Rob and I spend a bit of time asking each other what day it is - just to be sure we are keeping track of them. Today is Thursday - at least I think it is, yes of course it is we arrived yesterday and that was Wednesday. Then we check what time it is as we are not too good at judging it here. The sun doesn't quite sit in the right place in the sky, it is at a different angle and we are only just starting to get the hang of it. Meals are at the "wrong" times, but they are of course only wrong if we are trying to fit them into our experience at home, nothing wrong with them at this end.
This morning we accepted the concierge's offer of a cup of tea and coffee and toast for breakfast. I didn't accept his offer of whiskey in my tea though. More hand shaking to celebrate Spain's win and more chanting as the final is still to come. He has told us that if we go to the cathedral mosque before 10 entry is free - and that it opens at 8.30. We follow his advice and work our way there. The cathedral is amazing, it is a cathedral built by the catholic church imposing itself on an existing mosque which is built
over the top of a church which in turn was built over the top of a roman temple. There are some excavations exposed to display the tiled floor of the earlier martyr church of St Vincent. The size and scale of the building is vast with row after row of graceful columns supporting the roof. At one point I could hear mass starting over the speakers, but could not for the life of me work out where it was being said. The mass turned out to be in the centre where the main altar has been built under the most magnificent mosque dome. The mosque minaret has been covered up by the cathedral belfry. It is an extraordinary place, not quite one thing or the other but a bit of both, with some areas set up as museum spaces and others in the throes of restoration. Outside there is a beautiful courtyard with trees and water features of course - a very moorish thing.
As we move through the town we glimpse refreshing cool courtyards through a lot of doors. We pass through the dense tourist shops in the old jewish quarter of the town on up to a large enclosed plaza very like Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Lunch of menu at a restaurant up a side street then siesta. The weather seems not to be as hot as forecast today and we even get a few spots, and I mean a few, as we walk around.
I know you won't really care but I am having trouble with email on my phone. So far it has been handy as we only have Rob's netbook between us. Until a couple of days ago I could email my blog. Will have to sort that out sometime. I know I can upload it anyway. Then I found the wifi in the hotel foyer is painfully slow. We have been spoiled so far with good connections. Ah, well.
This evening we head in the opposite direction wandering through another part of the heritage area - San Basilio. The terrace houses again have inviting areas inside. We are very surprised to look through one doorway to a small supermarket. There is nothing on the street to indicate a shop of any sort!
The tabernas don't open until 8.30 and then seem to close at 10.30 or soon after. We go out the Puerta Seville and walk along a wall that I think is 14th century as it seems to at least match the walls of the Alcazar nearby. Then we head through town, hoping to find somewhere to have a bite to eat. We realise that we haven't hit the shopping area yet and so head off in that direction. We traverse Gran Capitain which is busy with shoppers and diners and seems quite a lively part of the city at night. As we wend our way back to the hostal we find that all roads seem to travel through the Juderia, the Jewish quarter around the Mezquita. We hope to see inside the Alcazar tomorrow .... so far we haven't been able to get there when it is opened, nor the Arabian baths. Both are just arouhd the corner from the hostal so you wouldn't think it difficult. It would be easier if the baths would put their opening hours up somewhere. I ask the girl as she is closing up the tourist information kiosk nearby - all I find out is that they open at 8.30, not how long they open for. Bit of a gamble ...
over the top of a church which in turn was built over the top of a roman temple. There are some excavations exposed to display the tiled floor of the earlier martyr church of St Vincent. The size and scale of the building is vast with row after row of graceful columns supporting the roof. At one point I could hear mass starting over the speakers, but could not for the life of me work out where it was being said. The mass turned out to be in the centre where the main altar has been built under the most magnificent mosque dome. The mosque minaret has been covered up by the cathedral belfry. It is an extraordinary place, not quite one thing or the other but a bit of both, with some areas set up as museum spaces and others in the throes of restoration. Outside there is a beautiful courtyard with trees and water features of course - a very moorish thing.
As we move through the town we glimpse refreshing cool courtyards through a lot of doors. We pass through the dense tourist shops in the old jewish quarter of the town on up to a large enclosed plaza very like Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Lunch of menu at a restaurant up a side street then siesta. The weather seems not to be as hot as forecast today and we even get a few spots, and I mean a few, as we walk around.
I know you won't really care but I am having trouble with email on my phone. So far it has been handy as we only have Rob's netbook between us. Until a couple of days ago I could email my blog. Will have to sort that out sometime. I know I can upload it anyway. Then I found the wifi in the hotel foyer is painfully slow. We have been spoiled so far with good connections. Ah, well.
This evening we head in the opposite direction wandering through another part of the heritage area - San Basilio. The terrace houses again have inviting areas inside. We are very surprised to look through one doorway to a small supermarket. There is nothing on the street to indicate a shop of any sort! 
The tabernas don't open until 8.30 and then seem to close at 10.30 or soon after. We go out the Puerta Seville and walk along a wall that I think is 14th century as it seems to at least match the walls of the Alcazar nearby. Then we head through town, hoping to find somewhere to have a bite to eat. We realise that we haven't hit the shopping area yet and so head off in that direction. We traverse Gran Capitain which is busy with shoppers and diners and seems quite a lively part of the city at night. As we wend our way back to the hostal we find that all roads seem to travel through the Juderia, the Jewish quarter around the Mezquita. We hope to see inside the Alcazar tomorrow .... so far we haven't been able to get there when it is opened, nor the Arabian baths. Both are just arouhd the corner from the hostal so you wouldn't think it difficult. It would be easier if the baths would put their opening hours up somewhere. I ask the girl as she is closing up the tourist information kiosk nearby - all I find out is that they open at 8.30, not how long they open for. Bit of a gamble ...
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