SEVILLE

She couldn’t believe they were late. As they ran through the deserted streets of Granada at dawn, she thought about how she had never missed a train or a flight or a bus to anywhere before. And she was determined not to make a first with this train to Seville. They took a shortcut to the railway station, based on their general sense of direction and it paid them off well. They reached in time with 2 minutes to spare – enough to catch their breath. And to laugh at themselves. How could they be late? They had done a recce of the route to the station the day before, and knew the roads of Granada quite well by now; having walked around everywhere. They left the hostel early and had even skipped their daily dose of hot chocolate, to ensure they be on time. Despite all that preparation, when they looked at their watches halfway, they were shocked to see that they just had a few minutes to catch their train. Guess they were too lost in the sight of beautiful Granada in the early morning.

When she reached Seville, she was surprised to find it very different from Granada. Everything about this place was bright and sunny and cheerful. It reminded her of the movie – Before Sunrise. They took a bus to Plaza Neuva – the most happening centre of the city. Their first destination was Plaza Espana. It was a breathtaking structure with a mixture of different styles of architecture. It looked as if the plaza was constructed as a tribute to the different history and art of Spain. Each district and section of the country was depicted beautifully. She had never seen anything like this – even in the movies. 

 
The place was full of tourists from across the world. After all, this was the time of Semana Santa – one the most famous festival of Seville. People from around the world had flocked here to be a part of the celebrations. However, just like in Granada, she didn’t find any Indians there. With an exception. They met a man selling flamenco fans – beautifully painted ones. As she bargained with him, she found out that he was a descendant of an Indian who had migrated here generations ago. He was quite excited to see them.

The cathedral in Seville was one the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world and was quite magnificent. The interior was quite fascinating with its paintings and carvings and the gold. She had never seen that much of gold outside a South Indian wedding. The cathedral had a tower named La Giralda – a very old structure. As they climbed up the tower through its winding ramp, they met a very good looking Spanish man wanting to strike up a conversation with them. However, he didn’t know a word of English. They gave up trying after some time, and instead focused on the view from the top of the tower. It gave a panoramic view of the city – quite breathtaking view. They could see the Torro, a famous bull fight ring from there – it looked quite interesting. They both instantly decided that would be their next stop – a trip to Spain would be incomplete without a bull fight.

 
As they walked around the streets of Seville she couldn’t stop admiring the orange trees laden with ripe fruit. She had seen that in Granada too, and wondered if it is an entire Spain thing. No one seemed interested to pick them and eat – strange sight for her. In India, even the flower plants and shrubs were not spared. She enjoyed the sight of festivities in the streets. There were vendors of every kind, magicians, musicians and people acting like statues. There was celebration in the air, everything was so bright and colorful. 

 

The visit to the Torro was quite upsetting. While the ring was quite amazing – bright orange and brown sand swept in a spiral, it was the history and the depiction of bull fights in the museum which troubled her. She hadn’t known that the bulls are killed, and quite brutally too, in the fights. Sometimes it is the fighter who dies. It was all so bloody and gory; she wondered how people enjoy it. She was happy that there was no bull fight happening while she was there. 

Once out of the Torro, they walked across the road to the bank of the river. It had a very calming effect after the violence of the bull fight. The sparkling water of the river, with its beautiful bridges and lovely boats made her feel so happy and relaxed. There were people lying on the banks and enjoying the quite afternoon sun. As they sat there, enjoying the soft splashes of the river, she couldn’t stop admiring the people around. Everyone seemed to be in a holiday mood – beautiful people just sitting or walking around and enjoying their time. 

The processions and festivities picked up in the evening, and everyone were out on the streets. They saw how the young crowd jumped from one pub to another – holding plastic glasses of drinks. This was the first time she saw people in groups. Guess, pubbing is not much fun just as couples – you need a group to enjoy it all. After wandering around for ages, they finally decided to reach the bus station in time – to catch their bus back to Granada. They didn’t want to be late this time. 

By the time they reached Granada, it was after midnight. There were no buses at that time and they decided not to hire a cab. Instead they walked down the long road to their hostel. The streets were not as deserted as she thought it would be – there were those groups of people still hopping bars and trying to have the last bit of fun before hitting the bed. Night life in Spain seemed quite fun. She had to try it before she left for India. There would be plenty of chance to do that in Barcelona – the big city. Their next stop. 

                                                                                             To be continued…..