Digging History

I never thought I would spend so much time looking at the ground. It seems to be something I’m doing quite frequently these days. I love Andalusia for its rich history of hosting three very different cultures and religions, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. But, thanks to one of my classes, Archeology from Tartessos to Rome, I’m learning about the really old history of Andalusia and the Iberian Peninsula. Sevilla is primarily located for access to a whole host of ancient ruins, particulary Roman ruins. The pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/sgauche, Espana, Part 8 are of a day hike to Mulva-Munigua, located near Sevilla. This was a group trip, so I found myself in the “herd” that is over fifty American students strong. Yikes! We met at the train station for the hour ride to the drop-off point. And that is what is was: it most certainly wasn’t a regular stop. The train slowed to a stop in the middle of nowhere, and our director told us to get off. Stepping off the train into a field on the side of the tracks, I was suddenly thinking Nazi Germany and work camps. While we were in the middle of nowhere, fortunately, we were well guided. We made our way to the ruins of a roman bath. It was pretty amazing to see the perseverance of that structure! The hike took us through some amazing Spanish countryside and right through the middle of a bull farm. It was also one of my first tastes of Sevilla heat. My appreciation for our marble-floored flat is growing with each day as the season is turning suddenly to spring.