The next morning we walked around the magnificent cathedral again. This time we were headed for the Real Alcazar right when their gates opened for the day. D had been given a great tip about purchasing on line tickets for the tour which included the part of the palace where the Spanish royal family stay when they visit Seville, called the Cuarto Real Alto (Upper Palace). This also got us past the crowds waiting for admission.

These three arches link the Patio del Leon to the Patio de la Monteria.

 

From the moment we entered, we were enthralled. The second floor of the photo just above is where we awaited our private tour.

 

The artistry of the architecture was exquisite as well as the juxtaposition of styles.

The House of Trade was established to regulate Indies travel between Spain and the New World in the 16th Century.

The Palace of Peter the first.

All of these photos were taken through the milky glass of the second floor vestibule. No photography was permitted during the private palace tour. But let me tell you that the rooms were absolutely splendid and well worth the extra money & time.

I loved all the intricate tile work and discovered: “The geometric models used in Islamic art are not mere decorative motifs but the expression of a philosophical principle revealing divine beauty”.

The Patio del Yeso with a beautiful reflective pool.

 

The 12th century Almohad Palace.

The side section of hall is formed with multi foil arches displaying diamond pattern panels.

The Upper Gallery in the Court of Dolls added in the reign of Isabella the Second.

The Pond of Mercury is so named for the statue of Mercury pictured here.

Three views of the columns and arches adorn the windows (sorry about the smudge on the lens of the camera).

A window seat in the sunshine drew me to linger.

Rubber trees grew majestically in the palace gardens

as well as these beautiful palms.

Intricate iron gates were strategically placed in the gardens.

From a second floor vantage you could appreciate the geometric hedges of the gardens

My favourite views of the palace and gardens were through these archways. We had spent a splendid morning but by then it was time to check out and walk to the car park where we had stowed our vehicle. We were a bit peckish and decided to have a meal before we got back onto the highway but we discovered that most lunch spots did not open until at least 1 pm. Instead D ran back to the pastry shop that was right next to our hotel. This decadent treat held us why we began to navigate our way “home” to Alvor. We stopped for lunch just before the border of Portugal.

D had a pasta craving and chose this monstrous portion of penne in a bolognaise sauce

and I a “rock shrimp omelet”.  I was asked if I wanted fries with my omelette and that sounded like a lovely idea. It was the strangest omelet I had ever seen or tasted. It was mostly flour and I could not detect any egg. Apart from the embarrassment of ordering a mass of deep fried items, the “omelet” was actually pretty good. When we arrived back in Alvor, I really felt like I needed a very long beach walk to work out the stiffness from being in a car for 3 hours and that full feeling from all of the deep fried food. Stay tuned.

Kath’s quote: “The air soft as that of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it”. -Christopher Columbus

Love never fails.

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