time my last class ended, I was done. In fact, José Louis could see it in my eyes, and so I knew I wasn't going to make lunch this day.

However, my main tourist goal in Seville was the Alcázar, and I was running out of time. Since the day was lovely, I figured I'd give it a go. I took my headache meds, dropped my books, and set a plan to meet Wendy about 5:30 so that we could go to Triana (the tile district).

As you'll see from the below, I loved the Alcázar. It's been around for eleven centuries, and is like the Alhambra, serving as the palace, fort, court, and residence of kings and caliphs. Ceramics, plasterwork, arches, tiles, wood, marble, sunken gardens, fountains, formal gardens -- it is captivating. There are names and histories to all of the rooms, but I honestly didn't pay that much attention at the time, partly because of my headache, and partly because I just wanted to be immersed in the beauty and exquisite surroundings. I can't wait to go back and view it again though, studying that history and understanding more of the purpose of each beautiful space. There are many lovely photos, so I'll end today's coverage with the Alcázar.


These lovely trees greet you as you enter through the gates.


The external facade.



Architectural details.



There is a small display of extraordinary tiles in one of the courtyards.


Lovely fountains and courtyards.



Beautiful iron grills grace doors and doorways.



Oh, the tilework and plasterwork inside!



Yes, it is this rich and opulent.



And yes, the color is this vibrant.



Each room a new wonder.



This is a wood door. And a tower.



And then the gardens!



Delights and surprises around every bend.



Most of this is accessible to visitors too.



Tile on the ground, tile on the buildings....



Some tile details. The colors and patterns are astounding.



And a labyrinth! These hedges are at my eye level, so I did feel a bit like Harry Potter.