Sevilla album

[April 22, Sevilla]

2008-PortSpain-13-Sevilla

Hotel Amadeus

[April 22, Sevilla]

We are staying at the Hotel Amadeus, a unique 14-room hotel in the Barrio Santa Cruz. It is run by a family devoted to music, and musical motifs and instruments fill the hotel. When we checked in, Carmen was playing on a DVD in the lobby (how appropriate for Sevilla, her home!).

Flamenco memories

[April 22, Sevilla]

  There is no more evocative place to see flamenco than Sevilla. The problem is to find a genuine performance rather than a flamenco "show" mixed with dinner, drinks, and tobacco smoke. We followed a recommendation to Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus (conveniently around the corner from our hotel!) presented by a cultural organization dedicated to preserving the art in full integrity.

Alcazar of Sevilla

[April 22, Sevilla]

The Alcazar is our favorite building in Sevilla. It is a Moorish-style palace built 14th c. by a Christian king (Pedro the "cruel"), who appreciated the artful tradition his people displaced. Being of Christian origin, it was never despoiled and today suggests the splendor that the Moors once enjoyed.

Some of their best friends were Jewish

[April 21, Sevilla]

Spain's relationship with her Jewish citizens has not always a been a celebration of multi-culturalism. Jews at times have felt unwelcome: it is estimated that after the Reconquista  1/3 of Spain's Jews were killed, 1/3 fled the country, and 1/3 converted to Christianity under duress. And the Inquisition was initiated to deal with these latter conversos who were foolish enough to compete too successfully with their good Christian neighbors.

Madmen and geographers

[April 21, Sevilla]

The builders of Sevilla's cathedral promised to "build a cathedral so large that anyone who sees it will take us for madmen". They succeeded. None of these photos can suggest its massiveness, third only to St. Peter's (Rome) and St. Paul's (London).

Tapas in Sevilla

[April 20, Sevilla]

  Pimientos Asada