Sunday, January 23
Group Trip to Alcázar in the Barrio de Santa Cruz
On a cold day (40 degrees F) in Sevilla, I miraculously reunited with the group without getting lost. Together we walked with CIEE staff to the Alcázar for a personal tour (all in Spanish). The 10th century palace was originally built for Moorish leaders. A 14th century renovation turned the fortress into a Christian royal palace for Pedro I. Whereas Granada's Alhambra was built for Moorish rulers by Moors (and remained so), the 14th century Alcázar was built for Christian rulers in the Moorish ("Mudejar") style. Queen Isabel later greeted Christopher Columbus here after his New World adventures. The palace is still in use today. The royal family of King Juan Carlos stays in the palace on visits to Sevilla.
I was overwhelmed by the level of ornateness of each room. Then, to add to my amazement, the tour continued through an endless number of rooms, culminating in a garden that puts Alice in Wonderland to shame. As you will see in the corresponding photos, I practiced taking pictures of myself with sites in the background. But, I also had to take advantage of having a group: it seemed like we were all taking pictures of each other, trading cameras, and snapping multiple shots in each room.
See link to my web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/bradleywilliams39
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