Southern Spain vs. Barcelona

     In my adventures throughout southern Spain, it became quite clear to me that Spain is as diverse a country as any.  And the differences between the city of Barcelona and the cities of the south of Spain are many. While Barcelona gives the feeling of a bustling metropolis, the town of Seville reminds one of a small town frozen in time. The tiny meandering streets are all dwarfed by the grand cathedral, which lies close to the center of the town.  Here, bullfighting is the sport of choice, and gypsies stroll the streets selling their goods. Toledo could not be more similar to Seville. This too is a town frozen in time. A large castle-like wall surrounds the city, with a grand cathedral in the center, with nothing but small shops and homes standing throughout the rest of the city. Knife and sword making is still one of the local pastimes, and the views from the top of this mountainous town are spectacular. Progressing north, the town or Cordoba seems to be a small Muslim city surrounding a grand mosque. Similarly, Granada seems to be simply a town built around the great mountainous fortress that is the Alhambra. The Alhambra was a highlight of the trip. It consists of a mountaintop fortress, sprawling with buildings from several centuries of construction, also affording wonderful views of the surrounding snow capped mountains. Madrid, the capital of Spain and the first stop on our trip, was the city most similar to Barcelona. Though the two cities hate each other, and duke it out on the soccer field each year for superiority, the cities themselves are both very similar. They seem to be the two most modern cities in Spain, both boasting tall office building, and taxi lined streets. They are the two largest cities in the country, and it is evident not just in their size, but in the number of people that walk the bustling streets everyday.