Seville Day 2 - Flemenco

Got up just before 10 to take advantage of the free breakfast in the Hostel.. just toast, jelly, yogurt, and some tea, but who can complain.. it was free! and my wallet is starting to get very light and I no longer have a nice bundle of cash stached away in the card deck in my room in Madrid.. I really need to get that debit card soon/ now.. but I know I´ll make in by in Seville without any money problems.. After breakfast we waited around for a bit before the free walking tour (tips expected) around Seville. When the tour guide got there.. you knew..she was very outgoing and an in your face kind of person. But she was pleasant and talked alot so we got a bunch of good and interesting information about all of the city and all of the buildings we passed which included all of the major ones in the city. For 5 euros.. it was definitely worth it and I though better than the horse ride.. but that´s money already under the river.. She told us all about the rich history of Seville starting with the more morose story about the persecution, execution, and expulsion of the Jews and ending more or less with the more lighthearted story about how legend has it that anytime a virgin walks under the big statue of a Angel with a horn at the entrance to the old cigarette factory, the horn would blow... She said the horn didn't play very often; that girls from Seville know how to have a good time.
Got some great pictures too because the weather was tremendous on Sunday! Sunny, low 80s and very clear. It was supposed to rain constantly both days.. but the weather people are clearly always wrong. Should have listened to Jess´optimism.. We ended the tour at the bull fighting arena and she told us about the history of bullfighting and explained in her opinion and that of the majority of Spanish people, why bullfighting is an art form and why it doesn't deserve all the negative criticism that it is currently receiving; that all these bulls that die in the arena have lived long and very fulfilling lives. They have been given plenty of food and exercise and were able to have sex with (her words not mine..) with all the cows they could ever want. We will see because in a couple weeks I will be going to a bull fight with our program here and I guess I can get my own opinion on the subject after watching it.
After the tour Luz, Margarita, Melinda, Alice, and this one student from Cornell decided to walk around for a bit and go over to the Gypsy side of the city (Triuno) over the bridge. We found some small restaurant to eat at before a lot of the group had to get back to catch their bus. It was very different on the Gyspsy side of the river though. I got a very different vibe from it. Perhaps it is the fact that the two sides of the liver lived almost completely in separation because there was no bridge built between them until the 19th century. Before that they had just roped boats together to bridge the water and so that the young women working in the cigarette factory couldn't smuggle much tobacco to their side. There is such a rich history in old cities like this and something that I wish we had more of in the United States. I think when I get back I'll need to start doing a few more of the touristy thing in Boston and also explore more of my own country and perhaps take a road trip to California.
But after everyone left it was just Luz and I and we walked all around the city very leisurely. Then we went over to Real Alzazar, a massive palace built in the 14th century to which I had not yet gone. It was extremely beautiful and elaborate, but I think that I like the Cathedral better. But it was very relaxing there especially when we sat down for awhile just to talk in the gardens. It was late afternoon and at that point when the light has lost just a bit of its strength and the temperature has dropped just a couple degrees with a light breeze. It was the perfect temperature and atmosphere. There were birds flying around and the distant echoes of the small, slightly ghetto waterfall there. Around 6 we left for La Casa de La Memorias, a professional Flemenco club, where we got tickets for a show that night. Then we walked back to the Cathedral and managed to slip into a mass there for a little before leaving for a quick bite to eat before the Flemenco show. The section of the Cathedral where the mass was held was absolutely beautiful and I think the most pretty part of the building largely because it was more clean than the other parts. I've been thinking about religion and the Catholic Church a decent amount since I've been here since 95% of the history is linked in some way to the Catholicism. I feel like behind all of these beautiful works of art there is so much pain and hypocrisy at times. The majority of the funds and raw materials for these amazing sculptures buildings, and paintings came from taking advantage of a variety of different peoples. In most cases it was the Native Americans or the Jews. Although they are amazing and inspirational pieces of art... where do you draw the line as to what defines art. In class we were shortly discussing whether or not Bullfighting is art and many students mirrored the thought that it is not because it is directly bringing about the harm and death of a life form. Although I do not yet have a strongly established view on the topic, I feel that if all of this Catholic art can be called art, then bullfighting should as well. Whatever the source of the money is, I'm not going to deny that these are the most amazing works of mankind that I've ever seen.
Got dinner at some little tapas bar and then eventually made our way over to the Flemenco Club after getting a little lost in the narrow winding streets. We were the only two young people there other than one or two others that were there with their parents. I think it is because it takes a bit more planning to get in because the tickets sell out very fast. It cost 12 or 13 euros for the show and I can honestly say that it was the best buy I've made since I've been here. It was an electric and magical environment and the dancing was absolutely pheonomenal. The movements were so crisp yet fluid and perfectly in sync with the music and singing which accompanied it. Flemenco is a little like tap dancing with an Arabic vibe to it with respect to the arm movements. The passion in their faces and in each of their movements made it an unforgettable night. I just wish Jess could have been there to see it all. We're definitely going to need to travel together more because there is so much to see out in the world and now is the best time to travel and see it all. Provided that I still have money, but I think I'll be fine. Studying abroad really makes you get the world traveler bug. After the show we went right to the bus. Got a bit of sleep on the buss.. much more than on the way down and got back at 5:15 am. Took a couple of days to get back into the normal rhythm of things again.