A few weekends ago...

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." - Teddy Roosevelt

This past weekend my API group had the pleasure of going on our second of three excursions, this time to Sevilla. Sevilla is a city that is about three hours west of Granada, over some mountains, in a valley on the river Guadalquivir. It is in a very beautiful area, and most of the year it is also very hot there, with highs well over 100 all summer long. Sevilla is also a very historic and old city as it has been a key place in Spain since the Roman era, and has played a vital role in Spain since its reconquest in the 11^th century. In Sevilla we visited the grand Cathedral and its Muslim tower, as well as the Alcazar Palace of the King of Spain. Both were spectacular and we were given a large amount of free time to roam the rest of the city which I enjoyed thoroughly.

The adventures began when we arrived in Sevilla on Friday night and headed out on a walking tour. During this time we walked around a part of the city that can only be described as picturesque. Beautiful. We also went to the Plaza de Espana, which was built for the world’s fair in 1911. It is an incredible structure, and probably my favorite building in Sevilla. It has been used in many movies and today you can roam all over it any time you want.

We then went next door to a fair that was going on that had booths from all over the world including many from Arab and Spanish countries. The food there was pretty killer as well, and the music they were playing really made it feel like we were far from Spain. I then decided to retire for the night as we had a big day ahead of us.

The next day dawned and Keith, Shawn and I went on a run around the city. It was a fun time, we got a little lost, but we managed to get back to the hotel in time to have a huge breakfast before we departed for the Cathedral. At the Cathedral, one of the largest in the world, we were guided through all of the sections, including where there are the remains of Christopher Columbus. I would say some of the remains, as they say after shipping his remains back and forth to many burial locations after his death what is left today is only part of ole Columbus. Sevilla is also a very historical city, as this was the location where many voyages departed from, including Columbus’ primary expedition.

Next we climbed up the old Muslim tower that is connected to the Cathedral and were given beautiful views of the city, as the tower is the highest point in the city. After the tour we were given free time, and I spent this time going to a few museums and touring more of the city on foot.

Then on Sunday morning we went to the royal palace and grounds that were next to our hotel. This palace the Royal Alcazar was beautiful. I had no idea what it was before we went, but it is kind of a mini Alhambra. The Christian King of Castile, before Spain was whole, wanted to build a similar palace to the Alhambra, and he was on good terms with the people of Granada, so they helped him to build something, that was very beautiful, although not quite as grand as the Alhambra. The tour was great, and then our time in Sevilla had come to a close.

My few observations about the city are that I had not quite given Sevilla enough credit before I visited it, similar to Salamanca. I had always thought yes, it’s a pretty city I am sure, but not really believed it fully. I can now say there are parts of Sevilla that are prettier than anything that I have ever seen before, and yes some of these areas are touristy, but I really liked the central city. The colors of the buildings are incredible, and the central promenade with its tram line is great and really innovative as well. The weather was also very warm, and that made it a fun time.

Having left Sevilla mid day we headed west back towards Granada, and when we reached the town of Antequera we headed up into the mountains for the park called El Torcal. This part of our trip was stunning. I think that myself and a few others enjoyed it too much, but I found this park a great adventure to say the least.

I cannot explain it other than the limestone in this area has been shaped through millions of years in ways that I have never seen before, and today it makes for a great place to visit. During our few hours there we hiked, did some rock climbing, and enjoyed another great place in Spain that I had no idea existed, but yes it is now on my mind as simply incredible.

Now I have many things ahead to do. Life. It is very cold in Granada. This is real cold, not the type that I had described before. I guess the weather fluctuates in Granada a lot, and you never can be sure how it will be at one time or another. Anyways, after leaving the 90 degree heat of Sevilla, we returned to a peaceful Granada. Then the next day storms came through and the temperatures dropped. Since that fateful Monday we have now had 10 days of temperatures somewhere near 50 degrees as a high, and 30 degrees as a low, with it being very brisk for most of the day. So the winter jacket is out. This past weekend it rained for two straight days as well. I am ready for a change. You are caught up on my life. Snow on the mountains.