We’re about a ¼ of the way through our world tour. This week is a week of “lasts”: our last week in Sevilla, our last week in Spain, our last week in Europe, and our last week in the Western Hemisphere.
But this week of lasts will lead us into a week of firsts. We’ll have days upon days of travel, and a whole new continent to explore.
As we realize how quickly our time in España is coming to a close, we’re kicking into high gear to make sure we don’t miss anything on our Sevilla bucket lists.
On Wednesday, Ethan had a lot of schoolwork to catch up on, so we left him at home in the quiet of our apartment to focus on health and social studies. Meanwhile, Jered, Ainsley, and I ventured out to explore the Cathedral de Sevilla, the (probably) final resting place of Christopher Columbus and home to more than 88,000 lbs of gold across its massive 124,000 square feet.
We opted for a guided tour, and I’m so glad we did. Our guide took us to places a regular ticket doesn’t cover.
Fun fact from the guide: at the end of summer, the cathedral grows more than 20 cm in height due to expansion of the stone from the intense heat and humidity.
We started our tour at the tomb of Christopher Columbus and got a brief history of the many movements of his remains.
“Ol’ Chrissy C,” as our family has dubbed him, died in 1506 and was buried in Valladolid, Spain. In 1509, his remains were moved to Sevilla, where he rested until his eldest son had him moved to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In 1775, when Spain ceded the Dominican Republic to France, his remains were moved again, this time to Havana, Cuba. In 1898, when Cuba gained independence from Spain, his remains were returned to Sevilla and entombed in the cathedral, where they remain today.
Plot twist!
In 1877, a box labeled “Don Cristóbal Colón, Admiral of the Ocean Sea” was discovered in Santo Domingo.
So… did the Dominican Republic really hand over the right remains? Those bones have never been DNA tested. However, in the early 2000s, the Catholic Church tested the remains in Sevilla against DNA from his brother, Diego Columbus, and confirmed a match. This lends credibility to the claim that Chrissy C is indeed buried in Seville.
Still, there’s a possibility that some of his remains were secretly held back during one of the transfers. Until the Dominican Republic allows their bones to be tested, the truth will remain a mystery.
And you know what? I love me a good mystery.
The legend of Columbus was just a small part of our tour. We visited one of the 80 chapels within the cathedral: the final resting place of Cardinal Juan de Cervantes, marked by an incredibly lifelike sculpted tomb. Jered was in awe of how the sculptor made the three stone pillows supporting his head look soft.
In that chapel, we learned that at one point, more than 400 holy masses were held daily in the cathedral. It was believed that the more masses the living attended, the less time their ancestors would spend in purgatory.
Next, we entered the Choir, a beautiful central section of the cathedral featuring two enormous organs and intricately carved Gothic stalls. We explored a few more chapels and admired artwork from both the Gothic and Renaissance periods.
Our tour concluded in the courtyard, where we learned that the cathedral was built on the site of a 12th-century Almohad mosque. After the Christian reconquest of Seville by King Ferdinand III, the mosque was initially converted into a church. In the early 14th century, it was demolished and replaced with what is now the largest Gothic cathedral (and second-largest cathedral overall) in the world. It is second only to St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
You can still see Moorish influence throughout the site, especially in the courtyard where the original fountains used for pre-prayer washing still remain.
After the tour, we wandered through the courtyard before climbing the 34 ramps (about 7 spirals) to the top of the bell tower, which houses 24 bells. From the top, we had a stunning view of the entire city of Seville. We could even spot our apartment, thanks to the giant crane working on a building across from our playground.
Sweets from the Nuns
Yesterday, we crossed another item off my bucket list: visiting the Convento de San Leandro to buy sweets from the cloistered nuns. It was such a surreal and beautiful experience.
The sweets are made and sold by the resident nuns as an act of devotion and to support the convent. To purchase them, you enter a serene courtyard and approach a window with a tornillo (a kind of lazy Susan that prevents any view of the nuns).
There’s a buzzer to alert them, and a menu posted nearby (plus a flyer advertising the treat of the day). When you place your order, you put your money on the tornillo. The nun spins it away and returns it with your change and sweets.
Oh. My. Goodness. They know what they’re doing. We ordered sultanas de coco (insert drool emoji) and magdalenas, and both were divine.
On the walk back, we realized we were just a block away from another bucket list stop: the Setas de Sevilla. It’s a giant, mushroom-like pergola structure with a big “❤️ Sevilla” sign beneath it.
We took some family photos, wandered under the structure, and admired how cool it looked during the day. I’ve heard it’s even more beautiful lit up at night, so we’ll be making another trip soon to see it after dark.
After that, Jered and Ethan headed home, and Ainsley and I went on a mission to find yarn. She’s had the idea to buy a skein of yarn in every country we visit and crochet a blanket: one square for each country. I love that idea and can’t wait to see it come together.
More Sweets? Yes, Please.
This morning, Ainsley and I visited another convent nearby: Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, just a 15-minute walk from our apartment.
It was equally breathtaking: peaceful gardens, old architecture, and that same beautiful mystery surrounding the cloistered lifestyle. When it was our turn at the window, I stepped up to the tornillo and used my best (broken) Spanish to order.
After a few words, the nun asked if I spoke English, and we finished the order in English. This time, we got:
- Roscos fritos: fried, cakey donuts sprinkled with sugar
- Mostachones rellenos: a dense, coconut macaroon-like treat
Both were delicious. Honestly, Ainsley and I were disappointed that we didn’t start doing this earlier in our month here.
I’d seen this experience on TikTok, but I’m so glad we experienced it for ourselves.
The TikToks don’t do it justice.
As we wrap up our time in Sevilla, we’re feeling a mix of gratitude, wonder, and a little bit of sadness. This city has given us more than just beautiful sights. It has offered stories, surprises, quiet moments, and some of the best sweets we’ve ever tasted. From climbing bell towers to unraveling centuries-old mysteries, and sharing convent-made cookies in peaceful courtyards, Sevilla has become a meaningful part of our journey. With our bags packed and our hearts full, we’re ready to step into the next chapter of our world tour. A new continent, a new culture, and a whole new set of adventures are waiting just ahead.
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