Memento - A Picture Tells A Thousand Words

Day 8: Black Saturday in Seville

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Bird's Eye View of a beautiful, sunny Black Saturday from the La Giralda Belltowers. This view overlooks the city centre of Seville. One can be enthralled by the immaculate white walls of houses highlighted by pink, ocre and burnt siena rooftops

Bird's Eye View of a beautiful, sunny Black Saturday from the La Giralda Belltowers. This view overlooks the city centre of Seville. One can be enthralled by the immaculate white walls of houses highlighted by pink, ocre and burnt siena rooftops

The Seville Cathedral - said to have the most expansive area in the whole world. In fact, a Guiness World Records certificate has been plastered in its information booth.

The La Giralda belltower was built as a minaret in the 12th century and the remainder to include a belfry, added by the Christians in the 16th century. To ascend the belltower is to go up with no elevators for 34 floors.

The Flamenco - the dance full of emotion and passion.

The origins of flamenco are said to be the gypsies mixing their own-Indian influenced culture with existing Moorish and Andalucian folklore.

Flamenco is an artistic expression of sorrows and joys of life. There are no strict choreography - and dancers can improvise.

It was a peaceful Black Saturday around Seville. There were no masses nor processions in the morning. Time was well spent in visiting the Cathedral, said to be the 3rd biggest in the world, after the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Although, apparently as a Guiness World Record marker inside the Cathedral writes, it has "the biggest floor space for any cathedral in the whole world."

Nighttime came, and we were lucky to book a night in a famous Flamenco tablao in Barrio Santa Cruz, in the city centre of Seville. Normally, all seats would have been taken. The one we saw was Las Brujas and we enjoyed the dancing, the rhythmic tapping of the dancer's high heeled shoes, hand-clapping and the strumming of the guitar immensely. There were 6 bailaoras who had their own solo numbers in succession followed by guitar solos and flamenco dancing in pairs. Perspiring after every number, both the dancers and the guitarists received numerous oles from the appreciative crowd. The 90-minute show was worth every euro we paid for.

Chalk up another colorful cultural and soul-enriching experience in this journey full of surprises. Ole!.

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