The seductive spell of SEVILLE
Bulls, dancers and buildings ... Moira Smart falls for the splendid Spanish city
‘Beyond the well-trod path” in the Sunday Times Travel of September 16 sparked memories of my trip to Spain.
Accustomed to solo travel, I was on an alien experience of mass tourism — a bus tour of 50 people, herded along from one beautiful site to the next. An opportunity to go off the beaten track did not arise.
This being said, I could not avoid falling for the charm of Seville. Pronouncing it “Seveeya” made it even more appealing.
Sitting at a sidewalk café, I watched the world saunter by. Noticeably set apart from the tourists, the Sevillanos were well-groomed and striking in appearance, a blend of the first Iberian tribes — Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors.
Lord Byron, in his epic poem Don Juan, wrote, “In Seville was he born, a pleasant city, famous for oranges and women.” And so his reputation lives on.
THE JOY OF WALKING
But first there was education time, as I had a taste of the rich history of the city on a guided walk through the central zone.
The Lion’s Gate, in 12th-century fortified walls, was the grand entrance to the Royal Alcázar (palace), originally a Moorish fort.
It was commissioned by Spanish King Pedro I, and the influence of the Moor builders is very much in evidence. Tiled courtyards and halls with decorated ceilings and carved arches. The royal rooms were lavishly adorned — no doubt to impress Pedro’s influential mistress, Maria. Part of season five of Game of Thrones was filmed here in 2015.
Together with the Alcázar, the elaborate cathedral has been declared a Unesco
World Heritage Site. The Spanish salvaged remains of Christopher Columbus for an ornate coffin on display. His voyage was launched from Seville’s port on the wide, meandering Guadalquivir River.
In the former Jewish quarter of the
Barrio de Santa Cruz, a lady at a flamenco boutique told the story of the hand fan
(abanico). It was not just for decoration or to keep cool. When single ladies went to a dance, they were accompanied by a chaperone.
They were not allowed to meet young men on their own, so they devised a secret language to communicate.
Some examples: opens her fan and touches her cheek — I like you; covers her mouth with her fan — sends a kiss; moves fan slowly over her chest — I’m available; hits her right hand with her fan — I don’t like you. This was an artistic form of seduction, where the woman held the key.
Our next excursion was to find out about the Spanish cultural symbol of the bull.
The peaceful countryside of rolling hills, orchards and wind farms flew by as we approached the Albaserrada bull-rearing ranch.
Brave and fierce bulls roam freely in the lush fields among olive and eucalyptus trees. We gathered in an arena to have the art of bullfighting explained in detail.
The matador undergoes intense training before entering a bullring. His intricate manoeuvres in the ring are to allow the inherent quality of the bull to manifest. When a bull has shown outstanding bravery, the audience may petition the president of the ring to “pardon” it. This is a great honour and he will live out his days roaming his home ranch and siring offspring.
THE SUN ALSO FADES
Watching the sun fade over a field of olive and orange trees, I had a moment to reflect on the “corrida de toros” (the bullfight), attempting to understand it within its original cultural context.
After a delicious traditional Andalusian meal on the ranch, we travelled on to our evening entertainment — another culturally linked heartbeat of Spain, the flamenco.
The guitarist strummed his soulful song, ladies in exotic, colourful dresses and silk shawls clapped rhythmically. The male dancer took centre stage. His toe stroked the floor, and then a trickle of precise taps with the heel gradually erupted into intricate footwork. The tension and momentum built until his final step, bathed in sweat, fell like the crack of a whip.
A visual narrative was taking place, one I felt as the dancers’ body language and facial expressions exuded strong emotions such as grief, love, joy, and sadness.
The mournful singing and guitar strumming reverberated in the alleys and plazas as we made our way back to the hotel.
As Byron penned the last words of Don
Juan, I was “left in a tender moonlight situation”.
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