Sleepless in Seville
This week, five participants from the Praxis seminar in the Basque region of Spain flew to Seville for a vacation. The cab ride from the airport prepared us for old world charm and exotic buildings. Streets are lined with palms, oleanders, and lilac-tinted Jacaranda trees in full bloom. The streets in the section of town where our hotel is located are very narrow, barely allowing for one car. When we arrived at our hotel, it looked normal enough. Bellhops were eager to show us to our rooms and soon we discovered the reason. We followed them through wandering narrow passageways, then into an elevator up one floor only to enter another one around the corner to descend two floors. Then, up some stone stairs, through a courtyard, and perhaps another elevator. Finally, we arrived at our rooms that were great distances from each other.
I managed to find my way to the Reception area the next morning but could not find my way back. None of us were able to find our rooms the first day and needed the bellhops to lead us back. After dinner, we walked to Olivia’s room first. As she entered, we noticed a horrid smell emanating from the room. It reeked of sewage but we could not figure out where it originated. This odor had not been there before dinner.
She asked to change rooms, but the next one reeked of cigarette smoke though we are in a non-smoking hotel. At this point, there were no more vacant rooms, so I offered to let her sleep in one of the vacant beds in my very large room. I am not sure how I ended up with a suite, but I have the largest room of our group.
Olivia will get her own room tomorrow when others check out, but tonight I am up writing because her snoring prevents my slumber. I am sleepless in Seville.
In spite of the directional drawbacks, we are in an incredible hotel. The narrow passageways that are an underground tunnel today were streets 400 years ago. We are in the traditional Jewish quarter and the rooms in this hotel were all separate houses or rooms. Stone stairways meander to and from the various levels. Elevators are dispersed through the passageways as are beautiful courtyards and patios. The stonework in the tunnels consists of beautifully arranged patterns of naturally colored stones in dusty pink and ecru hues. Statues of ancient gods inhabit some of the corners.
There is so much to experience in this city. We have tickets for the Alcazar and Gothic Cathedral tomorrow and later in the week we will travel to Granada and the Alhambra. With so much night activity in Seville, afternoon naps are essential. Sleepless in Seville is the way of life here at night.
–Georgia Kelly; Kelly is the founder and director of the Sonoma’s Praxis Peace Institute.
