We ate a tapas lunch on the square at Restaurante El Giraldillo. Elisabeth and Kate enjoyed eating on the square and watching the people, the architecture of the Cathedral, the Giralda and the Palacio Arzobispal and preparations for the Easter processions.
Restaurante El Giraldillo
Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, 2
www.barriosantacruz.com
Seville Cathedral & La Giralda
Seville is a mix of Moorish, Roman, baroque and renaissance architecture. After lunch we walked cross the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and entered the Seville Cathedral and La Giralda. The huge Gothic cathedral and its Moorish bell tower are Seville's most popular sights. There was a very long line to enter the cathedral after lunch. I waited in line while Rich, Elisabeth and Kate ran around the square.
Seville Cathedral. Upon entering the cathedral we walked through an art gallery to the cavernous cathedral once the site of a great mosque built by the Almohads in the late 12th century. We followed the trail of dried wax from the Holy Week Easter processions through the cathedral to the bell tower.
La Giralda. Elisabeth and Kate climbed to the top of the tower and enjoyed the magnificent views. They were intrigued by the swimming pools on the roof of buildings. Elisabeth now wants a swimming pool in our backyard in Virginia.
Patio de los Naranjos. After climbing down from the tower we walked to the Patios de los Naranjos. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed the shade and the fragrant aroma of the orange trees in the garden. Quite picturesque in April.
Plaza Virgen de los Reyes & Parque Maria Luisa
Horse carriages line the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes outside the Seville Cathedral. After touring the Seville Cathedral and the La Giralda, we decided to ride in a horse and carriage through Seville. Our horse was named "Tony" and the girls enjoyed riding in the carriage through Seville's old Jewish Quarter to the leafy Parque Maria Luisa. The grounds of the Parque Maria Luisa were donated by Princess Maria Luisa de Orleans to the city in 1893. Part of the Parque was created and landscaped for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition with fountains, flowers, and tree-shaded avenues. The Parque was a refreshing escape from the heat of the day.
Real Alcazar
We returned to the Plaza Virgen de los Reyes after the carriage ride. Rich stood in line for the Real Alcazar (another long line!) while I took the girls to buy postcards and limonada, a frozen lemonade. The limonada was a treat on a hot April day. Fortunately, we brought sun hats with us!
The royal palaces and lush gardens of Pedro I and Carlos V were incredible. We admired the Mudejar craftmanship and fantastic mosaics of tiles in various geometric shapes, as well as the beautifully landscaped gardens, terraces and fountains. Elisabeth brough along her camera and enjoyed taking photos of the tiles and horseshoe arches.
Easter Processions
The Easter processions in Seville began around 6:00pm. We sat on the steps of the Cathedral, ate hot dogs from a local restaurant for dinner and waited for the processions with anticipation. It was incredible to see the excitement and anticipation on their faces. The crowd was growing - most impressive was how the children and teenagers part in the processions. We stayed and watched the processions until 8pm and then walked back to the car for the long drive home. Fortunately, the girls fell asleep in the car.
