Tree after tree laden with oranges line the streets. Sevilla is hot, sunny, full of narrow winding streets, and was obviously designed with horses and small carts in mind - not cars. The third largest cathedral in Europe (and the largest example of gothic architecture in Europe), a handful of great art, a palace, sprawling gardens, yummy tapas, a carriage tour of the old town... it was worth the three hour car trip each way.
Those of you who have been reading in this space for awhile know that cathedrals are my favorite spot when we travel (and I will travel great distances to see them - six+ hours in the car today - ahem). The work and resources that went into these enormous buildings are mind blowing - especially when I consider the historical context. And while the makers of the cathedral in Sevilla stated that their purpose was that "those who come after us will take us for madmen", I'd like to believe that the scale of the building and the brilliance of the stained glass were primarily meant to capture some of the mystery and awesomeness of God. I always find cathedral visits an act of the imagination and almost always come away with more awe than I entered with. We didn't have much time in the cathedral today (there were masses all morning and the boys were ready to move after the car ride) but I've clung to the image and feeling of looking up at the ceiling all day - so far above me, so beautifully formed, somehow connecting me and a reality so much greater than myself. It was one of those moments where I felt fully human, fully aware of God and fully alive.
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