Oddly, I didn't take very many pictures in Seville, although some of the shots on the people page are in Seville. And one of the highlights of Seville--flamenco at La Carbonaria once we finally found it and got brave enough to enter--doesn't really translate well into pictures. Neither does the lowlight of getting trapped in the Alcazar....
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A typical Andalusian courtyard. As you wind your way through the maze of Seville streets, you find that the interesting stuff is all tucked away in these courtyards which can only be seen through an open entryway or a window. |
| One of the benefits of climbing the ramp of the Giralda is that you get to see the amazing attention to detail even at the top of the cathedral. Apparently the tower/minaret has a ramp instead of stairs so that the prayer-caller from its Islamic days could ride his horse to the top instead of having to climb. |
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| We climbed down some really crazy steep steps of The Moorish Mine (essentially the full height of the cliff). Used as a stronghold and hiding place for the Moors while the city was under siege, they think its original purpose was a water source for the city. Although I'm not sure I'd want to drink the water at the bottom.... |
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A fountain the palace garden. The black sculpture in the foreground was part of an exhibit of modern African art. |
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Being good consumers, we did the one touristy thing and took a boat ride around the coast to see the grottos. They are pretty amazing and the explanations of each formation by our guide were pretty amusing. The water was amazingly clear. Unfortunately, our guide was a stereotypical macho type who made comments to all the women on the nearby beaches so we were thoroughly disgusted with him by the end of the ride.
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A new twist on Gothic! Lisbon boasts a style called Manueline. It features a lot more latticework and elements that look like twisted rope. This is the monastery at Belem.  |
| Wait, is this picture left over from SF? No, they have the same type of suspension bridge in Lisbon. We got to drive over it 3 times on our way into the city (don't ask--it's a very confusing highway system!). |
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Some typical houses in Lisbon. Lots of public spaces and parks in the city. |
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My only picture from Sintra (the rest are from the local coast). This is one of those crazy castles at the top of a really big hill. We walked all the way up only to discover that the castle was closed on Mondays. Instead we toured the gardens. |
| The monument to Cabo da Roca--the westernmost point in Europe. It was really frickin' windy and foggy here so we didn't stay long. |
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Samples of the rugged Portuguese west coast. The fog was just beginning to clear when we got here. Note the white houses with red tile roofs. Every town in Portugal seems to look just like this. |
