Blog Update

My blog is updated...sorry its been a while but internet has been bad here. There are three posts so check them out: Seville…or as the locals say Sevilla!, The Real Alcazar, 10 Things I Learned About Flamenco Dancing.

10 Things I Learned About Flamenco Dancing

10. There are 3 major cultural influences on Flamenco, and even if I gave you 10 guesses you would not guess them correctly. They are Indian (as in India), Afro-Cuban, and French. Don’t worry I was dumb founded too.

9. There are 15 different versions of Flamenco, and each stands for a specific feeling like happiness, or passion, or pain.

8. Despite all the rhythm I have dancing salsa, merengue or even booty dancing, I have absolutely not one ounce of rhythm for Flamenco dancing. I look like a spastic mannequin.

7. Gypsies are not from Egypt, contrary to popular belief and what Disney tells you in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Gypsies actually come from India.

6. Flamenco started as a dance of death and pain. Which leads me to #5.

5. When watching Flamenco the dancers make these horrible faces like they are in severe pain dancing…they aren’t, its part of the act, or should I say, part of the dance.

4. Most men that dance Flamenco look like real life vampires…honestly they look straight out of a Bram Stoker novel. Slicked back long hair, all black outfit, long nails, chiseled face, and they have this odd and frightening sex appeal. After two shows I am convinced that vampires do exist.

3. There is no concrete reason why flamenco dancers wear polka dots so much in their outfits. But every year there is a huge Flamenco fashion expo in Seville to introduce the latest trend in Flamenco dresses.

2. Although it may seem tempting….NEVER, I repeat NEVER sit in the front row at a Flamenco show where the seats are directly in front of the stage. Why you ask…well, you are in the sweat zone. Just ask all the tourists who were showered with flying sweat at our show. It is just an added benefit to the show that I believe one can do with out.

1. No matter how many times you have watched a Flamenco show or performance on TV, you must see a Flamenco show in person. It is truly moving and magical…to see their technique and the beauty of the movement is breathtaking.

The first two pics are of technically trained Flamenco dancers and the following two pics are of Gypsy Flamenco dancers. I have to say when we saw the Gypsy dancers we were inside this cave setting and after we all sat down and the women began to dance in walks the Vampire himself. The sole male dancer just glides across the dance floor flashing this dashing smile to all the women in the room. At that point I thought for sure they would seal the only door to the cave and feast on all us unsuspecting study abroad students. Luckily I was wrong or they just didn’t like Hispanic blood, we tend to be a bit spicy.

The Real Alcazar

Day two meant another walking tour of Seville but this time we focused our attention and time on the Alcazar. It is an extravagant palace, which is the oldest still inhabited royal palace in the world…meaning the Spanish Monarch still lives in the palace when they are in town. Oh and R. Alcazar does not stand for Royal Alcazar…I was corrected by the tour guide, it stands for Real Alcazar, which sounds more like a Spanish soccer team to me. The palace is extremely large, spanning several acres, and after 3 hours we still had not seen all of its lovely treasures…but our attention span was shot by hour 2 so the guide decided to wrap it up by hour 3. As you can see the place is magnificent, words cannot describe the beauty and detail of the architectural design. Here are a few pics…oh and yes I made it to “El Patio de las Muñecas”; I talked about that in an earlier blog and I found the doll faces. My advice when you visit, don’t look so high for the faces, they are easier to find then you expect. Enjoy!!!

Seville…or as the locals say, Sevilla!

I am here in Seville…sorry I haven’t updated in a while but the Internet here has been very unreliable. So I have a few posts and pics to fill you in on everything. Seville is beautiful, in an ancient city type of way. And when you walk down the main streets you feel like you are on a movie set in a film studio’s back lot. I had to laugh as I was thinking that on our first walking tour we ran into a huge mob and in the middle was a bunch of Star Wars junkies dressed as storm troopers and Darth Vader…only in Europe would people walk the street dressed head to toe in costumes. I also learned that a part of Star Wars Episode II was filmed in Seville in the Plaza de España…once I actually find it I will post a pic. There are also some pics of me and La Giralda at night. We had a roof top welcome reception with this splendid view…the perfect way to start my time in Seville.

Granada

At this point I am jumping from city to city...so I am currently enjoying the most beautiful city in Spain...Granada. As you can see we are happy to be here, so I want to share that enthusiasm with my first pic. My first day in Granada was spent exploring the exuberant Alhambra...which is not a castle or fortress contrary to what most people say...its actually a whole city. Trust me my feet will vouche for that. But here is a shot of the city of Granada from atop the Alhambra walls. Then a group shot during our Cathedral tour...and right before the gypsies were cited for harassing us with Rosemary...they bring a whole new meaning to aggressive. Also a shot a city street in Granada where I did a little bargain hunting and last is my favorite shot of all...a night view of the Alhambra. It is really breathtaking. Now off to Camborio in the Albacin of Granada...a little advice from my friend Maria....and Seville manana.

Cordoba

Hello from Cordoba. Spent a day in the city exploring ancient sights and sweating my butt off. But all worth it to take in the beauty of th city...I don't think my pics do the city justice. Just a few of my shots...the Cordoba city landscape, a shot of the Mesquite from a neighboring tower, me on a city street, a group shot of the girls, and the Mesquite at night. By the way, totally thrown off by the difference in the sun...it sets here around 10 - 10:30 PM.

Murillo, Velazquez, Zurbaran in Prado Museum

So I had he opportunity to visit the Prado Museum while in Madrid...for art lovers it is heaven...but go on Sundays because the museum is free. Fore warning the museum you will avoid. Anyways we had a small scavenger hunt while inside the museum to find famous Sevillian painters...what a mission but at least the sceneary was nice. After some small setbacks with reading the map incorrectly I found Bartolome Murillo, Diego Velazquez, and Francisco Zurbaran.

El Sueño del Patricio and El Patricio revela su sueño al Papa
Bartolomé E. Murillo

I enjoyed this pair of paintings by Murillo because of the story explaining his creative conception of them. The story goes that the first painting (El Sueño del Patricio) depecits the Virgin Mary coming to Patricio and his wife in a dream to explain her wish to build a church on a hill. The second painting (El Patricio revela su sueño al Papa) shows Patricio going to the Pope to tell him about his dream with the Virgin Mary. The following background story is that the Pope goes to the hill that Patricio describes, and although the time is summer, snow is on the ground outlining the foundation of the church. This is the legend behind the Church de Santa Maria La Blanca, and the church in which both of these paintings hung. Cool little side note, these paintings were stolen in the 19th Century and brought to France where the gold arches were added to make the paintings more neo classical, 3 years later their were returned to Spain, but the damage was already done.

Las Meninas
Diego Velázquez

Las Meninas is a famous painting, just walk into any El Corte Inglés in Spain and you will see an advertisment copy of this painting. But that's not what caught my attention, I chose to focus on this painting by Velázquez because he is basically tooting his own horn in this picture. The painting is Velázquez personal opinion about his stature in Spanish society. The painting focuses on Infanta Margarita (a princess) and her maids tending to her. To her right is actually Velázquez painting, he is actually painting her parents King Phillip IV and Queen Mariana of Austria...but the untrained eye would miss this aspect of the painting since the King and Queen are only noticable in the background. Look at the reflection in the mirror hanging in the background behind Infanta Margarita. Anyways this is a scene going on in the Alcazar palace, and Velázquez has painted himself in the mix to show his status as a painter. He depicts himself as a personal friend of the royal family and not as a hired artist. But the main aspect of arrogance is the red cross on Velázquez's chest...it is actually a symbol of the King's court. As stated historically Velázquez was not awarded this high ranking status symbol until 1658 which was 2 years after the painting was finished and issued into circulation. This seems like an act of arrogance that Velázquez painted this work to communicate to the Spanish community his personal view of his societal status...in a sense kind of trash talking with his paintbrush.

Hercules Matando la Hidra De Lerna
Francisco Zurbaran

I enjoyed Zurbaran's depictions of Hercules because of my love for Greek Mythology. "Hercules Matando la Hidra De Lerna" depicts the Greek Myth of Hercules' second task of his 12 labours. He had to kill the Hydra of Lerna to move onto his next task. The 9 headed, serpant like, fire breathing beast put up a tiring fight before succoming to Hercules. Zurbaran depicts this scene down to the T...he even includes Iolaus, Hercules' nephew who helps him strategize to defeat the Hydra. Cool tip: look very closely and see if you can find the scorpian which is attacking Hercules.

Tourist in Madrid

Today's trip included stops at Plaza de Toros and El Museo de Prado.

Cien Años de Gran Vía

Well I made it...after two exhausting flights and 10 hours of travel with two very unhappy toddlers, I have arrived in Madrid. Once I made it through customs I had to make my way to Petit Palace Italia where I will stay during my time in Madrid. I thought I was off to a very good start to my trip, knowing I could conquer the Madrid Metro system...thanks to all my experience in New York City. But I was blindsided by the crowd I faced when I got off the subway...turns out this weekend is the celebration of San Isidro in Madrid. Please take this advice, never come into a city on a weekend during on of the biggest street celebrations of the year...you will be dragging you suitcase for a long time and going absolutely nowhere. My second lesson of the day....there is more than one Petit Palace in Madrid...actually there are many Petit Palace Hotels...I found four today on my own before stumbling onto the Petit Palace Italia where I actually had reservations.

But anyhow...the part I want to focus on was seeing the celebrations of San Isidro and joining in on the celebration of 100 years of Gran Vía...which happens to be the street my hotel sits on. The entire street was lined with a vibrant blue carpet and attracted thousands of Spaniards. I spent the day tasting the local fare at outside cafes which lined Gran Vía. We also admired the festive costumes worn by the children of the city. Traditional dress had the girls in Mermaid styled plaid dress with a hankerchief in their hair and a red flower. On the other hand little boys sported old fashioned slacks with vests, newsboy caps, an a red flower. The outfits were adorable and their excitement to participate in the celebration made watching them twirl ever more entertaining. This one will be short and sweet...you will see pictures of the celebration of San Isidro, la Calle Gran Vía, and tasty jamon y queso. Tomorrow I will tour Madrid and bring shots of some of the best sites.

Ready for my Adventure...First Stop Spain

Well here I go venturing out on my first excursion…and I call it an excursion because well, it will be an extended trip across Europe making stops all over the map.

My first destination is Spain. I’m going to throw my rather large backpack on and hightail my way across the Spanish countryside making stops in Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, and Seville. This will be a rather interesting trip since I will be traveling with 29 students, and I’m pretty sure I am the oldest one in the bunch. But by no means am I calling myself old…just older and a little wiser. So in preparation for my departure…which is in T – 3 days…I’ve been researching the sites so here is a little foreshadowing to the sites I will check out on my trip. Although I will be traveling through Madrid, Cordoba, and Granada…my main city of exploration will be Seville thus the little blurb on Seville’s highlights…I’ll neglect the little side note that this is an assignment for my trip :)

Seville is a culturally rich city in the Andalusia region of Spain. Made famous for its Moorish – Medieval architecture, tinto de verano, olives (I’m an oliveholic so no making fun when I talk about them later), Flamenco dancing, bullfights at Plaza de Toros, Alcazar, la Giralda, Christopher Columbus, the Alamitto Bridge, and Agua de Seville. The city has stood as a gateway for so many throughout history and its port is famous for the discovery of the Americas. As the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of Southern Spain, Seville remains a staple for Spain and a must see on any travelers destination list.

While walking down cobblestone streets, Seville greets its world travelers with Renaissance and Arabic influenced architecture sure to bring the shock and awe. As well everywhere you look an infamous sign, or acronym, is present “NO8DO”. As legend goes, because in Seville everything has a legend, King Alfonso X, son of King Fernando III, fended off an attempt by his own son Sancho IV to overthrow his reign as king. To praise all the Sevillanos who remained loyal to him and his reign as King he uttered these words “no me ha dejado”. When looking at the symbol NO8DO, NO and DO represent Spanish syllables. By the figure 8 actually represents a skein of yard, or in Spanish “madeja”. When you read this aloud it says “no madeja do”, which sounds like “No me ha dejado” meaning “It (Seville) has not abandoned me”.
Along with breath-taking architecture Seville will provide mouth watering food and wine. Tinto de vino is the imaginative combination of ginger ale and red wine, which may sound a little off putting to many, but to me, sounds like a party in my mouth. As well the wine is served accompanied by tapas, found at every mom and pop shop nestled in quaint spaces along Seville’s avenues. It is here that one must map out their plan of attack on the city and here is a pointer…must see: 1. La Giralda, 2. The Cathedral of Seville, and 3. The Royal Alcazar Palace.

La Giralda
This is the most famous symbol of Seville, “NO8DO’ follows as a close second. La Giralda is the bell tower found atop the Cathedral of Seville. Originally La Giralda was a minaret build by the Moors displayed atop their lovely Mosque, but after the Reconquista, Christians rebuilt the structure and it became the Cathedral of Seville. The main piece to be recycled into the new masterpiece was La Giralda, which stands at a whopping 320 feet in height. Two-thirds of La Giralda was built by the Almohad Dynasty, with the remaining one-third constructed by the Spanish. This refabrication came in 1365 after a devastating earthquake toppled the copper dome which previously sat atop La Giralda. In true Christian fashion the structure was rebuilt with new additions, a cross and bell to represent the buildings Christian values, and which still graces the top of La Giralda today. A little side note, if you can get close enough to see you will find “NO8DO” inscribed on La Giralda.

The Cathedral of Seville
La Giralda is found atop the Cathedral of Seville and to be honest you cannot miss both sites. The cathedral is the largest gothic cathedral around, and the third largest church in the world. It also happens to be one of the few churches on my “Must See” list. This amazing piece of work was built in the 16th Century, and is also known by the name of “Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede”. The Cathedral was built as a symbol of Sevillan wealth, to signify the growth of the city after the Reconquista. Again as legend has it at a town hall meeting these words were said to describe the architectural undertaking, “Let a church so beautiful and so great that those who see it built will think we were mad. A work such as good, which like no other”. And so we have the Cathedral of Seville in all its glory. Complete with the Sacristia Mayor dome (which had fallen twice due to earthquakes, but is still standing since its refabrication in 1903), the longest naïve around, and a plethora of Gothic styled retablo with carved scenes of Christ. The altar by the way is the life work of a single artist, Pierre Dancart. We must admit he is a holy man to construct such a master piece. FYI…you will find Christopher Columbus’ tomb inside the Cathedral of Seville along with 80 chapels.

The Royal Alcazar Palace
Lastly, you cannot miss the Royal Alcazar Palace…honestly, you just cannot miss it. Originally built by as a Moorish fort by the Almohodes, this magnum opus was called Al-Muwarak. Again, like La Giralda once the Spanish regained control of Seville after the Reconquista the Castellan royal family moved in and renamed the grand fort the Royal Alcazar Palace. Moorish influence is evident in the architecture but Gothic and Medieval aspects round out the design. Here are four sights inside the palace to keep one busy when snapping away on their camera. Patio de las Doncellas…another legend is present here. “The Courtyard of Maidens” is said to be named because the Moors demanded 100 virgins every year as a tribute from Christian kingdoms in Iberia. There is also Los Banos de Dona Maria de Padilla, which stands for “The Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla. This originally was rainwater tanks beneath the Patio del Crucero. As many sights in Seville are, this name too has a legend. The legend states that Peter the Cruel was in love with Maria de Padilla and to win her heart had her husband murdered. In return Maria burned her face with hot oil to disfigure it and halt Peter’s advances. She later became a nun and is regarded as a symbol of purity in Sevillan society. There is also La Casa de Contractacion, “House of Trade”, which was established to manage trade with the Spanish Americas. Think of this as an ancient form of Wall Street. Lastly, there is El Patio de las Munecas. Here is where real travelers test their wits…another legend by the way. In Islamic tradition representations of people and animals was forbidden in works of art such as the Al-Muwarak. But one face was hidden in El Patio de laas Munecas, and only those with the sharpest eyes can find it. Although there is plenty other faces and human representation throughout the Royal Alcazar Palace, those pieces were built by Spaniards after the Reconquista. I will be taking up this challenge and hope to post a picture of that hidden face.