Seville

I woke to the cool, shuttered darkness of my room while outside was forecast wall to wall sunshine and over twenty degrees of heat. It was a day where I had planned to complete necessary administration prior to my walk but, being a Sunday - and Father's Day too as I learned from the cafe owner where I had coffee - most places I needed to visit were shut. However, I did manage to plan my onward trip to Cadiz for the start of my walk before heading out to face the day. 

I wandered the cobbled back streets of the old town in the general direction of sights I now

planned to see. High walled and narrow, they offered good protection from the heat of the sun as well as being largely deserted, a far cry from the bustle of last night. First was Las Setas (The Mushrooms) an interesting modern art piece made of wood that took over much of a square. Then it was the Casa de Pilatos, a sixteenth century palace of courtyards and Spanish tiles in a mixed Renaissance/Arabic style. Billed as a Seville highlight, I can’t help but agree. A tapas lunch was followed by the Museum of Flamenco and then I headed in the direction of Seville cathedral, the world’s largest gothic church. So far everywhere had been, if not empty then at least uncrowded, but it was all about to change.

  

Las Setas

Casa de Pilatos

                

As I got close to the historic zone where the cathedral is found the empty streets filled with jostling crowds, a babble of language from overflowing cafes and a mass of tourist shops. I worked my way through this throng and around the mass of the cathedral looking for the entrance. Inside it is cool and cavernous, a space of soaring stone and subdued lighting. Yet, despite its enormity, there remains a sense of intimacy within the building and a feeling of peace that is lacking in the streets outside, impressive given the number of people and pennant following tourist groups that wandered the length and breadth of its naves and transept.

By now the afternoon had slipped away and I so headed out for quieter streets and relaxation despite feeling I hadn’t done the cathedral full justice. More preparation and a light dinner rounded off a long day.