Biking and Bullfighting in Sevilla

3^rd day June 15th

Biking and Bullfighting in Sevilla 

Sevilla is an extremely bike-friendly city with many designated bike lanes. In fact, in the downtown area there are no cars other than taxis and a fast moving streetcar. We remark on how the lack of cars makes everything seem so much more relaxing and quiet. There is also a public bike-sharing program that John decides to utilize.

We leave in the cool of the morning for one of these bike-sharing places and find only one bike left on the stand. John spends 45 minutes trying to figure out the bike system map and where we can find other bike parking lots.  Eventually we walk to another lot that has more bikes and spend another 20 minutes trying to register.  John is finally rewarded by getting the first bike and putting in a deposit of 150 euros. However, we are unsuccessful in getting access to another bike as our credit cards are denied. Perhaps someone is trying to give me a message?  In the end, John takes off for a bike ride.  I am disappointed and walk back to the hotel wondering if John planned this on purpose.

Searching Rick Steve's travel guide I find I can rent a bike from BiciBike and they offer to bring the bike to the hotel. I am so excited and soon I am on a simple black bike feeling like Mary Poppins. This bike has a basket for my camera and purse and no gears. I am unshackled and free to go at my own pace. I bike down along the river which is full of Sunday morning joggers and promenade walkers as well as kayak rowers and fishermen who look like they have had courses in mindfulness. 

There is even an exercise program going on with great music and I am tempted to join the group.  

It is very peaceful and I ride so far that I have gone beyond my map.  It is an easy ride even in the 100 degrees heat because there are no hills and it is straightforward.

No I don’t have a helmet on because when the man brought me the bike he said I needed to order that first.  Bike helmets can be rented but I notice most people don’t wear them and the bike trails are free from problems with traffic ~ even walkers have their own walking lanes. I love it!

A few hours later I meet John at the hotel and we compare notes about our adventures.  The man in the hotel tells me I should stop biking until 9 pm because it is dangerously hot to bike.  Nevertheless we set out on our bikes for Old Town. 

We find a lovely restaurant on a side street known for its tuna.  Our delightful young waiter from Brazil explains the particular tastiness of tuna meat taken from the area just behind the fish head. Before long we are talking about the World Cup.  I would give this restaurant high marks except that the music is Christmas melodies and I long for Spanish music.

Plaza de Espana ~ 

John and I bike to this park and pavilion because John had seen it on his ride in the morning.  This square and buildings are the remains of the 1929 international expo. 

It has a huge fountain and its tiles, the trademark of Sevilla, have historic scenes from all over Spain. There is even a river circling the fountain where you can rent boats.  Reminds me of a bit of Venice.

John convinces me to bike back with him to the bull-fighting arena in order for him to get his ticket for the event. As you may recall from my earlier blog of the bull fighting museum I have refused to go to this event. I wait 20 minutes guarding our bikes while John negotiates with the ticket man showing him his I-pad to prove he has purchased the tickets on-line. Somehow technology did not show him as paid. Back at the hotel we sit in the restaurant for a snack before he leaves for the bullfight. Luckily we get the same Dutch waiter we had the night before and talk more soccer-talk about who will win. We don't discuss bull fighting. 

Beautiful Fountain Near Hotel

My evening is relaxed in the hotel room with the windows open to the courtyard so I can listen to the pianist that John doesn’t like because he doesn’t play Spanish music but rather American style elevator fare. I think I am in heaven when the song Moon River is played several times and am very content getting caught up on my blogging and reflection of my time in Sevilla. 

John gets back from the bull-fighting event at 10:30 and we go out in the now 80+ coolness for an ice cream. The city has become wonderfully alive again with the cooler weather and we think this is our favorite city. I wish I could stay to do more bike riding and am reluctant to leave in the morning. Although John was glad he went to the bullfight, I am glad I didn’t go.

John plans on his I-pad our next day's speed train ride to Madrid.
I am glad I am married to a tour guide, even though I don't agree with everything he plans.

John Planning the Next Day to Madrid 

Sizzling, Flamboyance and Romance Continues in Sevilla Day #2

2^nd day in Sevilla June 14^th

^{Sizzling, Flamboyance and Romance Continues in Sevilla} 

We wake up early and John announces it will be 104 to 109 degrees today. Since our hotel room has no nespresso machine ~ we cross the street to Starbucks for coffee. I ask John why we are sitting in a Starbucks rather than the elegant Alfonso hotel dining room. I wonder if we are trying to save money now? John replies that it is because the service in Starbucks is fast and it has good coffee. He goes on to say that if we were in the hotel dining room we would still be waiting for service.  The night before he was not happy with the slow tapas service but I think the waiters were likely too preoccupied and stressed about the soccer game than to worry about waiting on us ~ different priorities.

Main Street ~ No Cars 

Magnificant Alcazar Palace ~ a wonderful integration of Islamic and Christian Gothic Styles 

We start early to the Alcazar Palace which is the oldest royal palace still in use by the Royals.  Originally this was a 10^th century palace built for the heads of the Moorish state. Then the Christian King Pedro had it rebuilt by Islamic/Muslim workmen (1334-1369).  We end up staying here wandering the palace and lush, sprawling gardens for over 3 hours. 

We stop for coffee in front of the garden to take in the beauty, but largely to get out of the sun and heat for a while. The audio guide narration is excellent.

John listening to audio guide 

 I find I love this place especially because of the mish-mash of Islamic and Christian styles and cultural traditions, a style called Mudijar. The palace is complex and was built over many centuries by various rulers.  Again I am envious of the fountains and gardens that have orange trees and eucalyptus (like my tree on Vashon which John wants to cut down). There are many aspects of this palace that are remarkedly similar to Alhambra. What about copyrights? ~ guess they were allowed to copy.  I still would like a have a fountain in my Seattle garden.

The palace was home to Ferdinand and Isabel and their grandson Charles V who married Isabel here. Currently the new king (to be coronated in 3 days) and family still use the palace’s upper floor as a royal residence. You can buy a special ticket to tour some of these rooms ~ so I guess they need the income.  I have taken about 200 pictures here and won’t bore you with details that can be found on-line but will put pictures of a few of my favorites including:

            Altarpiece painting St. Mary of Navigators ~ the virgin patron saint of sailors and favorite of Columbus. 

St. Mary of Navigators 

See how her cape seems to protect everyone – including Columbus beside the Virgin on right and the Native Americans (first time painted in Europe).

Columbus Santa Maria

            

Model of Columbus Santa Maria –only ship not to survive.

            

Palace Façade with Islamic and Gothic Christian elements

Palace Facade

Courtyard of the Maidens – open-air, very like Alhambra with long rectangular pool; best example of Mudejar style with lobed arches atop slender columns. 

Very similar to rectangular pool, courtyard and scalloped arches in Alhambra

Hall of Ambassadors – room is a cube topped with half-dome, like many Islamic buildings. The stucco walls are molded with plants, geometrical shapes, and Arabic writings. (None but Allah conquers and happiness and prosperity are the benefits of Allah who nourishes all creatures.)

Dome 

Hall of Embassadors 

Courtyard of Dolls – reserved for king’s private life and name comes from doll faces at base of one of the arches

Banquet Hall – where Charles and Isabel had their wedding reception. Belgian tapestries.

Banquet Hall 

Charles V Ceiling Room – Charles married Isabel from Portugal here and later had ceiling replaced with less Islamic Renaissance wood.

Mercury Pool and Gardens – incredible irrigation system; Islamic and Christian traditions merge.

Mercury Pool

Just as we are leaving the Mercury Pool a couple just married here are coming down the walkway. What a magical place to be married! Perhaps John and I should renew our vows here.

I follow them taking pictures and end up in a beautiful indoor pool room which is very private. We leave because we feel we are intruding.

We lunch at 2 pm at Isla restaurant, recommended by the hotel.  John has fish soup and I have tomato salad.  Our eating habits with a brunch at 2 pm and dinner at 9 pm are being established, as are our food preferences.  Today the outside tables are not being used probably because of the heat and so we relax in air conditioning.

We walk back to the hotel and see a wedding couple being filmed in the street ~ so of course I take pictures as it seems so fitting for this city.

Weddings ~
Back at the hotel John naps while I watch and photograph an amazing wedding celebration. It turns out to be the first of three wedding receptions that will take place in the hotel.  Earlier John had wondered where the beautiful Spanish ladies were and voila… thin, sexy, elegant Spanish women appear wearing amazing clothes and incredible hats. I seem to fall in love with the hats and want to wear one.  This reminds me of the wedding party for Kate, the British duchess that I watched on TV. I hang out thinking I am taking pictures unobtrusively. However, when I get on the elevator to go up to tell John that he must come to see this, some people on the elevator ask if I am the photographer for the wedding! I think about taking up a 3rd profession.

 

Hotel Courtyard for Reception 

Bullfighting Museum ~ 

Some of Spain’s most intense bull fighting is done in Sevilla’s beautiful 14,000-seat stadium. I have agreed to go to the museum with John but not to the cruel spectacle on Sunday. Our 40-minute guided tour is interesting although the bullring is ominously quiet and the chapel where the matadors pray before a fight is empty. I sense bull ghosts.  I learn that bull fighting probably originated with the Romans in the Middle Ages and became a sport for knights, both Christian and Moorish, who fought on horses with lances. The guide tells us it began as a method to train soldiers to prepare for war by practicing hitting men’s heads (carved in plaster) from a horse. Eventually this became a sport and money making scheme where the matador comes out on foot.  She justifies this barbaric event by telling us that the bull meat is sold out quickly after every fight (mad cow meat?). On the other hand, the dead horsemeat is given as food for the poor. Does this justify the morality of this gruesome event?  Although there are of course plenty of dead bulls with today’s bullfights, there has not been a death of a matador in decades. What about serious injuries? 

There are paintings of the famous 25-year-old matador (word means killer) who was killed in 1947 by a bull. Even a bust head of the mother of this bull is placed on the wall ~ how bizarre is that? Additionally we see this famous matador’s elaborate bull fighting suit and are told he started his training at the age of 8 years. However, the guide tells us today you cannot fight until age 17 or 18 years.  In the museum there are examples of many of the matador’s suits that are still the same elaborate, woven style as they were 100 years ago and now cost up to 20,000 dollars per suit. 

I am surprised to learn that the bull is attracted by the movement of the matador’s cape and not by the red color because bulls are color blind! 

 Bull fighting has spread from Southern France to Latin America where it continues today. It has become increasingly unpopular and only 1/3 of Spaniards follow it, but Seville is a real bullfighting center. The government has banned live broadcasts on state operated TV. In 2010 a couple of brave matadors were gored attesting to the brutality of the sport.  Novice matadors earn $10,000 and pros can earn  $100,000 per fight. I am thinking of the sport of hockey and football… why do people like to watch young men being beaten up?   While I refused, John was eager to see a bullfight and the next day he watched a bull fight up close from the first row.   There were six bulls, one after another, in a highly choreographed sequence.  Needless to say, the bulls did not leave the ring standing.

Paella to die for ~ 

Back at the hotel we sit in the lobby eating olives and having a drink. John has definitely become an olive connoisseur and compares the size, color and taste of these olives to others we have eaten.  We go for a late dinner at the same restaurant where we had lunch because it is advertised as having the best paella in Spain.  John confirms this is the best he has had so far but still not as good as Zanny’s version.  Walking back, the streets are alive with music and teeming with people doing an evening paseo (strolling around). The cooler weather brings people out for horse-drawn rides, roller blading, and strolling. We even come across a rather bizarre fashion show with punk music and apparel and crowds of people. We stop at Ben and Jerries’ for ice cream and to watch the paseo.

Back at the hotel two other wedding parties are still going on with dancing and flamboyance.