Field Trips: Spain

A significant part of the Semester at Sea experience is the field trips in each port. Twenty percent of a student’s grade in each course derives from projects associated with land travel (either independent or structured). Before this voyage began we were given a long list of scheduled excursions, some of which we had to sign up for before leaving (primarily the overnight trips). Sandy and I went thru the offerings and identified the ones we each were interested in taking. Often we will be going separate ways on any given day.

Thus, while in Cadiz we were together on a two day, one night trip to Sevilla and Cordoba. But, on day trips she headed out to Jerez and Hierro del Bocado to see how sherry is produced and to see the Carthusian horses; on another day she took a White town route ending in having lunch in Ronda, the locale where the Moors had an uprising against Ferdinand and Isabella. And, on the last day in Cadiz she took a walking tour of the market place, sampling the food.

Both Sevilla and Cordoba had charming historic sections with beautiful cathedrals. The Sevilla cathedral houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus, suspended in the air by four statutues. Sevilla’s Alcazar was built in 913 as both a palace and fort. The highlight of our Cordoba tour was the massive Mezquita, originally a mosque which had been overbuilt by the Christians. But, Sandy probably would have preferred to stay with stone masons we encountered early in the day placing small vertical stones for pathways. Instead of returning the hotel for the bland buffet lunch several of us stayed in the historic section for a delightful lunch.

I went on a walking tour of Cadiz focusing on its churches. And, on the last day I went to Gibraltar, a trip I had organized specifically for my courses, a Faculty Directed Practica (FDP). Each professor was asked to design and organize about 3 of these FDPs for his/her courses. Clearly the focus of this day trip was the “Rock” which is strategically situated on the northern side of the Strait of Gibraltar, the only entrance/ exit to the Mediterranean, other than the Suez Canal.. The British have occupied this small peninsula since 1704 and on several occasions since then have had to survive sieges. During WWII the tunnel system inside the Rock expanded to 38 miles, more than the road system.

Sandra in Rondo

The "rock" of Gibraltar

Monkees of Gibraltar

About to have lunch in a quaint restaurant in Sevilla