Seville and Cordoba, Spain: An Calm Day in Andalucia

Today was a relaxing day.  After yesterday's fun in the sun, I took the opportunity of a late check-out to sleep in, then got up to see the last big site of Seville: the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, which is the third-largest church in the world and the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world.  Quite obviously huge, it hosts some thirty-odd chapels dedicated to various saints, the tomb of Christopher Columbus (the picture of which is not all that interesting, and hence is not included), as well as a variety of stunning altarpieces and Mass objects made of precious materials.

One of the most interesting things about this cathedral is the tower.  The tower was originally built as the minaret of a mosque that stood on the site from its completion in 1198 until the conquering Christians turned it into a cathedral, beginning in 1401.  The view is above is from the top of the tower, which has remained the tallest building in Seville since its completion.  Unfortunately, construction of a skyscraper that will change that status is underway, so I'm glad I got the uninterrupted view while it still exists!

After visiting the cathedral, I visited one of Seville's most architecturally distinct and new buildings, commonly called 'Las Setas', or 'The Mushrooms'.  Designed as a sort of market and community center, the goal was to design a place to bring the community together.  I don't know if it has done that, but it certainly is interesting to look at.

I then headed to the bus stop to make the two-hour trip to Cordoba.  Since it was siesta time when I arrived, I took the opportunity to catch up on some reading, then headed out for some wine and tapas in the main plaza above at 9pm, which is Spanish dinner time.  Filled with people, it was a great place to absorb some local culture and taste some great food.  Seeing what else Cordoba has to offer tomorrow should be fun!