• Home
  • About us
    • Get Updates from Women Travel
    • WomenTravelBlog.com meets WomenTravel.info
  • Tours for women
    • Stories of Tours
  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation Stories
  • Retreats
    • Retreat Stories
  • Local Guides
    • Local Tour Guide Stories
  • Tour Companies
    • Tour company Stories
  • Cheap Travel Insurance
    • OnLine Booking

Women Travel The World

Women Travel - stories and news for women travellers, solo travelers

womentravelannimated banner

  • Story Map
  • Destination Stories
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Asia
    • Australasia and the Pacific
    • Africa/Middle East
    • Central/South America
  • Niche Stories
    • Women Travel India
    • Women Travel New Zealand
    • Adventure Tourism
    • Budget Travel
    • Business Travel
    • Cycling Women
    • Eco/Sustainable Tourism
    • Food and Wine
    • Girlfriend getaways
    • Lesbian Travel
    • Packing Tips
    • Photography
    • Travel Resources
    • Volunteering
  • Links
    • Women Travel Links – our pick of the best
    • Rosemary’s Pick of Links For Volunteer Links and Work Exchange Travel
  • For WT Business
    • About Women Travel
    • Advertise Women Travel Businesses
    • Women’s Travel Business – Join us
    • WTW Promotional Items
    • Updates from Women Travel
    • Link to Women Travel
    • Login NOW
  • Travel Writing
    • Guest Bloggers Welcome
    • Women’s Travel Writing

A stamp of the foot, a toss of the head – Seville

October 22, 2008 by Rosemary

orange-trees-sevilleFrom the steep hills of the sierra, we drove across the flat red plains to Seville. I had been looking forward to the wide avenues lined with orange trees, and was not disappointed.

Even though it was raining. Danielle and I took the bus to the centro urbano. (Rosemary decided to stay and catch up with her self and her emails at the hotel)

A French coseville-cathedraluple from the hotel were also headed for the Cathedral and they escorted us through the narrow streets of the Juderia, the old Jewish quarter- narrow, winding lanes, with tall apartment blocks dating from 14th century. So full of character and history as in all the Spanish cities, the Jews were evicted just before Christopher Columbus set off for America in 1492.

We kept glimpsing the cathedral between the buildings, but did not grasp ts immensity till we stood in the massive interior. The biggest gothic church in Europe, embellished with dozens of ornate renaissance and baroque side chapels. Such an overload of detail in the carving, oil paintings and gold . How the simplicity of the Christian faith could have developed into this display of wealth and power! All on the site of a Moslem mosque, to emphasise the triumph of the new catholic regime.

flamencoThe original Moslem tower is still intact so we walked up 37 floors, to look over the calm ochre and reds of Seville, the horizon punctuated with spires and towers.

Stamping feet, snapping fingers and tossing heads, with passionate guitar playing, and a deep gutteral wailing

Our evening of Flamenco was so much more than I expected. We were shown different types of flamenco, which had its roots in the dances and songs of the dispossessed, and is performed with an intense anguish . Three young women each danced, wearing brilliantly coloured dresses with long frilled trains. These they kicked back, as they stamped and licked their feet in complex rhythms, which were answered by guitars and loud contrapuntal handclapping.

El ArenalTwo men also danced, wearing dinner jackets, which they swung and held, like bull fighters. Again the clicking and stamping and tapping, not unlike river dance, the fiery head tossing, leaping and swirling.

We had seats a metre from the stage, and we watched and clapped and gasped, while sipping Sangria and nibbling tapas- paella, meat balls, cheese, hams, potato salad, bread, finishing with fruity ice-cream.

The flamenco evenings at El Arenal are held nightly, designed for tourists and great value and atmosphere. Afterwards we wandered the cobblestone streets, misty with rain. At 10pm people were walking, drinking and eating in cafes, riding bikes, wheeling babies, laughing and talking. We took photos of the floodlight ancient buildings and felt very sad to be leaving Andalucía.

Filed Under: Ceridwyn Writes, Spain and Portugal Tagged With: ceridwyn parr, Flamenco, Seville, women travel

Keep in Touch with Women Travel

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
email list sign up

WTW Quick Links

  • Accommodation for Women Travelers
  • Womens Tour Calendar
  • Womens Tour Business
  • Women Local Guides
  • Retreats for Women

More Stories here

Local Websites

wtnz Women Travel India

Great Packing Advice

whattowear

Women Travel NZ Blog

Rosemary Neave PO Box 17727 Sumner Christchurch 8840 New Zealand Phone +64 27 289 0383 Email Rosemary

Women Travel the World

Accommodation and Tours for Women in New Zealand around the World

Women Travel the World Blog

Stories from Women Travelers

Web2Blog:

Would you like a website like this? You can have one! Contact Rosemary

Rosemary on Trip Advisor

Follow Rosemary's travel and reviews around the world

Tags

Adventure Women Bali Indonesia Bushwise Women Camino de Santiago de Compostela ceridwyn parr Cooking classes Cruises cycling holidays cycling women Food and wine India Ireland Italy Kenya Kerala keralablogexpress Ladies trekking Club Lyn Taylor Morocco New Zealand Paris Tour pilgrimage Portugal Rensina van den Heuvel retreat for women Safari sailing shopping skiing solo traveler Solo Women travel Spain Sustainable Tourism Thailand tours for women Tuscany VakanShe Venus Adventures volunteer travel Walking Tours what to pack Wild Women Expeditions womens travel blog women travel women trekking
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo Uluru base ride
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Blue Walk Walking Vacations - mindful walking
Global heart journeys
Wild women expeditions

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in