Sevilla 2

Sevilla dates from Roman times. Hispalis became Ishbiliya after the Muslim conquest. It's the fourth largest city in Spain. Its golden age was when trade with the New World was booming.

I got up early to visit the market. The streets were swept and clean. Blind lottery ticket sellers were already on their rounds, one was counting his tickets by feel. Sellers work for ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles). The proceeds from the sales are a major source of income for them.

The cathedral is the third largest church in the world. Yesterday's entry had a view of the Giralda and there will be one later today.

I found breakfast in a café near the market. The churros were not as dense as up north but light and fresh. Churros in Spain are traditionally eaten with chocolate, thickened with cornstarch, and are favoured by revellers headed for bed, and early birds starting their day. I was given a glass of water on the side, a nice touch.

The market was rather small and many stalls were closed. Was it midweek, recession or what? As noted previously, meat from bullfights can be purchased at markets. I came away with cherries and strawberries. The woman ahead of me bought about $50 worth of groceries. I wondered if she was running a cafeteria or a restaurant.

I walked past boats on the Rio Guadaquivir (from al-wādi al-kabīr, Arabic for The Great River) on my way to Plaza España. In the past the river was navigable by large ships to Sevilla, 80km inland, until silting forced the relocation of the trade to Cádiz. Here the river was full whereas it had been dry in Córdoba. There had been a bus sticker: nos queda poca agua (we have little water) encouraging water saving. Visible in the last picture is the Torre del Oro. Here's a closer view of the Tower of Gold.

The Plaza dates from the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 which was a showcase for Spanish culture and progress. There was a book fair on at the Plaza. What with the one on Madrid, spring must be book fair season in Spain.

These alcoves depict the provinces of Spain, in alphabetical order, with designs and maps on the tiles. Government offices are located within the building.

The weather was soft with blue skies sporting the occasional cloud and gentle Mediterranean air. Jacarandas were in bloom. Young people were hanging out near a cafeteria; they looked like university students.

At Bar Lins I had the menu lunch which was pulpos en su tinta (squid in its own ink) with fried fish. It was fresh and very tasty. The poker machine added to the general hubbub by bursting into the opening bars of La Cucaracha every so often. I returned to the hostal along back alleys. Activity seemed to have subsided; Sevilla takes the siesta seriously.

In the evening I visited the site of Expo '92. It looked forlorn now that the crowds had left. It looked like the expansion of the metro had been put on hold. Usually such events cause a frenzy of infrastructure construction which ends in a debt hangover afterwards.

I wandered around the barrio of Triana where a lot of artisans and entertainers live. Tio Pepe is a well known brand of sherry. I translated fresas y nata for a couple of British tourists.

If you look closely the central pillar bears the rebus NO8DO. Popular legend says that Alfonso X gave the motto: No me ha dejado (She has not abandoned me) to the city for loyal support during a revolt. The 8 represents a skein of wool, madeja in Spanish, thus "No madeja do".

I looked for a reasonable restaurant for dinner and at a rather late hour (for me, not the Spanish) finally settling for the 3 de Oro. It was very filling and stuffing myself that late was perhaps not the best idea as I had to get up early the next morning to catch the bus to Merida.

This is the Giralda by night, followed by the Archivo General de Indias.

Items from newspaper: Denmark just voted on the Maastricht Treaty. Aznar met Major, treated as next PM. (From the future: Although the PP made gains in the June elections, it would not win government until 1996. Their governance lasted until the 2004 Madrid train bombings and the scandal over blaming the ETA for it just before the elections.) 4.3% of GNP was spent on education in 1990 compared to 2.1% in 1970. Problems of competition with oranges, and at IBM and Ford, two of the largest employers. Neo-nazi attack in Alicante.