Last night we had a short show of Flamenco dancing and singing. There were 2 dancers and 3 musicians who entertained us for about a half hour. Then we were off to dinner in the hotel. We had a choice of a full dinner or a tapas dinner. Since we could not get a reservation earlier than 8:30 (when in Spain…) we opted for tapas.
This morning we were taken to the entrance of the Alcazar. On the way we learned that Seville has been inhabited for over 3,000 years. It is the only inland port on the Mediterranean Sea because of the river, the Rio Grand. The river at the point of Seville is salt water. The riverside has many restaurants and there are many sporting activities.
The Alcazar is the longest used royal palace. It has influences of the Moors, Jews and Europeans. It was primarily built in the 12th and 13th century. It has a similar structure as the Alhambra, being many palaces surrounding courtyards and all the buildings surrounded by gardens.
The Golden Tower along the River
After leaving the Alcazar we walked through the old Jewish quarter. In the times of the Alcazar the advisors to the ruler were Jews. They had lived peacefully together until 1391, for over 150 years, when the first pogrom happened. The streets were narrow and winding.
We then took horse carriage rides through Maria Luisa Park. Many of the buildings from the 1929 expo are here. We ended in the Plaza of Spain. It was huge and full of people because it was Sunday.
We returned to the hotel to change some clothes. The day had warmed up. In the lobby we saw this cute little girl dressed in Flamenco clothes.
We then went to the Museum of Art and saw paintings by El Greco, Goya and Murillo.
Our last stop for the day was Seville’s Cathedral. It is the largest Gothic style building in the world. It is the third largest church in the world, behind St. Peter’s at the Vatican and St. Paul in London. Bob got to climb the bell tower. The photos do not describe the beauty or the immensity of the building.
The silver altar
The main altar
This is a beautiful city and we have enjoyed our time here. Tomorrow Córdoba and then Madrid.
Bette and Bob See the World 
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