Day 33: Seville - day two - Grampies Iberian Inquisition Spring 2023

April 3, 2023

Day 33: Seville - day two

Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition (to be closed on Mondays)

Across the bridge to the Inquisition (or not)

Heart

Comment

Link

Noodling about Santa Cruz

Heart

Comment

Link

We had some nice plans for today, but only one really worked out, which was a meetup with Susan Carpenter. More on that soon.

Our first scheme was to cross the river, to reach both the Triana market and the adjacent Inquisition Museum. We set off tracking the trek as usual, but Osmand snuck in an update overnight, and it prevented us from setting up the tracking. How infuriating it is when software suppliers juggle their products, hiding or eliminating features that you used to know where to find!

We were enthused about the Triana market, because it was described as large in the guidebooks. In truth while nice, it was just a medium small indoor operation.

Walking out in the morning, we were treated to special light on the Cathedral.

Across the river lies the Triana district.

The Castillo St. Jorge is the former seat of the Inquisition. Partially restored, it holds the Inquisition Museum, adjacent to the Triana market building.

The market was neither one of those cavernous indoor sites, nor an expansive outdoor market, but rather a nice but sort of small building.

Stalls had very nicely laid out meats, cheese, fruits, and veggies.

The Spanish have not seemed really big on cheese to us, but there was a certain selection on offer.

Again we found yellow skinned chicken, which as we have noted before are not particularly easy to raise.

These trays of fruit, at affordable prices, were really convenient.

Nispero translates as Medlar. It looked like loquat, but it is not. There are very large seeds inside, and a rather tangy flavour. This was also not the fruit from the other day that people thought was a kind of fig.

I am trying to put my finger on how a Spanish/Portuguese fruit and vegetable stall differs from a Mexican one. The Spanish, here, certainly looks luscious.

We noted but did not try the white strawberries.

Bread, and pastry too in Spain is pretty weak. Both tend to be dry and to lack flavour.

These Nazarenos were watching over our purchase.

We found what you might call a bar, which is a format of kitchen/drinks place that is the standard here, but which does not immediately ring our bell as a source of food. Still we were able to order eggs and toast and coffee, in Spanish, and together with fruit from the other stall, did not go hungry.

Also at the bar, a paella was in preparation. Usually we avoid these because of sea creatures "trying to escape". At another place we did see separate veggie, chicken, and seafood ones on offer.

One form of fast food at the market was these cones of meat or cheese.

Th sliced ham in the cones did not appeal to us. The same is true of these hanging hams, which we have found to be very hard to chew.

One stall was offering cooking lessons. We expected language would be a barrier here. But we wondered what dishes they were teaching.

The first big disappointment of the day came as we found the Inquisition museum to be closed on Mondays. It was frustrating, as we could equally have come yesterday. At least we got to read the story of the castle here, and the Inquisition.

The Christians reconquered Seville from the Muslims somewhere in the 13th century, so it seems a bit late to be launching an Inquisition way out in the 15th century. Still, they did it, and carried on for centuries more.

An attractive bit of tower by the castle.

Re-crossing the river, with the goofy Triana tower in the near distance.

Checking out a souvenir shop, back on the Cathedral side of the river, we found socks much like those that had been bought at the Alcazar. Some featured lemons, and another design was based on olive branches. I am happy with mine, which are Alcazar branded!

Your can buy fans of cheap, or of expensive hand painted construction.

We stopped at a bakery to get sandwiches for later and for tomorrow. Although the pastries looked good, they are in fact weak (dry and lacking in flavour) and the sandwiches were made from white bread with the crust trimmed. This is sure not France or Germany! However the lady did throw in some Torrijas and Pestinos, which she said are special for Semana Santa. The Torrijas were suitably gooey, while the Pestinos were crunchy and based on sesame or some similar seed. "A pestiño is a Christmas or Holy Week pastry that is popular in Andalusia and other regions of southern Spain. It is a piece of dough, deep-fried in olive oil and glazed with honey or cinnamon sugar."

Back by the Cathedral, we were not much concerned by lines of people waiting to get in. We planned to go back to the apartment and there to buy quick entry tickets online. We did that, but found the next online tickets were for April 7! We could join the lineup, but also the Cathedral would close in the mid afternoon and not open until tomorrow or the the next day. It was just not in the cards for us.

At least we could look at the beautiful horses and carts, much in evidence around the Cathedral.

After licking our wounds at the apartment for a few minutes, we set off again, for a brief tour of the twisted Santa Cruz district by our door. The main feature here is the ultra narrow streets or lanes, were balconies almost touch up above.

We often saw crafted hair pins like these on display.

Our really big thrill for the day was the planned meetup with Susan Carpenter. A famous Cycleblaze blogger, Susan had been in Morocco and had made her way up through the White Villages to arrive in Seville yesterday.

Dodie and Susan stroll to the restaurant.

We had told Susan that since we would be in town one day earlier, we would research a good restaurant for our meetup. There we are, below, happily seated, but the restaurant quickly revealed some deficiencies. First off, they had no paper menu, just a QR code on the table. Tech like that does not fly with Dodie, and even I did not have a QR reader on my phone. The waitress undertook to read the code with her phone, but failed! Dodie said to her, just talk to me (even if in Spanish), but that did not seem to work. Susan's phone helped a lot, and somehow risotto was ordered. Next issue, for me, fresh orange juice. It is next to impossible to order fresh orange juice in Seville! Who knew! I settled for Coke, in a six ounce bottle! No matter, or course, for the three of us are expert travel survivors, and we had better things to talk about, like Susan's broken shifters! It's ok, a repair has evidently been achieved.

Two hours passed really quickly, as it does in these situations, and we were reluctant to say goodbye. No matter, we'll meet again, in some darn European country or other. Maybe, preferably, in much beloved Paris.

Despite some ups, today was something of a bust. But we are eager to get back on the open road, and tomorrow is another day! Soon will come the challenge of heading north in Portugal on the N2. They say there will be mountains in our way. But we think of the words of Jennifer Warnes, in Up Where We Belong:

"Who knows what tomorrow brings

In a world few hearts survive

All I know is the way I feel

When it's real, I keep it alive

The road is long

There are mountains in our way

But we climb a step every day

Love lift us up where we belong

Where the eagles cry

On a mountain high

Love lift us up where we belong

Far from the world below

Up where the clear winds blow
Some hang on to used to be

Live their lives looking behind

All we have is here and now

All our lives, out there to find
The road is long

There are mountains in our way

But we climb a step every day"

Today's ride: 8 km (5 miles)
Total: 1,275 km (792 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	6
Comment on this entry	Comment	0