day 18 I couldn't resist it!

So another night booked in Seville! 

And another day to enjoy the smiles sights sounds smells and feel of Seville!

How could I resist!

Today I go slow, I know my time here is drawing to an end so I have three main visits today, the first being the Catedral de Sevilla! There's no real avoiding trying to understand a people without seeing their spirituality, Roman Catholics do tend to like gold and silver and glitz and very man made!this crown particularly! 

Not exactly emblematic of the crown of thorns! 

But this just my opinion and at best it counts for nothing here! As it should. 

I do like the symbolism tho, there's a strength to it almost a fighting stance in this statue 

Another showing a coffin being carried seemed to be saying 'you have to move' with full expectation that you would cede passage!some of the churches true strength here in the day! 

Another comes across in little figurines in shops around town  presumably of characters from the inquisition... Torquemada perhaps? i can't imagine these people ever hiding behind masks to enforce anything they are incredibly open! 

The internal structure of the cathedral leaves you in doubt of the churches power and God's with the huge towering columns and vaulted ceilingsBeing normal whichever cathedral you enter, a bit different here tho with the remains of the huge minaret from it's original use as an Islamic templeNo shortage of other styles here to!

Enough religion for the day, and the streets and food are callinga healthy mango chicken curry roll, nom!!

Inevitably in any city there are beggars and some are just cheeky like this gypsy woman picking stems from a box hedge to sell like lucky heather?  Only one person getting lucky here!not the gullible tourists! 

I'd been eating my lunch on the steps around the Archive general de indias! Where the walls are lined with now empty boxes where the records of all Spanish dealings in their foreign territories had been stored during and after the collapse of Spanish empirical plans, as with all empires they thought that they would treat native people well but the result of empire ended in slavery as evident in their drawings/statuarynote the native peoples subservient jobs in this image! 

Rather a vast difference to the image of Columbus!! with empire comes trade and a rather beautiful image of Spain's trade routes is on display

My ambling today has deliberately led me to an early return to the hostel for a quick break before heading out for the evening.

Hearing chants and shouting I investigate the noise, it's an immigrants march for equality. ..a little trouble in paradise!deliberately or not it coincided and almost collided with a religious march to the cathedral, everything passed off peacefully tho

Now the reason for my evening out was specific and it was to see the Setas de Sevilla (mushrooms of Seville) these have to be seen at night and my timing was pretty good!

I'm not a fan of modern art but against a night sky these were giving a subtle shift of colour which I could only enjoy! 

Lots of people were enjoying the cafe culture underneath listening to street musicians. Quite an atmosphere! A bit of street food .... Pizza again! And back to the hostel. 

My friend Alba was on reception so inevitably we chatted and I grabbed a joint selfie

I'll miss her happy smile and twinkling eyes!

Onwards tho...