Rota, Spain; Day 29

Today marked the last road trip Adventure from our Rota home base and it was back to Seville.

We got an early start because we had a few things to do and the temperature was predicted to hit 90 degrees in the afternoon.

First stop was the Setas de Sevilla which was new for Brian and the boys.

Brian took the kids up to the walkway for the excellent vantage point of the city. Tiffany stayed behind and was able to grab a ground shot of them enjoying the view.

Next was wandering through the narrow cobblestone streets of Seville. We peered through shop windows and gazed longingly at sidewalk cafes. But we didn’t stop – we had an appointment at the Cathedral.

As Tiffany, Tracy and Suaram noticed on their first walk by the Seville Cathedral, it is somewhat interesting on the outside but in many places it’s quite simple and unadorned. The inside however is a very different story.

Officially known as Catedral de Santa María de la Sede it is the fourth largest church in the world and the largest gothic church although it has architecture of other styles as well. Its construction started in 1401 as an adaptation of a grand mosque that was on the site and was completed 127 years later.

The interior of the Cathedral is gorgeous. It’s filled with art and stained glass and statues and the most detailed, amazing Altarpiece we’ve ever seen. It goes to the ceiling and has 5 rows of sculptures in niches bordered by carvings. It was the lifetime’s work of a single artist.

Among other notables, Christopher Columbus is buried here – probably. His remains traveled the world almost as much as he did – mainly between Spain, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. There was a mix up at some point with another set of bones and now both the Seville Cathedral and a site in the Dominican Republic claim his burial. Some theories say he’s partially in both places.

Whether he’s actually in there or not, the tomb is very unusual and impressive. It has four statues carrying the coffin for eternity. Each is made of bronze and carrying items symbolic of Columbus’ life.

We arrived at the same time as a number of tour groups so the inside was crowded. We each got the audio guide for our experience and although they complained, the kids did great. Perhaps is was getting an iPhone to play with or maybe it was the scavenger hunt aspect of finding the numbers for the part to listen too. But very quickly after we entered the church we got separated – Brian by himself, Tiffany and Suaram together. Fifteen minutes later we caught up with CreeperKitty and CreeperPuppy, happily wandering the space and listening to the guide. Suaram joined them and they finished their tour together.

Next we headed up to the top of the Bell Tower. More beautiful views of Seville including the roof and gardens of the Real Alcazar palace we toured last week.