Photos and Captions By Nate W.
If you go to Seville, you couldn’t help but notice an orange tree– they are everywhere. It was originally the Moors who brought oranges to Spain, they believed that the fruit would bring happiness to the owner. Yet these oranges taste bitter and have been known to induce vomiting. So why would the Spanish have so many fruit trees that grow inedible food? When the Spanish re-conquered Southern Spain, the Catholic monarchs adopted the Islamic tradition and continued planting orange trees all throughout Andalucia. Today the trees are nothing more than a visual pleasantry, often ignored by locals.
The Plaza de Torros, Sevilla is the biggest and most important bullfighting ring in Spain.
Bullfighting was once an important aspect of Spanish culture. However, today, the blood-soaked art form is controversial due to its cruelty and violence. The vast majority of locals intentionally ignore this large feature of their city, because they disagree with the inhumane practice of bullfighting.
The view from Las Setas de Sevilla is breathtaking – the dome of the massive mushroom-shaped tower sits at the top of five stories of stairs. How often do you ascend the stairs to the best vantage point in your city and take it all in? Everywhere you go in Spain you’ll be met with mesmerizing architecture or beautiful, vast landscapes– maybe they, too, only take it all in when playing guide to a visiting friend.
El Alhambra in Granada, Spain, is one of the most gorgeous places in the world. The Spanish sun casts gorgeous shadows throughout the palace, illuminating specific features and obscuring others across the day. The magnificent architecture makes you wonder what happened– how could humans make something so spectacular thousands of years ago? And how come, with all the technology we have now, our architecture can’t compare to the beauty of El Alhambra? Everywhere you look you see the meticulous, and methodical design– everything has an aesthetic or religious purpose.
The Umbrella of Faith shields Spanish Catholics from the violent rain all around them. On a cold, rainy day, an angelic plaque glimmers brightly through the darkness providing hope and comfort to all that pass. Shortly after the gentleman passed by unnoticing of the benediction above him, the rain cleared up and the famous Spanish sun beamed through the clouds. On that rainy January day, San Pancracio Matir shielded not just Catholics, but all from the storm.