The next morning we were all up early to catch the bus that would take us to Seville, the city that once was one of the largest in Spain. Although it is situated inland, the great river, Guadalquivir, runs through it making it possible to become an important port city. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the caravel ships leaving the new world with riches went up the river from the coast and deposited the wealth into the counting house and into the treasury coffers. A great deal of the wealth was taken from Potosi, Bolivia where they turned the gold and silver into coins at a place called La Moneda.
I remember walking by it on the way to school when I lived there as a child. Now I hear that my grandfather has turned it into a museum and my cousin is the curator. So I was eager to see Seville in its splendor and also sing in the great cathedral.
We drove east from Malaga and made good time on a clear highway. The only other cars were caravans that were heading to Andalucia to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Rosary. Because Spain is a Catholic country, people take part in religious festivals throughout the year. These celebrants were on their way to join others in this Feast. The caravans were all different and all were decorated with elaborate, colorful paper. As many as twenty were counted as we tried to get pictures of them as they sped by.
The scene opened to many olive tree orchards and it was clear that an olive oil producing area. They produced extra virgin olive oil for cooking and cosmetics. We stopped at a souvenir shop that was equipped with a large bathroom for tourist traveling in buses. The shop had a food of the region with samples to nibble and try. In another section there were souvenirs and samples of olive oil. I bought hand cream that I wished I could get back home, and a fancy little bottle of Acete de la Alhambra oil sample.
The growing of olives actually began during the time of the Romans in the second century B.C
The olive had been brought from the Eastern Mediterranean a few centuries earlier and grafted onto the primitive oleaster. It was quick to flourish. The Phoenicians also brought the chick-pea from the east. The fish off the Andalusian coast were already being harvested and some of the techniques still are used today for salting fish may go back to pre-Roman times.
The Romans were true imperialists as they developed Spanish agriculture mainly to serve the needs of the metropolis of Rome. Along with other colonies around the Mediterranean, Spain served the Romans primarily as a granary from which large quantities went forth to the bakeries of Rome. Thea the consumption of bread was also fixed as a permanent part of the Spanish diet was accidental. The Romans promoted the intensive cultivation of the olive and Spain became the empire's principal supplier of olive oil.
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| Olive oil skin cream and cooking olive oil |
After unpacking Meg and I met our friends, Dick, Jean, JJ, and Carolyn in the lobby and went out on the town to explore the city and get something to eat. It was a little after mid day and all the people were about looking for places to eat since the noon meal is the largest of the day. We found a lovely courtyard and were about to sit when large rain drops plunked down on he cobble stones. We were seated inside near a TV showing motor bike racing. It would have been nicer sitting outside listening to the walking guitarist, but our minds changed suddenly when lightening and wind brought down the deluge of rain. In a flash everyone was gone with the downpour splashing over tables and chairs. Inside we were enjoying our beer and a side dish of tapas.
We were free for the afternoon so after our meal Meg, Dick Jean and I wanted to walk town to the Gruadalqiver River and explore some more of the city. We walked along Calle de Menedez toward the water passing by the monument to Columbus, and the Alcazar and the Gardens. We knew that tomorrow we would be going on a guided tour so we kept walking to the river. We turned right on Calle San Fernando and noticed a large long distinguished building. We found out from a passerby that it was the University that was converted from a cigar factory. Several students pass us by and they were speaking English. They said that they were from University of Georgia on a study program exchange. we said good-by with a GO BULLDOGS! hoot.
We finally arrived at the river and it seemed the fleet was in with so many white trimmed sailors walking about. The tourist books were not kidding when they said Seville was a port city! I guess you could say Paris and London and Portland, Oregon are port cities as well. At this moment, however, the only ships on the river were tourist boats going up and down the river.
We passed by the famous Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold) built by the Muslims to control the river traffic later it was used as a prison. One story has it that Pedro the Cruel obsessed with a girl with long blond hair took her from a convent and placed her there while her husband was off fighting wars. She cut her hair and ruined her good looks with acid to spite him. He then sent her back to the convent. Obviously, there were no woman's rights at that time and it would be long in coming so thinking about this it felt so good to be walking in sunshine under freedom's wing.
We sat on the bench overlooking the water and let the sun soak in. Dick and Jean had a map and we were planning our return. Meg was getting tired due to knee problems and we wanted to make the walk a short one for her. The plan was to go to the bullfight arena and then cut straight up like a crow flies. So we walked toward the Plaza the Torros where we saw people gathering for the evening event. I had hoped to attend but no one in our group wanted to go. They were told that it was too gory and they felt sorry for the bull and also too expensive to sit in the shade. OK that was that! So I can dream about the cute torreadores in tight pants! We walked around the stadium full of excited people and the senoritas holding flowers.
Jean and Dick checked the map, looked at the name of the street and pointed the direction like Chirstopher Columbus, so we followed. Later on I read in, IBERIA, Michener's book that describes doing the Sierpes walk along the tiny streets on their way to the Cathedral. This event happens in holy week when the sacred figures are paraded through the town. We continued to meander through the streets, and I wished I had brought my compass as the streets curved here and there like a maze and then end up at a local church. We continued walking checking the names of the streets and the map until finally we ended up at St Beatrice, our street! Which all goes to show you if you had to go through a maze, who would you chose to follow...Jean and Dick.
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