I took this trip primarily because the price was a steal and there was no single supplement charge. Annette was teaching post-graduate courses for the university and I had to travel alone.
I would use my apartment as a base of operation and purchase daily tour packages that I negotiated with a local vender. The Bajondillo, where I stayed, was a high-rise building with 650 resort-style apartments. It is situated on the Paseo Maritimo seaside promenade,across the street from one of the best beaches on the Costa del Sol.
The Bajondillo featured a cafeteria with American bar, private garden/pool area,TV lounge, card room, and hair salon, as well as live music and dancing. And the Bajondillo's social program is excellent. My air-conditioned studio included a balcony with seaside view, twin beds, kitchenette with basic utensils, TV (with CNN), and full private bath with shower.
This place is popular. When I was waiting for my flight out of JFK, I noticed that it seemed like everyone knew each other in the gate area. Well, they did. Many return to Spain year after year to take advantage of its exceptional value, to share in its lively social program, and to relax in its casual, yet convivial atmosphere. I talked to people who spoke about their tenth trip here. Some even more.
TORREMOLINOS
I started out the morning with a video of some of the beautiful flowers at Bajondillo and another view from my apartment balcony of the Mediator-Rangoon Sea. The map shows the location of Torremolinos along the coast.
I took a video of the tower (torre) of Torremolinos that was located next to the old Catholic church in town. Little shops (that sold just about anything) could be found along any of the streets and passageways here.
Before starting off for my evening walk along the Mediterranean I took another shot from my balcony.
The sun was going down and activity along the beach was decreasing. In the background of the beach you can see the mountains (to the west) that rim Costa del Sol.
My beach walk ended when I encountered a rock wall, something like a cliff, with cave-like inden- tations caused by erosion. Made nice bird dwellings.
Walking back to the apartment I came upon an artist who had just made a sand model of the crucified Christ. I donated 100 peseta for the privilege of taping him. The evening fare at the Bajondillo, just off the lobby area, was live music until 1 a.m. Usually Doren sang, accompanied by a piano player.
SEVILLE
This map shows the location of Seville or Sevilla with a blue star. I found two other people from Grand Circle who wanted to take this tour I negotiated for half price. The bus took us over the coastal mountain from Malaga northward.
Between the mountain were groves of olive trees and almond trees and some grape vineyards. One mountain peak that was pointed out to us by our English speaking guide was Lover’s Rock, a formation that resembled an Indian lying down. The top of his head is to the right. Legend has it that the rock bore witness to a love affair between a young Christian from Antequera and a Moorish girl from Archidona. Their love for each other was forbidden due to their religions and they fled to the rock with troops on their heels. Rather than spend a lifetime without each other, they threw themselves from the rock in a loving embrace.
At our rest stop here in , Apujarra, local wine was made available for sale. A sweet muscatel was one of the major product from the grapes of the region. The rest stop gave me an opportunity to take a close up shot of a poppy flower, a flower that grows wild all along the highways. On our way again we passed through a rich agricultural area.
As our Tour Bus took us on our journey toward Seville we encountered many decorated trucks, wagons, and vans along the side of the road that were on a religious pilgrimage to El Rocio (Almonte in the province of Huelva). Thousands, including a great number of gypsies, flock on this annual trek every May to celebrate Pentecost. The procession escorts the “Sin Pecado” (the sinless), a statue of the Virgin Mary. See Spain Observed by Rodde and Affergan (Oxford Press, 1973).
As our bus drove into the center part of Seville we came upon the imposing bell tower of the Cathedral — one of the major landmarks of Seville. To the left of the bus were some old Roman ruins.
Our tour of Seville began at the Plaza de Santa Cruz in the old Jewish Quarter, or Juderia. Today this medieval neighborhood of narrow, winding streets attracts the Spanish well-to-do, who maintain elaborate patio gardens and courtyards. Traditional Andalusian colors are faithfully maintained on traditional Andalusian buildings — gold trim to echo the ocher earth. Golden sand (alvero) is trucked in 20 miles from the hills of Camona to be used ornamentally in local gardens. Local restaurants, hotels, and shops lean to fanciful Moorish arabesque details, colored tiles, and white-walled beam-ceilinged interiors.
Here is situated the square associated with the famous artist Murillo. Seville was the birthplace of both Spanish artists Murillo (1617-82) and Velazquez (1599-1660). Murillo lived in the nearby Casa de Murillo (preserved historic site) and spent his last days in the fascinating old Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz. Our guide explains on the tape that in 1492 the Jews were driven out of Seville by Ferdinand and Isabella in their zeal for the Catholic faith. She adds that the Jews, Moors, and Christians lived peacefully together before the persecutions.
We toured the park-like setting of the square. Murillo’s ashes are buried in an unmarked place somewhere in this square. The center piece of the square is a 17th century wrought iron Cross of the Locksmith (Cruz de la Cerrajeria).
Just off the square, and on the outer edge of the Plaza de Santa Cruz, is the well kept gardens of
Murillo (Jardines de Murillo).
The narrow passageways took us to this square where our guide tells us to rest and look at the wares offered by shops around the square.
Typical of squares and courtyards here there was a central fountain. Outside the shops were displayed various Sevillian ceramic products with elaborate mosaic designs. A gypsy woman tried to sell tourists her hand-woven tablecloths. One young artist was sketching the scene from a mosaic decorated park bench. Our guide mentioned that Seville was famous for ceramic tile even in Roman times.
The next view was that of the magnificent Giralda Tower. This turret was originally the minaret of an old 12th century Moorish mosque that was incorporated as a bell tower into the Gothic cathedral three centuries later. It was spared and used by the Christians for the new cathedral because of its ingenious sebka rhomboid brick patterning . The top portion was done in Renaissance style by the Christians who took over the mosque site, while the bottom brick portion of the tower is the Moorish original. The arabesques and mullioned windows give it a delicate touch. The tower is topped by a 12 foot high statue built in the 16th century. The statue is known locally as the Giraldillo because it serves as a weather vane (giralda).
So far we still have not entered the Moorish enclosure that harbors the Cathedral. Outside the walls are these buildings with the familiar bright gold paint trim and white walls. Out English speaking guide points out that we are standing on the grounds of the Patio de la Monteria looking at the Reales Alcazares or Royal Palace. Work on the Mudejar palace began in 1350 on the site of the previous Moorish fortress and ended abruptly in 1369 when the king Pedro el Cruel (Peter the Cruel) was done in by his brother.
Although this building was built in the 14th century it was built by Mudejar work-men, who were Moors living here working for the Christians (but using traditional Arab design). The Spanish royalty used the palace as a residence into the present century. Juan Carlos stays here on visits to Seville. Back in the 16th century it was here that HRE Charles V (Carlos I of Spain) was wed to Isabella of Portugal.
The next view is of the Moorish battlements and towers.
Our tour now concentrated on the Cathedral (Santa Maria) of Seville. The Cathedral, the third largest Christian church in Europe, after Rome and London, is the largest cathedral of Gothic style. The Cathedral construction was begun in 1402 on the site of an earlier mosque. Only the mosque’s minaret (now Giralda tower) was saved to become the cathedral’s spire.
The next view is that of the apse the external part of the Royal Chapel.
We moved on to Puerta de las Palos with the 16th century sculptures done by Maestro Miguel that faces the square that served as our meeting place. Next to the door was the bell tower.
At this the visitors’ entrance, we entered into the Patio de los Naranjos. The Christians had built their cathedral on the site of the main almohade mosque. They not only kept the minaret as a bell tower, they used this courtyard as a cloister. From the cloister I videoed the front of the Cathedral and its flying buttresses. Originally the Muslims used this area in front of the cathedral for ceremonial cleansing before entering the mosque. Among the orange trees is a fountain that comes from a Visa-gothic cathedral.
Once inside the cathedral our guide started our tour with the 70-foot high carved retablo of the high altar. This flamboyant structure is the largest in the world (Birnbaum says largest in Spain) with its 220 square meters populated by thousands of figures. Our English speaking guide told us on the tape that these figures depict the life of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, and that it took the Flemish sculpture Peter Dancart 10 years to finish. She said that many people could not read in the 15th century, so these carvings would enable them to learn about Jesus Christ. I took a close-up view depicting a Biblical story.
Opposite the altar was the ornate setting of the pipe organ by the choir section.
Looking upward we see the magnificent fan-vaulted ceiling.
Inside the St. Anthony Chapel are some masterpieces by Murillo such as Vision of St. Anthony, Holy Family, and Immaculate Conception. If you look closely at Murillo’s Vision of St. Anthony you may make out the lines where restorers pieced it back together. A portion of the painting was stolen by thieves in 1874 when they cut out the figure of St. Anthony. The cutting line is just to the left of the extended hand and above the head.
Not far from the St. Anthony Chapel in an open area behind the choir where the son of Christopher Columbus, Hernando, is buried. We are standing on the slab over his tomb. He is buried here as a reward for donating the 3,000 volume family book collection to the cathedral library.
Then we moved over to the south transept where we saw the 19th century tomb of Columbus, by Arturo Melida. It was brought here to Seville in 1899 from Havana. Our guide said there is much controversy over the real remains of Columbus. Some say they are in Cuba, others say Santa Domingo, while others say here. This sarcophagus (coffin) is borne by life size figures representing the kings of Aragon, Navarre, Castile, and Leon. The two figures in the front have emblems covering their chests, the one on the left a castle (representing Castile) and the one on the right a lion (representing Leon).
The Sacristia Mayor has this large painting by Goya which depicts the Sevillian saints Justa and Rulinia. External view of Sacrrista Mayor on right.
Here our guide pointed out the 650-pound silver monstrance by Juan de Arfe, which is carried in the Corpus Christi Day procession. The close-up shot shows the compartment in which was placed the host. The guide also referred to the paintings by Murillo here. The Sacrista Mayor (Treasury) houses the royal crown, studded with more than 1,000 colored stones, that is worn by the Virgen de los Reyes for her procession on August 15th.
Our guided tour being over, we were left to wander on our own. I chose to walk up to the top of Giralda Tower. This bell tower is 20 stories high, but the walk is gradual because of an inclined walkway built so donkeys could pull carts up it. The flooring of the ramp was made of patterned bricks. From various side openings and from the top one could get some excellent views of the surrounding area — the buttresses (right), the walls, the courtyards, including the cloister— and of course, the bells in the tower.
I also checked out the Casa Lonja, the square shaped building in this picture. This houses the Archives of the Indies, invaluable due to the history of the Spanish colonization of America. Still used for research. It was built by Juan Herrera between 1583 and 1598. (Remember his 16th century Escorial constructed for Philip II?)
During my free time I also checked out the statue of the Immaculate Conception on the Plaza del Triunfo. At the base of the statue were sitting some young school girls in school uniforms. Just above them on the monument you can see carved figures of the theologians who formulated the official doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. The monument itself was constructed in memory of those Sevillian theologians.
Our tour continued with a bus excursion to the river front to see the Torre del Oro (Golden Tower), an old bastion in the Moorish walls of the city located on the banks of the Guadalquivir. Dating from 1220, it was once one of the 64 defensive towers built along the city walls. The tower had once served as a prison and also as a storehouse for New World gold. Originally the tower was covered with gold tiles, but they gradually disappeared. The Guadalquivir River here made Seville a famous inland port city.
The famous bull ring of Seville (right), Statue of Carmen, Guadalquivir River, Argentina Pavilion, and the Spanish Morocco embassy were all sighted from the bus along the way.
The bus made a rest stop at the Plaza de Espana, surrounded by the impressive buildings of the Iberian-American show held in 1929. The artist who receives the glory, according to the sign, is Ambal Gonzales. Material for the structures were traditionally Spanish. The buildings are still in use as a government office complex.
The canals, bridges, and semi-circular plaza were worth browsing.
Just outside Seville we passed this quarry of golden color clay that is used for bull rings. The texture of the clay makes it suitable as a surface even in rainy weather. According to our guide, this helps keep the bull rings from becoming muddy.
We had a nice relaxing trip back to Torremolinos.
GO ON TO 1996 ANDALUSIAN SPAIN PART II MALAGA AND CORDOBA
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