Wanting to be reasonably comfortable on the trip from Granada to Seville, and armed with the knowledge of the heating systems utilised on all Spanish public transport, I layered up this morning, but without the usual thermal top. Great plan, but somebody forgot to tell Renfe to follow the rules! While it wasn't freezing, the temperature in the train was cooler than expected - perhaps this is from travelling Turista class, rather than Preferente class - but that's all that is available on this leg of the journey, and for 4 euros total cost, I'm not complaining; and anyway, I just left an extra layer on, but I was surprised.
The train ride itself (Seville sits about 250km west of Granada) was, once again remarkably unspectacular, and given it wasn't on the speedy train, we moved along at the more pedestrian top-speed of around 158 kph (this train showed the speed on a TV screen in the carriage - most thoughtful). Overall the trip took about 3 1/2 hours, due to the 6 stops along the way.
The seemingly endless Olive trees continued until I could no longer see them due to the increasing rain, which along with the wind continued to increase in quantity and ferocity all the way to Seville - so I arrived in Seville to a wet, grey and lifeless afternoon with very little to invite me out once I'd found the accommodation (which, fortunately, was simple, with exact instructions for the bus from the hosts). So, rather than forcing myself out, I decided on a quiet start to Seville, and hope for improved weather in the next couple of days.
The couple I'm staying with (Luis and Rosa) are lovely, and spent the best part of my first 30 minutes or so here talking through the must-see/do parts of Seville on a 2-day itinerary: which I might be able to get through if I had 3 days or more - so it's going to be interesting. Luis is currently out of work (like some 26% of Spaniards due to the economic crisis - it continues to hit Spain very hard), but normally an off-set printer and photographer, and some of his photos are on the walls, which I like very much; Rosa is a teacher (secondary school history) - there seems to be something of a trend with Spain, in that every host I've had seems to be a teacher!
So, I hope that tomorrow will bring better weather, and with it some actual sights of Seville, and therefore a slightly more interesting report.
Founded as the Roman city of Hispalis, Seville was known as Ishbiliya after the Muslim conquest in 712. During the Muslim rule in Spain, Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Córdoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville; later it was ruled by the Muslim Almoravids and the Almohads until finally being incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III in 1248. After the discovery of the Americas, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) wielded its power, opening a Golden Age of arts and literature. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville for the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
Coinciding with the Baroque period of European history, the 17th century in Seville represented the most brilliant flowering of the city's culture; then began a gradual economic and demographic decline as silting in the Guadalquivir forced the trade monopoly to relocate to the nearby port of Cádiz.
Seville is also said to be the birth-place of the Spanish Inquisition.
So there you go - a potted history of Seville, and I hope to see some of it tomorrow.