Bienvenidos a Sevilla

It's crazy to think that I've already been in Sevilla for a whole week and in Spain for seven! That's way longer than any vacation or trip to camp. Insane!

Sevilla is increíble! With its winding streets, cobblestone sidewalks, cafes on every corner, bridges stretching over the Guadalquivir River, fabulous architecture, colorful ceramic-covered rooftops, rich Andalucian culture (including a tricky little accent), and some of the most friendly people, it is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities in Europe. Rick Steves' writes that although other Andalucian cities have specific famous sites like the Alhambra, "Sevilla has a soul."  So yeah, I am proud to call the city of soul my new home.
Views of the city from the Torre de Giralda, as well as some street views of the cathedral:

Santa María de la Sede is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. And now my favorite cathedral ever! But as my host "dad" Felipe will tell you, it has the largest area of any other cathedral in the world, Gothic or not. So yes, the Spaniards are very proud of their record-breaking infrastructure. And after 120 years of building this puppy, they should be.
What is so fascinating about this specific cathedral is that it was built on top of a mosque during the Reconquista and so there are still a lot of Islamic remains and influences in and around the building. Oh, and a part (yes, a part) of Christopher Columbus is buried there.

Court of Orange Trees where the Muslim community would go to wash their hands and feet in the fountain before praying.

Check out the designs on the ceiling!

There are a lot of other fun facts and pictures of the cathedral that I'm too lazy to share with you or I don't have very good pictures of them.

Can't wait to explore and share more about this magical city!