While sitting at an outdoor café this evening, we talked about the differences between Spain and the United States. One of the students commented, “It’s nice how people take their time here. They take time to enjoy meals and talk with people". Another student added, “Did you notice that the way the Sevillans walk is different than the Madrileños (people from Madrid). The Madrileños walk briskly, but the Sevillans seem to stroll.
Sevilla, the fourth largest city in Spain, is particularly colorful at this time of year with the purple jacarandas and bougainvilleas in bloom. We have soaked up the beautiful ambience while visiting all the famous sites. First we visited the Cathedral, which happens to be the third largest cathedral in the world (followed by Saint Peter’s in Rome and Saint Paul’s in London), and we saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus. We also walked through the Plaza de España, the Old Jewish Quarter, and the Royal Alcázar.
Some of the students attended a bullfight at the oldest plaza de toros in Spain and took a riverboat cruise along the Guadalquivir River. Others had afternoon tea at Hotel Alfonso XIII, which is adjacent to the Universidad Sevilla. The University, which used to be a tobacco factory, is referenced in Mérimée’s “Carmen”.
When we began our panoramic bus tour of the city, imagine our surprise when we saw thousands of athletes running the Sevilla Marathon. Apparently not everyone takes their time in Sevilla!
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