To Travel Is To Live: Andalucia I: Sevilla 1

Returning to Andalusia after 26 years. A grown daughter later. And this time traveling with her. From Madrid, on the fast AVE train, it is two and a half hours to Seville, still the capital of Andalusia, like it has been for centuries. Seville has the highest average temperature among Spanish cities and it seems to have just heated up in time for our arrival - 91 degrees in early May. The Euro has also hit a two-month high, in a double whammy of sorts welcoming us back. We settle into an apartment in Barrio Santa Cruz, a historic and touristy area of Seville supposed to be cooler because of narrow "kissing" lanes and abundant orange trees.

Seville, Spain: looking down on the stream of tourists on a horse carriage ride. At least the hoof-to-cobblestone sounds stopped before midnight.

Meet the ageless Don Juan, a famous (fictional) son of Seville.

Seville may not be the prettiest or cleanest city, but it's a living breathing place full of history and culture... and tourists. Plaza Dona Elvira is one of a number of small squares in Barrio Santa Cruz.

Seville: Staying in the shade is a great idea to fight dry heat. Either that or look for water vapors spewing out in sidewalk cafes.

Seville: This large tobacco factory, now part of the University, was the background for Bizet's "Carmen."

Seville: spotting a rainbow at Plaza de Espana, the site of 1929 Expo. Imagine locals on horseback in their Sunday best during Feria, a week-long festival in April

Two dominant sights are still, as they have for years, the Cathedral and the Alcazar, located right next to each other as if designed to facilitate a flying visit by the modern tourist. The Cathedral is said to be the largest Gothic structure in the world. It still does not feel as big as the Burgos Cathedral we visited last fall, or at least its side chapels are not as over the top, but it's got one thing no other place does: Tomb of Columbus. The Alcazar, maybe not in the same league aesthetically as some of the later monuments, such as Alhambra or Taj Mahal, is nonetheless a fascinating medley of the Moorish foundation upon which later Christian kings have added in a Mudejar style. Queen Isabel debriefed Columbus here after he returned from the New World.

Alcazar, Seville: looking into Ambassador's Hall

Seville Cathedral: stained glass reflections on Parish Church Sagrario

Seville Cathedral: Tomb of Columbus, supposedly. On right is St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers.

Seville Cathedral: the splendid high altar

Most restaurants seem geared toward tapas which originated in this region. Ordering is easy - from the menu at a table. That is unlike, say, in a Madrid tapas crawl, where you muscle your way between locals up to the counter and attract the attention of ever-busy waiters to somehow communicate what items you want.

Seville: many tapas places now have creative offerings - a "tower" of tomato, aubergine, cheese and salmon (the last item can be dropped to accommodate vegetarians) at Vineria San Telmo

No better place than in Seville to watch bullfighting, which has eluded me in all my past visits to Spain. Easter and the Feria de Abril are gone and so are top bullfighters, but I am happy to settle for novices. In this 95-degree weather I am glad to have reserved seats in the shade rather than the sun section, two pricing categories. From the bull darting into the ring to the brief parading of the fallen animal before being dragged out by the horses, the whole thing is highly ritualized. Some of the novices stumble, serving as a vivid reminder that this is a dangerous sport. The daughter is disgusted and I try to argue it is no worse than what happens at a slaughterhouse. I am sure there are no PETA members present among the cheering crowds.