Impressions Of Spain

In picturesque Cordoba we had booked a newly-renovated, tiny hotel and received exceptionally good service. After a walking tour, we obtained tickets to see a horse show. It featured precision riding and horse-dancing, where horses trotted diagonally across the arena raising their front feet in time to music. These dancing horses looked a little embarrassed, and seemed to perform their dance steps under duress. Other horses were trained to rear up on their hind legs or to lift all feet off the ground at a special command.  A singer in a long evening gown serenaded horses while they slowly pranced towards her or circled around her. While some of the program seemed a little contrived, the precision riding was truly impressive.

Back on the train to Seville I noticed that the olive trees were now interspersed throughout the countryside with cotton fields and orange groves spread out on both sides of the railway tracks. The absence of river, lakes, and forests on our journey was striking. In Seville we found our Airbnb and spent two days enjoying this beautiful city. It is pedestrian-friendly with many wide walking thoroughfares with hundreds of outdoor cafes, children’s playscapes, and vendor kiosks. Hundreds of motorcycles, rather than cars, were lined up in orderly rows at the sides of the huge pedestrian walkways. It was a delightful experience just to stroll among the crowds of people enjoying themselves. On one occasion 10,000 women dressed in pink T-shirts casually made their way through the streets in support of breast cancer research.

Imagine meeting up with Christopher Columbus inside the Seville Cathedral His remains are encased in a large casket held aloft by four sculpted human figures. It seemed like a fitting place for such a remarkable Italian explorer who was credited with discovering the New World. He was also indirectly responsible for making Spain extremely wealthy for a time, with tons of gold and silver extracted from the Americas. Columbus died in the Spanish city of Valladolid in 1506 and his remains were shipped to Seville. In 1542 they were shipped to Santa Domingo in Dominican Republic, and in 1795 to Cuba. In 1898 they were returned to Seville. Dominican Republic has not given up its claim to be still in possession of Columbus’s remains, but DNA testing has revealed that they are in the Seville Cathedral casket, not in the Dominican Republic.

After enjoying two carriage rides through parts of the city on different days, we somehow ended up at The Metropol Parasol, popularly known as the Mushroom. It is the equivalent of Toronto’s CN Tower in popularity and so attracts thousands of visitors each day. Advertised as the world’s largest wooden structure, it was completed in 2011 after many frustrating construction delays, at a cost of 100 million Euros. Six wooden parasols in the form of giant mushrooms give it its nickname. It is a multi-use structure that includes a museum, market, public plaza, and restaurant. A winding ramp to a spacious lookout 86 feet above the street offers a clear view of the city centre. From a distance the Mushroom looks like a gigantic Lego toy, built by a mad architect. A climb to its pinnacle is worth the effort.

As a tourist, first-time impressions of another country are long-lasting, even if inaccurate. With few exceptions my first-time impressions of the 26 countries that I have visited as a tourist have been very positive, allowing me to enjoy fond memories of my visits. Now I am able to add Spain to that list.