February 4, 2011- Sevilla, Spain.
We came to Sevilla and started our tour at the Alcazares where we saw the different types of gardens. At the Alcazares they had sunken gardens and quadrilateral ones. The gardens were not just gardens, they were a symbol of wealth for the past inhabitants of the place. According to my Islamic Art and Architecture teacher, the gardens at the Alcazares, and much of the Andalucia, represents the people that owns it. A garden for them needs to have a purpose and not just for the sake of having a beautiful garden; they build gardens to have a place of tranquility while reading. In addition, a fun fact actually, the gardens have oranges planted so that if the owners are getting a little bit hungry, they could snack on something. We were told that having roses and other flowers are insignificant to Andalucians before. Yes, they are beautiful to look at but they have no use for them. After seeing the gardens, we went inside to take a look at the paintings and the beautiful walls and ceilings. They were well preserved and had so many intricate designs.
I cannot yet describe what the designs meant but as we progress along our architecture class, I will be able to. We left the Alcazares to eat lunch at the square near the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede just around the beautiful fountain. (Not posted here but you could check out my albums on Facebook.)
I do not know if it was just me but I could not eat properly because everywhere I turned I saw beautiful infrastructures and eating was not necessary after. However, my hostmom packed me lunch and so I had to eat it. At exactly an hour past our lunch time, we explored the inside of the church and then walked up the staircase at la Giralda. It was a 32 or 33-story tower. It felt like we have been climbing up for forever but once we got on the top of the tower, ah, everything was breathtaking again. (You can see it for yourself through the pictures I am posting on this entry.)
Our teacher Ana told us some of the history of the cathedral but it was a lot to digest and I cannot remember much of it. It's just that, for me, all of what I saw was good enough... At night we went to see a Flamenco show, which was amazing. It has been a long day for me and I felt so sleepy during the Flamenco show that I fell asleep while one of the guys was playing the guitar. I woke up when the dance started. It looked so hard tapping shoes and keeping the body as limber as it could be while being erect and full of facial expressions. I don't know how they were able to do it but I salute them nonetheless cause it's just so beautiful...
February 5, 2011- Ronda, Spain.
Again, my jaws dropped right when I saw the view outside my window when we arrived at Ronda. It's a city smaller than Granada but had different attractions. In Ronda we visited the Plaza del Torros where we saw the different outfits that the Torreadors wore and the dresses the women wore during matches. I took lots of pictures although we weren't really suppose to. What can I say? I can't just leave without taking a memento or a simple picture with me.
We also went to see the cliffs that defines Ronda's scenic places and after that we visited the Baño de Turcos, which translates literally as Turkish Baths. These Turkish Baths, of course, are old and are not being used anymore; they are there as tourist attractions. We walked around some more and just sat there absorbing the beauty of Ronda and the strong sun that day. We had delicious bocadillos (sandwich) and drank freshly squeezed orange juice. Can life get any better than this? Seriously... YES IT COULD!!! After our paseo around the streets in Ronda we bought ice cream/gelatto and walked around some more. At 6pm we headed back to our buses and left for Granada.
P.S. We really did not leave right away. Well... our bus didn't, at least. We had to wait for this one student who was left behind wandering on her own. It was irritating but then it was good to know she was not kidnapped or hurt. Enough said.
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In case you were wondering why I wrote "Unchained Melody" as the title of this entry, it is because the kind of beauty that I saw when I visited Ronda and Sevilla was similar to the meaning of the lyrics of the mid-1950's song Unchained Melody. The song was written by Alex North and Hy Zaret to be featured as the theme song of the movie "Unchained." For Hy Zaret, the song's lyrics focuses on someone who pines for a lover he hasn't seen in a "long, lonely time... So, for me, seeing Ronda and Sevilla felt like finally finding the "amor de mi vida" because it was so beautiful and magnificent... <3
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Vale. Today was the first day of classes and I have some homework and readings to do. Until my next entry, amigos...
¡Adios!
Dea! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this post. Reading it makes me feel like I am also seeing it first hand. Looking forward to your future posts!
I miss you. *hug*
F