Seville is the capital of Andalusia and the fourth largest city in Spain.
Its size and importance grew after it was retaken in 1248 by the Christians from the Moors. At the time, in common with other Andalusian Cities, it had a Jewish community which had thrived under Islamic rule. The Jews formed the middle class administrators and artisans. The Christian government maintained the status quo until 1391 when Jews were forced to convert, although some retained their faith.
In 1478 Seville became the first city to bring in the Spanish Inquisition (“no-one expects the Spanish Inquisition”) resulting in the expulsion or death of heretics, remaining Jews or supporters. A number of customs derive from this period including adding diced cured ham as a topping to a local cold tomato soup, done originally by Jews trying to hide their faith. Some people also changed their names and invented new family histories.
We visited a convent founded in 1473 by wealthy families which housed widows and unmarried daughters as nuns, Monastero de Santa Paula. It is a spectacular building behind an unassuming door and continues as a working convent.
The Bull Ring“The mushrooms” – locally controversial as not to everyone’s taste and paid for/maintained with council funds
The convent
There are, reputedly, 125 churches in Seville. The one above was around the corner from our hotel; the one below was one we came across on our walk to dinner one evening
Andalusia is a historic territory at the south of Spain which is split into eight provinces. Andalusia derives from the Arabic name for the whole of Spain, Al-Andalus.
Andalusia was part of the Roman Empire from the first century BC but after its fall was invaded by the Visigoths who originated from The Balkans.
In 711 AD the area was invaded across the straights of Gibraltar by the Umayad Arabic Muslims who by 716 controlled almost all of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Arabs finally left Spain in 1492, with Granada being the final stronghold. Seville, Cordoba and Carmona – the three places we visited- were captured by the Christians in the first half of the 13th Century.
A street close to our hotel in Seville. Not a place for driving- local residents can do so but their cars all show the scars Well hidden in a bric a brac market in Seville, an excellent Lebanese restaurant Food market in SevilleView from the Seville- Cordoba high speed train (250 km/hr)Our hotel in Cordoba- a converted palace where a former owner discovered Roman ruins when attempting to create a wine cellar. The restaurant is on top of the glass roof.Courtyard of our Cordoba hotelCordoba – this square was previously used as a Bull RingCordoba On the way to dinner in Cordoba- a former monastery, now a municipal building Main square of CarmonaTapas lunch spot in Carmona
We visited Southampton to watch England Women play an ODI cricket match against India, which India won deservedly in a close game. For both of us it was our first visit to the Utilita Bowl.
While in Southampton we took the chance to visit the Titanic Exhibition. The Titanic had a crew of 908 with 696 dying in the tragedy; the majority of whom lived in the same district of Southampton. A map on the floor of the museum was a chilling illustration of how the losses were felt by families and communities. A video recreation of the Titanic Enquiry was played. The enquiry started a month after the sinking and was concluded inside three months with a report published. One of the findings we found shocking was that the ship’s lookout did not have binoculars as he would have had to pay for them himself.
Elmalı is a centre for archaeological excavations, most of which relate to the Bronze Age. The area is well known for Tumuli, ancient burial mounds called Hoyuks in Turkey. Many have been robbed, but finds are still being discovered. The Elmalı museum has a selection of finds with the oldest going back to 5,000 BC. In addition there are displays of Lycian tombs.
The major attraction is part of the “treasure of the century” or Elmalı Hoard. It was discovered by looters in 1984 and smuggled out of the country and consisted of 1,900 silver coins. The coins originated from across Greece and Lycia in the 5th Century BC. It is believed they were collected together at the time of the Persian invasion. The Hoard is particularly important because it includes 14 decadrachma (10 drachma) coins and prior to 1984 only 13 has been found. Much of the hoard ended up in the hands of an American collector. In 1999, after out of court agreement 1,700 coins were returned to Turkey. Most are displayed at the Antalya museum but a small selection can be seen in Elmalı.
We were the only visitors when we went to the museum; just us and a security guard. No need for a ticket and no gift shop.
Elmalı is a small town with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated on a small plateau at an altitude of about 1,100 metres 110 km west of Antalya and a 90 minute drive from Kalkan. Although inhabited much earlier, the area became an important centre during the Bronze Age between 3,000 and 2,000 BC.
Today, it is an agricultural centre with the main crop being apples; the Turkish for apple is elma. International and domestic tourism is minimal. When we looked around and had lunch, we didn’t see any other tourists. We were grateful for our smattering of Turkish. Although only 90 minutes from Kalkan it felt a world away – a “proper” place, with prices to reflect!
We stayed on a vineyard, a few miles from Elmalı, which was first planted in 1998 and has been selling wines since 2008. It grows many varieties, some well known such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Malbec as well as some indigenous grapes like Acikara, which means black spice.
Rural Turkey within a few miles of Kalkan en route to ElmalıThe road climbs through the Taurus Mountains on which we could see snow – this melts and flows through underground streams in the Kalkan Bay !Mosque and old baths (below) currently being restoredLocal delicacies include roasted chickpeas and goats’ milk ice cream
Japanese culture is rooted in tradition and harmony, emphasising values such as respect and community with a strong emphasis on politeness and etiquette.
We saw many examples during our travels. Everywhere is clean – no rubbish, dog poo, chewing gum and plentiful clean public toilets. There are no rubbish bins in public places following the 1995 terrorist train attack; all citizens carry bags to take rubbish home as a collective responsibility. All public transport runs on time – it would be rude not to – and stations are clean and orderly.
The values are ingrained from childhood at home and school. In public schools children have to clean their classroom before going home each night. We saw them bowing to staff as they left school.
Japan is, we read, the world’s fourth most secure country. We noticed this on a daily basis – you can use your phone in the street without fear of snatching, bikes/helmets are left on the street unlocked. There is heavy policing/ surveillance supported by the public. There are neighbourhood “kobans”, small one room police stations open 24 hours a day where minor crimes and issues are reported or lost valuables are taken.
Japanese society places order above freedom of the individual. This strong collective responsibility is easier to maintain in a country with little immigration and therefore limited ethnic diversity. It is also more economically homogeneous than most countries. We quickly formed the opinion that it is the most controlled non communist state.
Neighbourhood Koban stationRailway station in Kyoto- a busy station but not a spot of dirtA typical Japanese toilet (this one was in a Tokyo subway station) – functions range from different “bidet” washes to music and flushing options. Most also have heated sets and self- flush. Many public toilets also have a seat for your toddler to sit on while the parent is using the toilet A couple of helpful but simple features in restaurants – a basket by each table for bags, hats etc. Hooks on the back of doors are by the edge of the door; mush less likely to leave something there !Thoughtful and kind gesture from a member of staff at a Japanese InnVending machines are common place on streets, in shopping centres and stations. Some include food; both food and drinks can be hot Kimono rental for a day is popular in some towns and cities (Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone) but not seen in others (Osaka, Hiroshima)The teachings of “zen” from a sign in the Tokyo National Museum. Third sentence- something to consider when washing up ?!
A quirk of train travel is “Eki stamps”. In 1931 Eki ink stamps were introduced to railway stations so that passengers could collect stamps in a book to record where they had been. There are now 9,000 stations where a stamp can be collected. In addition some museums also provide stamps.
Temples produce goshuin, which is a combination of calligraphy and stamp which can be collected but in a “sacred” book, as a record of one’s faith.
We had learned about Eki stamps from a Joanna Lumley documentary we watched before our trip, so arrived armed with our stamp book purchased in the UK from Amazon. Such a book is not considered sacred, but we were able to purchase paper goshuin from the temples for 500 yen each.
Our (non- sacred) Amazon purchased stamp bookEki stamp at Gora station Eki stamp at Tokyo National Museum Purchasing a goshuin in Koyasan A selection of our Eki stampsThe goshuin from Eko- In temple in Koyasan, with the technicalities explained
There are many different styles of Japanese food and each restaurant tends to specialise in just one. Some, like sushi, tempura, noodle soup and teppanyaki were familiar to us. But we were introduced to many other styles such as kaiseki; a multi course seasonal meal with no choice, shabu shabu, a hotpot where you cook your own food at the table, yakitori, skewered grilled meat, usually a street food and okonomiyaki, a pancake based meal cooked on a hot plate (also eaten from it if you have a counter seat) with cabbage, noodles, pork and other selected filling topped with a rich sauce.
Omakase is similar to a tasting menu commonly served at a single sitting at sushi restaurants. Each course is a single piece; we tried this twice but with 23 pieces followed by miso soup, omelette and fruit, found ourselves a bit overwhelmed!
Restaurants are mostly small with say 10 covers seated at an L shaped counter around the chef/owner who prepares the food in-front of you, talking to the customers and sometimes joining them in a sake. There is no tipping or service charge and offering a drink to the chef is common practice.
We didn’t have a bad meal anywhere (even where appearances might have suggested otherwise), although concluded that some were more to our taste than others. One of our guides explained that Japanese people “eat slimy food from a young age” – perhaps why they have more of a taste for seaweed and tofu than we did ! Other than omakase restaurants the food is very inexpensive, around £6 a head for lunch.
Many restaurants are in small alleys or modern blocks, mostly without English signs or in some cases no signs at all. Finding restaurants, even with google maps, was quite challenging. The fabric signs hanging over the door indicate that the restaurant is open.It is common for restaurants and street stalls to display plastic versions of their food, often so realistic that it’s hard to tell the difference Kaiseki menu – we did skip a few courses sometimes!Top left, omakase in Tokyo; bottom left “home cooking “ style in KyotoOkonomiyaki in Hiroshima Our Japanese Inn hotel in Goran was half board with breakfast and dinner served in our room. Dress code – yukata (casual summer kimono) provided by the hotel. Left – breakfast Right – shabu shabu dinnerVegan dinner at KoyasanSushi making lesson Tim developed an expertise in sake ! Left, seasonal cherry blossom sake (more about the label than the taste)
We tried most things, even if only once, but did make a few exceptions!
While we ate Japanese food almost all the time, we did have a few very good international meals. Left – picnic from a French Bakery. Right – Italian pizza
Osaka is the third largest city in Japan, is a port city and for many years has been a commercial hub for the country. The city’s population is around 2.7 million, with a metropolitan population of around 19 million.
It is close to Kyoto, so much so that on the train between them it was hard to tell where each city started/finished. Osaka was our last stop and a big contrast to the previous one in Koyasan.
The focal point is Osaka Castle, originally built in the 16th Century and rebuilt after being destroyed in WW II. Most of the city dates from post WW II, with many buildings dating from the economic boom of the 1980s.
We went on a guided food tour and were surprised to see local drunken behaviour in the early evening. Our guide informed us that Osaka is not like the rest of Japan and in her words “Japan’s Liverpool”! That said, our other Osaka interactions were far more respectful including a man who went out of his way to help us find a sushi restaurant- he didn’t just point us in the right direction, he escorted us there.
Osaka’s citizens are said to be “contrary” and many of the country’s comedians are from the city. We also noticed that people walk on the right, whereas in the rest of Japan they walk on the left. This is said to be because Osaka’s merchants kept their money on the right, whilst Samurai in the other cities wore their swords on the left.
While we were in Osaka, cherry blossom was designated as being in full bloom. Our visit was over a weekend, so we saw groups of families and friends having picnics under the trees, a “Sakura” pastime that has been popular for generations.
Osaka’s prefectorial building with a ceremony outside connected to the imminent start of Expo 2025 Osaka castleShinto shrine at the castleCastle moat
Okunoin was opened as as cemetery in 835 and is the largest in Japan with over 200,000 graves and memorials. The path through the cemetery is about 2km in each direction. Some large Japanese corporations, including Panasonic, have memorials for former senior staff and staff killed in work accidents. It is common for a family to have a memorial at Koyasan as well as graves close to their home.
Okunoin’s most important and sacred site is the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi where followers believe he is in a state of eternal meditation rather than dead.
We visited during the day and also at night with a group led by a monk from our temple who recited prayers at the Kobo Daishi mausoleum. Among other anecdotes he told us that the monks had to take issue with Nintendo when players of Pokémon Go were searching for characters near the sacred mausoleum. Nintendo duly banished the offending monster !
Shilli-Fully Travels 