“There are those born to sing, to dance and perform with utter passion. And there are those who would pay considerable money to avoid doing any of those. Pleasant to meet you.” – Old Sean
A Return to Spain
After leaving Lisbon, I officially finished the Portugal portion of my trip and found myself hopping back into Spain.
I was particularly excited for this Spanish travel-arc, as I would be wandering through the coastal regions on the south side of the country.
I started my new journey visiting Seville. Sadly, I pronounced the name so badly, the man at the ticket-booth nearly sent me back across the boarder.
However, Google Maps and miming eventually won out. I arrived in Seville fairly early in the morning, giving myself plenty of time to explore the region.
Time Visiting Seville
I spent the early morning of my visit walking up and down the river, using the Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) fortifications to landmark my walk.
Eventually, I turned further into town. A truly nifty part of Seville was the Plaza de Espana. Dominated by a beautiful monument with a shallow moat that the tamely-adventurous can paddle around in a small boat, this was the most ornate structure I came across during my entire stay.
Later during my journey, I attended the Catedral de Sevilla, located in front of a quaint plaza and shopping space. The Cathedral is famous for containing the alleged remains of Christopher Columbus, with for archetypal figures holding his casket.
Supposedly, the casket contains the controversial explorer’s remains. However, as Christopher Columbus’ remains have been moved and transferred several times, the authenticity of his current resting place is still in question.
Regardless, it’s a beautiful resting site. If I ever go on a pseudo-genocidal treasure-hunt, I hope my tomb is half as pretty.
Other Folks in Seville
Seville was a busy visit, but I got to spend a lot of time talking to people while I waited for contacts to show up for interviews.
For example, I assisted a group of Chinese tourists who were lost. I legitimately only know how to say around a hundred words in Mandarin, all of them pronounced wrong. and while the tourists didn’t speak a lick of English, they were able to show me a picture in a brochure. I looked up their destination on my phone and pointed out directions. They were kind enough to buy me a slice of pizza afterwards.
I remember eating it and enjoying it.
Anyway, while moving on, I spent a few hours just wandering through the city, taking the occasional photo and chatting lightly with a pair of French girls who liked my American accent.
As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, I’m half-deaf. The hearing on the left-side of my head is totally shot. When I was younger, it made volume control a problem. In environments with a low thrum of sound, say, a school bus, I’d be chatting with the poor, kind saps who managed to coax me away from a book and into a conversation
Within five minutes I’d be shouting my opinions without realizing it. My friends (being bros) told me to dial it down while looking terribly embarrassed for me.
As a result, the older I’ve gotten the softer and deeper I’ve started speaking. Puberty hit my vocal cords like a tank, and having a fairly low voice helps sound carry a lot.
I digress. The point is that the two ladies thought my voice was “charmant” and we all went to a Flamenco show that evening.
Flamenco in Seville
Flamenco is a dancing style native to the folkloric musical traditions of Southern Spain, especially prominent in Andalusia.
The show was fantastic, nearly alien in terms of movement and quality. The lead dancers for dresses with long shirts designed to swirl at sharp angles in a near-endless flow of red and black. Much of the music was punctuated with foot-stomps, strange clappers on fingers (Castanets) and a background of guitars and mallets.
For the remainder of the night, I leaned back, drank my beer and enjoyed the show.
Since I was feeling slightly homesick, I ordered a Corona Extra. I had a friend in University who taught me how to cook. He had a gluten allergy, so the only beer we could toss back easily and cheaply were Corona Extras.
Hence, it was a fine day and night returning to Spain.
Sadly, I only have one day set aside for visiting Seville. Early tomorrow morning, I’m continuing on.
Until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written August 8th, 2018
Read more about visiting Seville and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Destination Information
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