MADE IT IN! To Real Alcazar, that is. We woke up before dawn (literally), rolled out of bed, brushed our teeth and off we went to try to get tickets again. We arrived a little after 8 with no wrong turns and proceeded to wait in line for over two hours for the tickets. In two words….WORTH IT!

First, we managed to stand in line with the loveliest people – a couple from Australia and a couple from New Hampshire. I think it’s important to find nice folks to talk to while you’re standing there otherwise doing nothing.

It was a great two hours – strange, huh? We chatted about politics(!), our travels, football (soccer) and all sorts of things. I also learned something new from Jordan who was from New Zealand. Most of us know that people from New Zealand are often referred to as “kiwis”. Perhaps ignorantly, I thought that referred to the kiwi fruit! It actually refers to the kiwi bird. Did I teach you something? I hope so, and welcome to the club.

We enjoyed our chat so much that I exchanged email addresses with the above kiwi in the hopes that he will help us plan our trip there. HINT!

Our two hour wait allowed us to purchase two tickets for later in the day. So John and I were off to our first feeding. We stopped at the adorable Moya Brunch, a healthy gathering spot whose motto was “la vie en rose”. The phrase literally translates to “life in pink”. The tiny restaurant was entirely pink and, if not delicious, the food filled us up and gave us back some needed energy.

FINALLY – we were allowed to enter Real Alcazar. I wrote a bit about this palace yesterday so won’t add more here but I have a few comments after the experience. It absolutely was worth the wait and the very early morning. It was impressive and awe-inspiring. The architecture throughout the palace was gawk-worthy. And the grounds were massive and beautifully manicured. But…it was also just a castle. It’s very hard for me to put myself into the timeframe where the castle was in use – including modern times. I appreciate a very good audio tour and I didn’t think this one was so good. Must do – yes. Disappointed – also yes.

We had a very short amount of time between when we finished in Real Alcazar and the tour we’d booked for the cathedral.

This time John had booked a paid guided tour of Sevilla Cathedral tour – it would be interesting to see the difference between it and a free tour. This cathedral is fabulous – I’ve written about it before. But the tour was just…eh. There were some historical references and some funny stories from the guide, Esther, but it wasn’t 5-star-review-worthy. The cathedral itself, however, was.

So much opulence, so much money, so much religious and historical significance, it was amazing in that regard. A few of the things that stood out for me.

The cathedral is a mix of cultures – meaning that one culture did not completely destroy the one before it and build anew. Catholics held onto the Moorish structure and then added their own influence. Interesting that unique religions here, in that time, did not foster destruction…

It is worth walking up 35 ramps to get to the top of the Giralda – the tower – for absolutely stunning views of Seville.

The facts surrounding the remains of Christopher Columbus are fascinating, and I still do not know the truth about where he lies. Some of him may be in the cathedral in Seville?

The Puerta del Príncipe (Door of the Prince) is awe-inspiring. Your chin cannot help but drop to the floor when you see this. You’ll stare at what you think is the entire thing and still only view a small percentage.

There are a few very ostentatious and spectacular altars in the church that, I don’t think, you’ll see anywhere else in the world.

Very, very few people attend mass here, although it is held.

Also worth noting, the paid tour was NOT better than the free ones we’d been on. Very good to know!

After the not-so-fabulous tour we did make our way up the 35 ramps to the Giralda to see the view of Seville from the top. That was completely worth it. The view was vast and incredible. You could clearly make out the Torre del Oro and the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla (bullfighting ring) as well as the Plaza de Espana from the top.

We were pretty hungry, and tired, after both tours so made our way to Bar La Bartola in Santa Cruz, which we’d tried to visit last night. Again, we were able to snag a table for two. We ordered Queso Manchego (my favorite!), Jamon Iberia, croquetas and a dish called Copanata (grilled eggplant, tomato, olives and pine nuts). Again, delicioso!

We had literally been on our feet for 9 hours at that point. And we hadn’t even showered. Exhausted, we got back to our hotel to clean up and rest from the day.

I cleaned up and got to work writing. John cleaned up and relaxed just a bit. We decided, given the weather (it was icky!) and our exhaustion, to have a night at our sweet apartment.

Dressed in my Puma sweatshirt and sweat pants, with NOTHING around my waist or neck (oh, so good), we headed to a small market and purchased a 5 euro bottle of Verdejo, salads and chips. Back to the apartment for more DMCs (deep meaningful conversations) which are priceless.

These are the times I get to focus on what is important to me and how grateful I am for the gorgeous life I get to lead. Thank you, God.