Arrived in Seville late last night. Essentially ate dinner then went to bed. I don't intend on complaining about the quality of hotel beds here, so let's just say that I slept well for the first time in a couple days. Eyes bright and tail bushy, I looked forward to touring Seville, which on the drive in last night, looked beautiful.

In the bright light of day (btw, 30 degrees and sunny with no clouds today, I'm just saying) the city was even more stunning. I'd go so far as to say Seville is one of the most gorgeous cities I've ever seen, at least the parts we saw. The streets were these grand boulevards, planted with trees down the centre. Palm trees lined the walks, and orange trees grow everywhere. Not only that, but there are these tremendous estates along the roads for miles. In 1929, there was an Exposition for Latin and Iberian countries, and each one built a pavilion that displayed their country. The city is just teeming with these estates, most of which are now museums, schools, or office buildings.

Which brings me to a point I've been pondering since we got here. It seems to me that the beauty and majesty of the cities is becoming commonplace for us. I thought about this because I was trying to imagine driving to work in a city like this and decided I'd probably stop watching the road, crash my scooter, and kill myself on day one. In a sense, the beauty here must just get filtered out by the people who live here. I get the sense that it's happening to our group too. We saw things today that would have knocked us over on day one, but we have been immersed in it for a week and are not as impressed anymore. I liken it to getting into a hot bath: the water isn't any cooler, you just get used to the heat. I'm forced to draw the inescapable conclusion then, that Kanata is going to look like a total dump when we get home.

We toured the large cathedral in Seville, called- wait for it- the Seville Cathedral. It is a dominating landmark, towering over the city. It's also the biggest cathedral in the world, not quite as long but wider than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Christopher Columbus is entombed there. There are the typical high gothic arches and ornate altars. There is a high tower you can climb and get a look over the city. I also learned that the battery for my camera lasts until the 21st story of the climb: I think I avoided any blasphemy when I found out, but I surely used every other swear word I know. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful cathedral and a stunning sight from the top.

The Al-Cazar, the royal palace in Seville, is a more modest palace than the one in Madrid, but still impressive. It was the site that all the Spanish planned their explorations. Tapestries hang on the wall representing the discovery and exploration of new lands. In a lot of ways, the palace is reminiscent of the Alhambra, because of the Arab influence. Arab workers would design and build the palace under the employ of the Spanish kings. A lot of features, like archways, tiling, and carvings, are almost identical to those in Alhambra. The Moorish influence in the south is really cool to see.

We ended the night with a flamenco dance show. Everyone dressed up in their good clothes and went for an evening of dancing and traditional Spanish music. It was really cool to see: the dresses were beautiful, and the music was really interesting. It was a lot like tap-dancing, but more aggressive. Sharp movements and flair in the arms and legs accompanied the stomps, taps, and claps that created the rhythm. Students were all abuzz as we walked back to the hotel. Ms. Matthews reconsidering choice to bring me along once I purchased a set of castanets. Ole!!