Journey to Sevilla

Mosaic from Italica - Arch museum

Sevilla

Recently,  we rented a car and went to see more Spanish sights.
North and west to Sevilla via the well built major highways,  taking 4 hours

We stayed in a small town,  9 kms from Sevilla called Santiponce, which is built on top of and beside a Roman city called Italica.

Italica and Branko

Built in 206BC, Italica is the first Roman town in Spain and home town to 2nd century AD Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.   Itallica  was  founded by Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio  Africanus to help Roman soldiers wounded in the Battle of llipa. Our hotel was directly across from the reconstructed ruins, that includes the 3rd largest of all Roman amphitheatres, paved streets and mosaics.

The amphitheatre is even older than Rome's Colosseum.

Alcazaba

Alcazaba; view into the gardens

Gardens in Alcazaba

From Santiponce it was  a 15 minute bus ride into Sevilla.  If we had bikes we could have ridden them in about the same time.   Sevilla is a beautiful city.   It is obvious that there  was great wealth in Spain's heyday and Spain continues to keep the city looking wonderful.   We spent 2 full days wandering the streets, gazing at the cathedrals insides,  walking the Alacazaba, sitting in a variety of parks and visiting the archeology museum - which housed many of Italicas statues and mosaics.

 Cathedral - La Giralda

View from La Giralda

Roof of Cathedral 

Maritime museum;  

Cathedral

Doorway to the Cathedral

      Brief history:

The founder of Sevilla,  mythological speaking was considered to be  Hercules.  The walls around the city were built under Julius Caesars rule - but changed by the Moors.   After the Romans,  the  Vandals and Visigoths were hanging about during the 5th and 6th century.  The Moors took over in 712AD and continued  to build in the Mudejar style.  When Chris Columbus completed his expedition to the New World,  Sevilla was granted the royal monopoly for trade.     Which meant that  all goods from the New World had to be distributed through Sevilla.  .   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville

Plaza outside Cathedral 

Sevilla's cathedral is one of the largest in the world;  the main building is 126 m long and 83m wide, completed in 1507.   The altarpiece is said to be the biggest in the world,  it is pretty big.    The La Giralda, built between 1184 and 1198,  is 90m high and was the minaret of the mosque that stood on the site before the cathedral arrived.    The Alcazar is originally from 913 and has been expanded over its 11 centuries.   Fernando and Isabel had their court here in 1280's preparing for the conquest of Granada.   The gardens were expanded by each subsequent ruler,  and are so beautiful.   Spanish cities open their historic buildings, museums and parks to their residents for free;  good idea  I thought.

I read somewhere that only Chris's, um private  parts, are buried in this crypt - It is a fairly small crypt - seems that olden days Spain would 'chop' up a famous body and  send their parts around the country as a kind of relic for different churches.  Perhaps  to draw more people to Mass,  just a  thought.

Chris Columbus's crypt

Altarpiece in Cathedral

 Sevilla has many more museums and galleries,  but the days were beautiful so we decided to stay outside.

Chestnut seller

Love the outfits

Playing in the plaza;  no swings here

Standing room only; drinks in hand

Ah the balloon lady

One of the days was a Fiesta day - which meant that everyone in Spain was out, walking, drinking, eating and socializing - Sevilla was busy,  but with Spanish residents not tourists.
I enjoy watching the dynamics of the family unit here in Spain. Everywhere  we have been we see families and friends getting together for a meal or a drink in the many plaza's.  Children are included,  dressed up and left to run around, fall off things (pick themselves up) and play with other children while the adults socialize.   No crying, no parents yelling, everyone seems so relaxed and well, an integral part of the plaza itself.

Fantastic - came around a corner and ......wow

Bridge  to Plaza de Espana

Street in Sevilla

We  decided to take a trip through the back roads to come home.   First leaving Seviilla at 8:00am we were pulled over  for a breathalyzer test;  a  RIDE program Spanish style.  Of  course we were fine and on our way in minutes.

Fort/Castle along the road

Can you find Branko?

Over a rise  in the road a few miles south and in the rising sun a castle appears in a  field.   Wow.  Turns out there are a number of castle/forts built for the Christians and Moors enabling  them to 'safely stay' someplace when they were travelling across the plains.  


Off to Rhonda for a quick view of  the medieval bridge  and  gorge.  Then through the mountains  south to  Malaga - more white towns nestled  in the valleys and mountain sides,  appearing magically as you turn a corner.

Rhonda

Town of Vosox;  in the mountains

We stopped outside  Malaga in  a town called Salobrena.  Trekked up the  narrow, steep roads for a  picnic lunch on the Moorish fort that overlooks the Med.   Then walked through the winding streets trying to find where we  parked our car.

Salobrena; steep climb thru town

Another, wonderfully old Moorish town still thriving.

Margaret