Of cathedrals and palaces

Hello all!

Just spent our second day in Seville, and we are still having a great time. We treated ourselves a bit, and slept in until 8:00. Since we have received 4-5 hours of sleep every night, to have 7 hours was a rare treat. After a quick breakfast provided by our hostal (bread, cheese, orange juice and coffee) we were off. Tim won´t drink coffee at work because it makes him wired, but he is on this vacation?!?

Our first stop was supposed to be the Alcazar of Seville, a royal palace that is still used by the king and queen of Spain today. But to get there, we had to walk by the cathedral. And since we saw an open door, we just had to walk in and check it out.

Inside is the most amazing church, for height, width and historical significance. We were pretty sure that the reason we got in was because they were doing a morning mass. As we walked in and heard the chanting of the choir and the paritioners to the sound of the 7,000 pipe organ, it was confirmed. We are never sure what to do in those moments, turn and leave? Stay and explore the church quietly? Join in the mass? Not being from the Catholic tradition, we are never sure what to say, and when to sit or stand. We have been to one mass that we can remember at Grandma and Grandpa Saskas (Michelle´s grandparents) ánd all we could remember was how to make the sign of the cross. We decided that if we could sit to the side and not detract from the service, it would be interesting to attend mass.

So we followed the cues from others and imitated their behavior. Apparently we were not alone, as in the beginning there were about 25 total worshipers, and when one older gentleman stood, we all looked at him and slowly rose, and as he sat, we all sat. As the service went on, the other tourists left, and other parishoners joined, so that it did not look as obvious that we were following their lead. In this mass they were giving communion, and we refrained, feeling that it was not appropriate. It was amazing to worship with others, even though it was all in Spanish so we did not completely understand it all.

After mass we were escorted from the church so that the museum staff could begin welcoming the paying public. So we left the church, went around the corner, and got in line to pay to enter again. There was much of the church we did not see that we thought it worthwhile. And it was. Once we entered we quickly made our way up to the tower, one of the last surviving pieces of the mosque that used to stand where the church now does. Christians tore down the mosque, but kept the tower, and we were glad they did. Instead of stairs to get to the top, it is a long winding ramp, where men used to ride up on horseback 5 times a day to ring the bells calling the Muslims to prayer. You can still see the grooves at the top where the horses grew tired and took more steps, wearing down the stones at a greater rate. The views were amazing, as you could see the city all around. There were also maps identifying the major buildings in the city by their rooftops.

We were quickly joined by a few tour groups and many other individual people, amd decided to decend the tower shortly thereafter. Brilliant idea Tim to do this first, as he could forsee the crowds if we waited. Sure enough, 30 minutes later there was a long line of people waiting to ascend at the base of the tower. We toured the rest of the church, noting the treasury with its ancient relics, including a "piece of THE cross". Also seen was the most valuable crown in Spain, with the worlds largest pearl set within it. Interestingly enough, we could not see it for a time, as there was a smaller pearl within the crown. Then we focused on one of the small angels on the crown, and noticed that its body was the pearl. The pearl was naturally formed in the shape of a torso and the beginnings of legs. Amazing!

There were also some other unusual treasures, like literal body parts from various saints. Hum . . .

The coffin holding the body of Christoper Columbus was also on display in the middle of the church. It was held up by 4 kings representing 4 different territories in what is now Spain. The men were wearing "flowing" robes all made out of metal and were around 9 feet tall.

After we had explored the church, we made our way over to the Alcazar, the royal palace. It is the oldest European palace still being used as a private residence for royalty. Like many things in southern Spain, it was originally designed by the Moors, and overtaken by the Christians. You see the Moorish influence in the amazing tilework and beautiful ceilings. There are also vast gardens and too many fountains to count.