Holy Week in Sevilla

 We woke early to take the bus to Sevilla, an amazing city if you love interesting architecture! The Santa Cruz area where our hotel is located was the Jewish Quarter where winding pedestrian lanes lead you in circles. Our first time out we were instantly lost, but didn’t mind because everywhere you look is worth a picture.

Sevilla’s Cathedral is the third largest in Europe. All Semana Santa processions pass by the Cathedral before returning to their churches. First a Roman structure, then a Moorish temple, the Christians took over the property in the 1400s. The outside is super ornate, the inside WAY over the top.

 

As we walked around the historical center, we were caught on the other side of the main procession path when a ‘paso’ passed. Shana climbed up on a fence to get a good look.  The gold-leafed, elaborate ‘float’ of Jesus was first, followed by a professional band, the Virgin Mary's float & more musicians. The crowds were intense, we had a difficult time moving in the direction of our hotel once the road opened up. It was a river of celebration, Keith was most uncomfortable in the mass of people. I held tight to Shana until we finally made our way to more open spaces & on to the hotel.

Sevilla’s Semana Santa activities are very different from those we experience last spring in Guatemala. One thing that we had hoped to see were the ‘alfombras’, the colorful creations of sand, flowers, fruit, ect. created in the street before the procession. Sevilla doesn't have this tradition. The streets were covered after the processions with white & purple candle wax. People throw flower petals as the 'pasos' pass by.

Another difference from Antigua, people in Sevilla must pay big money to view the processions up close. Rows of chairs are set up behind barriers which block off auto & foot traffic during the hours before each event.

The traditional costume of the men who proceed the religious float is very spooky. They look like KKK members in tall pointed hats with eye holes cut out and long robes tied with a thick belt of rope. Many of the 'nazarenos' are barefooted.

What beautiful people we saw during our three days in Sevilla. Everyone is dressed up in Sunday best all day long. The women’s traditional dress is all black with a tall headdress draped with a long piece of black lace, very elegant looking.

Thursday, we walked miles, mostly in green spaces away from the crowds. Our favorite spot was Plaza de Espana.

Locals & tourist who are night owls stayed up all night to view the dozens of processions around Sevilla. Since our trio needs a good night’s rest we skipped the main events.

Everything was sealed up tight the next morning as people slept through Good Friday. It was a sleepy day as the rain drizzled on & off most of the day. We did venture out and walked through different areas of the historical center before the rain overtook us and we headed back to our hotel.

  

I went out for two very long walks alone on Friday. I tried to take a 90-minute circular walk that leads one over the river, but 45 minutes later I found myself back at the hotel. My path never got out of the vicinity of our hotel, I was much like a homing pigeon.

        

When I went in to report my lack of success and was given directions to come back with ice cream & chocolate. My next venture was more successful, I went far away, got lost, found my way back with the desired treats. My whole body ached from the exercise of the day! It was perfect!

Modern Sevilla

I even saw a Good Friday procession. 

On Saturday morning, 30 March, we toured the Real Alcazar. What a structure! 

Directly across from the Cathedral the building started in the 1200s is still used as a Royal Palace.

While we didn’t look through the residences in use today, we enjoyed ambling through the ornately detailed rooms brightly decorated with tile, carved wood and stucco formed in Islamic inspired designs.

 

The gardens are massive and beautiful!

We loved Sevilla, the sights and smells~ 

the orange trees in blossom were very fragrant.

We took the train from Sevilla to Cordoba where more architectural wonders await. 

Santa Justa Station in Sevilla

Our apartment in Cordoba is amazing, large & comfortable. We have a kitchen and are excited to be able to cook for ourselves, not that we are sick of sandwiches. Ha! 

View outside our apartment window

We are enjoying our time together relaxing and reading while taking a break from the sightseeing and daily tasks of securing provisions without spending amassive amount of Euros.

Leaving Evora, moving on to Tavira

Monday we walked around the small town window-shopping. We were scouting out sandwich making items for our bus ride to the southern coast of Portugal. Our habit is to eat out once a day & prepare sandwiches for our other meals. Yogurt is a breakfast staple as well. A well-stocked supermarket is hard to find but little mini-markets are keeping us in rolls, cheese, luncheon meat &, our secret ingredient, Philadelphia cream cheese.

Shana in Evora

The narrow winding walkways between the century-old buildings provide visual stimulation as we wander. Luckily Evora is small enough that we were not afraid of getting lost!

Keith & Shana outside Evora's city walls

Evora's Cathedral from the back

The ride to Tavira in the coastal area of Algarve lasted over four hours to Lagos before waiting for another local bus to take us the last 20 miles. It was very dark when we arrived in Tavira, the streets empty and no taxis to be seen, so we trusted Rick Steve’s sketchy map and walked to the unmarked door of Rita’s Quartos. I was very glad we had asked the woman at the hotel in Evora to call ahead for a reservation earlier in the day! Rita’s Quartos had no email or internet for such preparations to be made stateside.

Again we were offered a second room, both rooms were very large with nice bathrooms. The two previous showers were so small you are in trouble of you drop your soap; so small you have to suck in your tummy and squeeze through the doorway sideways!

After dumping our bags we went out for a late bite to eat, Indian Food, one of my very favorites! There are at least four Indian restaurants in this small town. It was a treat!

Keith on Tavira's Roman Bridge

All sightseeing activities had to wait on our laundry, self-service facilities only. As we waited for the wash we enjoyed a couple of tiny, but extremely tasty cups of coffee. While the loads dried we walked back to the bus station to buy tickets for the next morning’s journey to Sevilla, Spain.

We put the clothes back in our rooms and went back out to see the sights. Tavira straddles a river that starts in Spain. There is a bridge that is from the roman times. There is a castle fortress and many architecturally interesting buildings. We enjoyed walking around town, it was small, full of beautiful flowers and not crowded.

Tavira

Ahhh...Evora

 We left Lisbon this morning after packing our bags & sipping a venti Starbucks. We took a taxi to Siete Rois (7 Rivers) bus station to catch a bus to Evora, a little under two hours away. The ride was relaxing, a beautiful bus traveled through little Sunday traffic through very green rolling fields of olive & cork trees, grape vineyards & cows grazing in early spring pastures.

 

Evora is located in the province called Alentejo, which is typically arid & sunny. Unfortunately the clouds we had avoided for the most part in Lisbon followed us south and we experienced periods of soft rain. Of course sun is always preferred; besides providing warmth it enhances the photographs!

Evora is an historical town. It dates back to early Roman times. Moors ruled until the Christians took over and built their cathedral atop the temples of the past.

Our hotel in Evora was very nice, we were offered two rooms rather than sharing and we took them happily. Very centrally located it was an easy walk to the center.

We enjoyed the afternoon walking up and down the very narrow, curving streets spotting architecture of each era.

As we waited for a Palm Sunday procession to appear in the early evening, Keith peeked inside an older woman’s home which appeared to be stuffed with antiques. After asking if this was an antique store or her home, and professing, upon being questioned, that he was Catholic, we were invited inside. The home was museum quality, stuffed with more valuables than the palace we had visited the day before. The women bragged that her home spanned the city block and had over 40 rooms. Unfortunately before we were able to visit many, the procession appeared in front of the open door. We bid goodbye as we joined the crowd making their way to the Cathedral.

Evora is another special place where memories were made today.

Flying to Europe is painful. But much like having a baby you forget the pain when you start to enjoy the ‘fruits of your labor’

               

Lisboa was a very pleasant surprise. It is much more than we expected. It’s vibrant, modern & very antique at the same time.  The city is easily accessible even without a command of Portuguese.

Our lodgings are modest, but perfectly located in the historical center of town. Our first evening here we wandered out for dinner before returning home to sleep off the sleepless night in flight.

Friday we set off to explore Lisbon’s neighborhoods. We rode a trolley up to Largo Das Portal Del Sol, and it was truly the window to sun. We had a sunny day to walk around the Alfama, winding streets filled with shops, homes, and a church at every other corner.

At the Castle of St. George we met a new friend, Marco, from Berlin. He is very bright young man who loves history & to talk! When it started to sprinkle a little he invited us for a cup of coffee. We returned to the Portal Del Sol and sat in the sun at a very upscale coffee shop overlooking the river. Marco was trying to reach a friend of his from Serbia, Diana.

Our next stop was Belem on the train.

Diana hopped on near her flat and joined us as we visited a most amazing church, Monastery of Jeronimo,

 followed by the Monument of the Discoveries 

 ending up at the Belem Tower.

We shared a coffee/wine stop with Marco & Diana before parting ways so that we could return to Lisbon for dinner while the younger couple went out for the night.

Most amazingly to me, Diana was given a scholarship to study wine making from the European Union. She spent one year in the south of France & during these last year she defended her dissertation in Portugal. She demonstrated wine tasting Shana's house wine; her expression at the end of the demo was priceless!

On the way back into town Shana & I asked Diana all kinds of questions about growing up in a Communist, then Socialist country now turned Free Market. She reminisced about the ‘good old days’ when everyone in her village turned out to help build a factory in her village with pride.

Today, Saturday, March 23^rd, we took a train ride to Sintra. 

What a place! 

         This is a place where kings & queens vacationed.

We toured a 1000-year-old Moorish fortress in a rain forest environment. 

Afterwards, we went to the tip-top of the mountain to visit the Pena Palace, built for romantic King Ferdinand. What a magical place.

I was most impressed by my mom today! Go Shana Jan! 

We hiked uphill for miles and she was a total trouper!! 

I hope I can maintain such stamina!