Day 2 - Seville Tour

Woke up early to do the free morning tour. After the free breakfast, a guide met us at the hostel and walked us down to the main meeting area where people from other hostels were also congregated.

The first place on the tour was Seville Cathedral, it's architecturally really interesting because it used to be a mosque back when the area was Muslim, and the original minaret is still part of the cathedral.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a lot to tell us about the cathedral as we went around the whole building.

I found this particular wall really interesting. Maybe because it's a mystery as to what these markings mean. They discovered them by accident one day while they were cleaning the building. There are a couple of theories but nothing confirmed.

The whole building was very interesting to learn about. Made me miss those Classics lessons back in school. I might have to start reading more about architecture!
It's the Muslim influences that beguile me the most. It's what makes this area of Europe different.

This is the statue on top of the minaret. It was added during the conversion to Christianity. I'm sure if you wanted to learn more about it you'd google it.

This is the Plaza De España. It's so beautiful, I would like to spend some more time there next time I'm in Seville. We didn't get to walk around the whole place, but there was a lot of meaning in it's construction. Which surprisingly was only in 1929.

Each area of Spain was represented there with it's coat of arms, a map and an image depicting something that area is well known for. Cordoba apparently is known (unofficially) for having the most beautiful women in Spain! I don't find that very difficult to believe!

Our very informative guide also told us the secret sign language of the fans that women used to use to convey their interest in a prospective male back in the day when flirting was forbidden. Or at the very least frowned upon. I wish we still had this level of coyness rather than some guy whistling at you.

Our guide telling us more information, probably about the building behind him. A lot of the buildings have this red and yellow colour scheme. It's very specific - the yellow represents the sand and the red.. Well I wish I could remember. I'm pretty tired.

Our three and a half hour tour ended here, at the Isabel Columns. Very concupiscent story about Queen Isabel - She might just be my new found hero. If there isn't a movie about this story, there should be one!

When the tour finished, it was so hot I was hunting for shade. I had no idea it was 38C (100.4F) apparently, in the summer it can reach the 50s (aprox 131F) I don't know how I'm going to survive!
I decided to follow the map that the hostel had given me to hunt down a copy of the Lonely Planet Spain so I didn't feel so blind.
On the way back to the hostel, I walked past a structure nick named "The Mushroom", AKA The Metropol Parasol. While it was impressively big, it seemed a bit misplaced in Seville where the rest of the city had been very historic, there's a monumental piece of modern sculpture.

I'm still not entirely sure what the purpose of it is, other than there's a restuarant underneath it. It's cool in the same way "The Bean" in Chicago is. In that it's big, it makes for some good photos and it's novel. Getting planning permission for that must've taken some balls.

Onwards! To the train station!
Where I ordered a mini chicken baguette type sandwich which turned out to be tuna. It's a good thing I'm not a fussy eater. I must learn more Spanish!!

I'm staying with a host family who are so friendly and hospitable I think I'll forever be in their debt! It's a great opportunity to really immerse myself and learn about Spanish culture and their way of life.

Things I must get used to:

• Kissing on both sides of the face as a greeting.
• Eating dinner late at night, tapas style.
• Siestas! And the subsequent closing of shops.
• The heat.
• Jambon is ham, but cured meat - not the same as we have.
• Yoghurt here is kinda sour, but not gone off.

 I'm sure there'll be more things, but for now, that's the list.

Hola Cordoba! You and I will become great friends!

Day One - Seville - First Impressions

Unedited photo

When you first step off the plane, you're greeted by the warm hug of the Sevillian climate. Just in time for the sunset to make you feel like you've walked in to a sentimetal romance novel.

The journey to the hostel was simple enough. I followed the signs to the bus stop and waited in the longest queue ever to get on the airport bus. I was lucky enough to be one of the first on the bus (I didn't manage to get on the previous one) because not only did I have space on the rack for my mega suitcase, I also managed to bag myself a seat!

I got off the bus at the last stop and walked to the hostel following the map I had printed back at home. Man, I wish I would've just taken the bus as was recommended by the hostel. Two heavy bags on cobbled streets? Nightmare. However, it added to the relief when I finally found the hostel.

The place I'm staying is called The Garden Backpacker. The staff have been wonderfully friendly so far, showing me where to go and helping me with my bags. The air conditioning was greatly appreciated after lugging my bags there!

They have activities organised and the whole atmosphere is very sociable. But being the good girl that I am, I decided against the pub crawl and instead went for dinner in a restuarant nearby recommended by the hostel staff.

It was a very rustic restuarant, keeping its traditional interior. The menu was confusing but there was a lot of fish. I didn't know how to ask any questions so I went for the easiest thing: Eggs with ham, pepper, cod and mushroom.  I figured it would be an omelette.
What I got was this:

It's kinda cool when you think you've ordered something boring and you get something different. Ham is actually some sort of dried/cured meat and the rest is as you see it. Needless to say, it was delicious and even though I was stuffed after, I couldn't help but let curiosity win and try the "homemade flan with pumpkin shreds".

My gosh.
It was delicioso!! I was dubious at first, but that goop on the side is ambrosia. The flan had a very thick consistency and was a little sour, and it complimented the pumpkin perfectly!

On the way home, I passed an old disused church, but that wasn't the creepiest building. No, that superlative goes to an old house on the way back to the hostel where the windows were broken and semi boarded up. You could still partly see inside, but you could tell it was dusty and distraught. There was even a picture of what I first thought was a witch's face, but I don't actually know what it is.

There's a lot of beautiful architecture here, as you would expect. I've seen Venetian style blinds on the outside of windows, not sure why or what for yet. There's free sangria at the hostel with the beautiful garden with the luxurious hammock but I'll just miss out on it. The weather is hot and the people are hotter. Seriously, I've not seen a single ugly Spanish person.
The feeling of being the heroine of a romance novel hasn't quite fizzled out yet. And I hope it never does!

This is Chapter One.

I guess the title of the book will be figured out in 10 months time!