It was a rolling night at sea and we woke up to find it raining outside.  The disembarkation was a mass of people because they had us going down a very steep ramp in the rain.  And, of course, we had to leave at the same time as all the excursions were leaving. We managed to get to the meeting point in the time limit and stood in the rain for a bit while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive.  

It was another Spain Day Tours trip.  The description of our tour was not quite correct.  It read that the bus would not have a tour guide and we would break into groups once we arrived.  However, we did use the same bus for the entire time and there was a guide who talked to us for most of the drive there.  It took and hour and a half each way. We stopped at a gas station on the way there to use the bathroom.  Of course, as a woman, I spent the entire time allotted to us in line.  

We arrived in Sevilla to no rain.  It was still cloudy, but with some blue sky peeking out here and there.  The bus was separated into three groups.  Our group leader was not the same as the bus guide.  We had Pepe.  He gave us ear pieces so we could hear him well since there were a lot of groups everywhere we visited.  Our first stop was the Plaza de España.  We had about fifteen or twenty minutes to walk around and take pictures.  I particularly liked the ornate benches with depictions of each Spanish province.  The bus guide, Naomi, told us that Star Wars was filmed in that plaza with Natalie Portman.  It was a beautiful and impressive place. 

We returned to the bus and drove by quite a view buildings from the 1929 World Exposition.  These buildings are all used for different things now, but you can still see the name of the country it represented on the front including some artwork that clues you into the country as well.  We were dropped off at the Old Jewish Quarter.  It started with some gardens that were gated.  The roads were very narrow.  We passed by the childhood home of the artist Murillo.  

Our destination was the Alcazar.  We were given tickets with our names on them and our passport numbers.  We had to present both at the entrance.  We also had a time on our ticket.  We walked through where the original Alcazar was located and our guide took us into this building which had an art exposition and showed us one of the old entrances.  He told us that we should go to the roof in our free time because it had the best views.  

The Cathedral and the Ghiralda were right in front of us, but we couldn’t go in. We didn’t have enough time or a timed ticket.  The Ghiralda very easily demonstrates the building of a Catholic Church over that of a Mosque.  You can really see how the top tower emerges from where the minuet ends.  Christopher Columbus’ tomb is located in this Cathedral.  I visited it almost thirty years ago. It is a pretty impressive tomb with four statues holding it aloft.  I also enjoyed climbing the Ghiralda because it has ramps instead of steps.  The views of the city were amazing.  

We entered the Alcazar and it reminded me so much of La Alhambra in Granada.  There was a similar patio with the lane of water reflecting the area.  There were beautiful gardens and the decorations were very similar.  The addition of the coat of arms of Castilla y León to make it a palace for the royal family was interesting to see.  

Pepe brought us into the chapel that many famous explorers visited before leaving on their explorations.  He showed us the room in which Queen Isabella (yes, that queen) had her first son (who died at 19).  He told us the story about how the king requested his brother be killed because he thought he was having an affair with his queen. There was a rust colored stain on the floor and the guide said it was his blood.  Then he told us he really didn’t believe that, but it fits the story, and the king really did have his brother killed.  

I love looking at the ceilings in these buildings.  They are always so ornate and interesting.  

The decorations are unbelievable. The shutters on the windows and the beautifully carved wooden doors are actually original.  

There are still inscriptions on the walls that speak about Allah, but also have the coat of arms of the Catholic king and queen.  

We were not able to go out into the gardens because of the rain (even though it had stopped when we were there), so we had to make do with a picture from the top floor.  

After leaving the Alcazar, we were given an hour of free time.  Since this was our last day in Spain, I had to get my tortilla española, which they call tortilla de patatas in Andalucía.  We also made sure to climb to the roof of that building to get pictures of the Cathedral.  It was well worth it. 

We were early to meet the group and I found out that the stamps I bought on one of the islands to send postcards to the U.S. were not actually viable stamps.  I was not happy.  The lesson is to only buy stamps at the post office or a Tabac store.