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August 13, 2006
Sevilla
After being roasted alive in Sevilla for the past 2 days, this morning overcast brought a pleasant temperature cool down in Sevilla. The hostel is dead around this time, there was only a guy sleeping in his couch, the receptionist and me writing my post. This is a good time to blog, no one is waiting to use the internet.
Arrived in Sevilla a day early than planned, luckly as I called the hostel in the morning they had a space for me. Good, I don't have to sleep in the couch. Sevilla is hot, just as hot if not even hotter than Cordoba, and since they are madly building the metro here there are constructions pretty much everywhere in the city centre.
Not feeling like doing anything in the heat I just hang around in the fantastic Oasis Sevilla and joined the organised Tapas Tour at night. This Tapas Tour aparently a lot more sedate than the one they organise in Oasis Granada so I thought. Unlike Granada, you don't get free tapas when you order the drink.
At the end of the tapas tour we went to a largish restaurant/bar for a free Flamenco show. Didn't like it. The two singers and the guitarist are wearing semi-casual costume, the crowd is very loud and that pretty much ruin the experience to me. I went out to the courtyard to escape the bar/sauna. Left early since I was tired and stupidly let a young, stubborn but obviously distressed since she couldn't find the way back home Quebeqois to let us back to the hostel. Should have taken control on the direction of the group but I was beyond arguing and thought the stroll around the city at night was quiet nice.
The next day started semi-late and I went to the Alcazar to begin my day. It's similar to Alhambra but smaller and not as ornate. The history of this Alcazar interest me the most. Constructed by a catholic king who love muslim art and aided by his ally the emir of Granada. Muhammad V of Granada sent his best artisan to help pedro construct the faboulous palace in Alcazar.
The upper palace which serve as the resident of the king and queen of Spain when they're here can only be accessed on a certain interval and accompanied by guard at all time. I screw up my audio guide and gave up trying to fiddle with it half way through.
Next stop was the museum of fine art, another crash course on Spanish classical art. Learned about local boys Murillo and Zubaran. I particularly like Zubaran gloomy painting of Jesus on the cross. A few Goya, Velazques and few other good painting. This is a well sized museum for my liking, since I'm not a big fans of classical art, 2 hours if probably my enjoyment theshold.
At night there was another dinner party organised by the hostel. Really good food for a mere EUR5, managed to get a lot more than I paid after the friendly cook let me have a second serving. Later that night he fell down the stair while carrying a bunch of dishes causing a rain of broken glass down the common room. Fortunately he escaped injuries.
I had been feeling really tired for the past few days, I took a full advantage of Oasis superb bed (although I met two Australian girl who was demolished by what we suspect as bed bugs the night before), air conditioning and had a long sleep. Didn't wake up until past 10am taking good advantage on Oasis long breakfast hour (until 11am).
Went straight to the cathedral which, according to the audioguide, is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the third largest cathedral at any period losing only to St. Peter in Rome and St. Paul in London. Bumped into a guy who stayed in the same hostel who turned out to be an architect, he explained some of the amazing fact about gothic cathedrals construction.
And now back in the hostel I finally caught up with my blog posting. Need to have an early night tonight to make sure I don't miss my 9am bus to Algeciras. I absolutely have to catch this bus if I want to be in Marrakech by the 14 August. I need to get that bus down to Algeciras, hope to get a ferry crossing to Tangier early afternoon to get the overnight train down to Marrakech.
Tomorrow should be interesting, a long journey to Marrakech, new country, new continent.
Posted by vhadiant at August 13, 2006 06:13 PM
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