As the red and yellow striped Spanish flag flutter against the Andalusian wind of Seville, I stepped out of the Aeropuerto de Sevilla breathing in the Southern Iberian air. I have been wanting to experience the Moorish influence in Spain and there is no better way to experience it than visiting Seville.

Spain has been very loyal to the Papacy and therefore very Catholic. However, in a very distant past, Spain was colonized by the Moors. The evidence of this is very strong in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.

To start my visit to Seville and at the same time make this a truly Seville experience, I took a horse-drawn carruaje on my way to the Alcazares Reales de Sevilla. The Alcazar used to be a Moorish fort which was turned into a royal palace. In fact, the Spanish princess, Maria Antonietta was born here. One of the highlights of every visit to the Alcazar for me is seeing the labyrinth-looking gardens. The geometrical shapes are very interesting, I’d like to get lost in them. Torre del Oro is another Seville landmark which was built by the Moors. Just like the Alcazar it is also built in the Mudejar style.

Seville is also known for Gothic architecture. So I did not miss visiting the Cathedral of Seville which is one of the biggest Gothic cathedrals. But this cathedral has a twist, there are elements of the Moorish influence including a minaret which is used as a bell tower.

All these day dreaming really make me want to visit Spain. I will now go online and book my tickets to any airline waving the flag of Spain.