Typical Seville

Spy on Seville
Seville, Spain

By Monica Shah

Seville, the third largest city in Spain, is the perfect image of the sun-kissed country. It is a mosaic of horse-drawn carriages, bullfights, orange trees, flamenco dresses, and fiestas all under the azure Spanish sky. Sounds gorgeous, right? It is!

	A view fit for a queen from the Royal Palace
	Glimpse of Seville

Landmarks

The first place I visited in Seville was the Royal Palace. It is a maze of painted tile chambers, ornate pavilions, carved archways, flower-filled courtyards, mirror-like reflecting pools, stone terraces, and gardens abundant with orange and magnolia trees. I attended a peaceful mass (religious service) at Seville’s cathedral—the third largest in the world and the site of the tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Fans

I discovered that the beautiful hand-held fans displayed in all the tourist shops were historically used for flirting—as well as other forms of communication. Placing or moving the fan in a certain way could mean "meet me tonight," "my boyfriend is nearby," or "you’re cute." I practiced resting the fan against my lips, which meant "I don’t trust you" and running my fingers through the fan's ribs, which meant "I want to talk to you." All the girls in the tour group immediately purchased fans to use on the boys back home!

Munchies

Paella, the classic Andalucian (southern Spain) food staple, is made with rice and an assortment of seafood. Variations sound like pizza toppings and include vegetarian, red meat, black bean, etc. Flan, a custard dessert, is another Spanish standard. A favored pastime for teens was simply hanging out at outdoor pubs and snacking on tapas (appetizers, Spanish style). I was told that "the dirtier the floor, the tastier the tapas." Yeah, whatever.

	Bring on the Bull!

Bulllfight

A visit to Spain would not be complete without witnessing a bullfight firsthand. Bullfighting in Spain is considered a cultural experience, and more of an art than a sport. When the bull is first released into the ring, picadores on horseback and banderillas on foot chase it with spikes and darts, trying to weaken it. Finally, the matador, via an elegant dance, works to mesmerize the bull with a muleta (small red cloth) and then tries to stab the animal cleanly through the heart. It was scary and bloody, but heartbreaking and mesmerizing all at the same time.

Flamenco

On my last evening in Seville, I went to a classic flamenco show, Carmen. Flamenco is a composition of dance and music involving opera and ballet, and originating from a fusion of cultures including Indian and Egyptian. Performed by men and women wearing multicolored flamboyant costumes and clicking castanets, the performances portray the suffering and struggles of everyday life. That night, I dreamed I was dancing through a palace courtyard dressed in yellow ruffles and red shoes, and waving a fan about in the direction of a very guapo (cute) matador.