Royalty in Seville

Griffin at the Palace

Yesterday we went to Real Alcazar, the Royal Palace in Seville. It is an amazing example of Moorish architecture and the current Andalusian base for King Felipe and his family (has anyone else noticed how beautiful the royal families are in Europe?). We were struck by the blue, orange and yellow colors all throughout the building and the lovely gardens and pools. I like to imagine the Kings and Queens holding parties in the huge rooms and secret gardens. I do wonder how they kept warm in the winter since the thick stone walls keep everything chilly. We decided they had fires and furs to keep them warm. 

To keep us warm we sauntered over to the Starbucks across the street -- oh yes there are two within a block of the palace. It wouldn't be a good day for Griffin without a stop at the local Starbucks. Tomorrow we take a look at the University of Seville. 

By the way, we figured out the mystery of the oranges. They are bitter oranges used for marmalade, a major export from this area. The city harvests them into huge containers. That explains why no one is eating them and the oranges I bought today came from Florida.