Rocking & Rolling Andalusian Style

Seville, Spain

View of Seville from Giralda Tower

The Andalusia region of Spain is rich in history and cultural tradition. It expresses dramatic changes in its geography and illustrates varied cultural identities.

On our way to Seville we experienced the continually changing landscape first hand. In a mere 31 miles we saw the subtropical coast of the Province of Granada, the snow covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, and the Tabernas Desert (the only desert in all of Europe). Every moment of our six hour drive from Calpe to Seville was eye catching and left us in awe.  Nearly 50% of this region is cultivated for agriculture.

Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

 The picturesque countryside is blanketed with fields of wheat, sunflowers not yet in bloom, rows of corn, and cotton. While the rolling hills and flat plains draw the eye into the distance following endless rows of olive trees and wind turbines; creating renewable energy for the region.  

Plaza de Espana 

Seville is the 4^th largest city in Spain therefore we couldn't possibly see and learn about everything it has to offer in four days- nor could I fit it all into a blog format.  So let me share with you the things we did learn and see including: the center of the city, a number of the Spanish plazas, Seville Cathedral, Giralda Tower, Casa de Pilatos, Alcazar, and a traditional Flamenco show.

La Macarena Wall

Once we settled into our temporary home – a nice apartment we rented using AirBnB- we were determined to see the layout of the city while deciding what sights were worth revisiting for a closer look. Overwhelmed would be a good way to express our initial impression of Seville.






It was challenging to stop myself from snapping pictures because every street, building, garden, and corner offers excitement to our senses.  The beauty is endless in this city- not like others we have visited where you must track down the beautiful parts hidden beneath the litter and graffiti. 

Wrought iron bars cover every window

Sevillian Restaurant Decor 

Statues of Hercules & Julius Ceasar 

Seville is said to have been found by Hercules in Greek mythology but its historical fame began after Christopher Columbus returned from discovering America. 300 years as a shipping port to America made it the wealthiest and most influential region in all of Spain.

Cathedral Entrance

Tomb of Christopher Columbus 

Inside the Cathedral we saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus’s which houses his remains.  Although this topic has been widely debated in 2006 DNA testing was done and it was determined these are the remains of Christopher himself.

Back of Cathedral 

The Cathedral’s construction began in 11^th century as a Mosque built by the Moors but has evolved in architecture until the 19^th Century.  It is the most extensive gothic cathedral found in the entire world. The Cathedral Treasure, the High Altar, and the Giralda Bell Tower are worth mentioning for their exquisite décor and spectacular views.  

Giralda Bell Tower

Cathedral Corridor

Treasure Room

High Altar

Top of Bell Tower

Gothic Architecture

View from Giralda Tower

Casa de Pilatos

Casa de Pilatos illustrates 16^th century Gothic and Mudejar  meaning Islamic style- architecture used when building an Andalusian palace.  The walls are covered in hand painted ceramic tiles, the ceiling are ornately carved, the rooms filled with Greek and Roman statues, and the gardens alive with pools and bubbling fountains.  It was interesting but not worth 16 euro we paid to go inside.

Roman Royalty 

Mudejar style Architecture

Garden at Casa de Pilatos

Ceramic tiled walls & Carved ceilings

The Real Alcazar was built in the 14^th Century and today is the oldest Royal residence still in use.  This royal palace, known for its extensive gardens, welcomed Christopher Columbus and was at one time home to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Temple in Alcazar

Mercury's Pool

Alcazar Garden 

Terrace overlooking the grounds

The Bath in Alcazar

We enjoyed Mercury's pool- filled with huge fish that had not problem being petting or hand fed- the underground bath -which made us appreciate hot water and indoor plumbing- and the Tapestry Room- housing tractor trailer size hand sewn murals illustrating conquest and religious traditions.

Tapestry Room 

Flamenco and bullfighting originated in the Andalusia region. Recently bullfighting interests have declined –taking a backseat to more humane activities- while flamenco has grown to be an international sensation. After experiencing a traditional flamenco show we understand its increase in popularity.








The guitar music has an unmistakable rhythm, the dance is erotic and strenuous, and the vocals are passionate and drawn out. We highly recommend seeing a traditional flamenco show if you ever have the opportunity. Check out the video clip below to see for yourself.

Our four days in Seville opened our eyes to Spain in a new light. Seeing history and tradition amidst a modern functioning city was a delightful treat. There never was a dull moment because there is so much to do and see. It is close to beautiful mountains- for hiking/camping- it is only two hours from the beach-, Africa is easily accessible if one is drawn to more exotic travel, and it is only a few hours from Portugal.  This is the first place we visited were we could actually see ourselves living.



Gibraltar 

The rock of Gibraltar has been called the “Pillar of Hercules” based on the legend of the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar in Greek mythology. There is evidence of Neanderthal habitation in between 128,000 and 24,000 BC based on artifacts found at Gorham's Cave, making Gibraltar the last known holdout of the Neanderthals. Today it is known simply as “The Rock.” It is densely populated with nearly 30,000 people – who call themselves Gibraltarians- living on only 2.6 square miles.

Cannon hole overlooking Spain from The Rock                            

Throughout history it has been a desirable piece of land. It has faced a number of invasions but the most notable being the Great Siege of Gibraltar- an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from Britain. 

Siege Tunnels

                                                           

During WWII the rock was known as a British fortress offering the British military great protection as well as control of the entrance to Europe by land and by sea. Inside the Rock of Gibraltar itself, miles of tunnels were excavated from the limestone. Masses of rock were blasted out to build an "underground city". In huge man-made caverns, barracks, offices, and a fully equipped hospital were constructed. Today it is still an overseas British territory were oddly enough they drive on the right side of the road and not the left. 

Narrow streets

Full Coverage

Thinking Macaque

On the rock there are 500 species of flowering plants and at the top there is a nature reserve that is home to around 230 Barbary Macaques- the only wild population of monkeys found in Europe.

Chip Thief 

 These moneys are not aggressive unless you have visible food. When we were driving into St. Michaels cave I had my car window rolled down. There was an empty bag of chips stuffed in the car door… all of the sudden a macaque jumped on the back of the car, ran across the roof, hung off the side mirror while coming inside the car to steal the chip bag. Unfortunately for him I had eaten all the chips but he gave me a rather unexpected scare.

We had planned on taking a cable car up the rock but due to bad winds this was not an option. It was so chilly that I wore a beach towel as a shaw to stay warm for the rest of the day.

Windy 

So we decided to drive up instead. Included in our ticket price- 13 Gibraltar pounds each- we could visit all the attractions the rock has to offer.
























We began with St. Michaels Cave- a stalagmite and stalactite wonderland- that is used today as a concert hall because of its natural acoustics. As we toured the glorious cave we enjoyed the echoing sounds of classical music, staggered across a puddle ridden floor, and basked in the colored lights set to display the cave’s deepest corners.

Amphitheater Seating

Sand Castles in the Sky

Stalagmites & Stalactites grown to form a solid column

Look hard and you can see
Africa

From there we hiked to the top of the rock with hopes of a clear view of Africa, but the weather did not work in our favor again. Instead we found the Mediterranean Steps- about 321 stairs down – making it 642 stairs when hiking to the bottom and back up which we did. The wind was less fierce on the Mediterranean side compared to the Atlantic side. 

Top of Mediterranean Steps

Mediterranean Steps 

Ross Climbing mini-rock

 The views of Gibraltar were spectacular, the fauna was more colorful than a rainbow, and oldness radiated from the steps and the WWII bunkers along the hike. Once at the bottom we had a picnic lunch and watched the seagulls float on the wind. Just as we started to climb back up rain clouds joined us, the wind picked up, and we were greeted by a family of macaques- they must have smelled the PB&J we just ate. 

Zoe & Joey taking a break

Cave Exploration 

Once we made it back to the car we drove to the Siege Tunnels to do some inside exploring to get out of the rain. They were much more interesting than I originally expected because I am not war buff but the circumstances in which soldiers lived and worked in were rather impressive.

Scared the crap out of us because it yelled...
"Halt! Who goes there" as we passed by. 

Protected by War Curtains

Life of Siege Soldiers

Lighthouse at Europa Point

Because of the bad weather we drove to sightsee around the rest of Gibraltar. We visited Europa Point, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. This was another viewpoint in which we should have been able to see Africa but could not. 

Mosque on the Mediterranean Sea

1st evidence of Courage family ties in Britain

Casemates Square

Before leaving to head back to Seville we made our way to Casemates Square and enjoyed a nice warm meal. Ross had been highly anticipating British fish and chips and he most definitely was not disappointed. 

Fish & Chip served with Mushy Peas