Two gates and a paragraph

Carmona. Sleeping in. Enjoying breakfast at leisure, and then strolling through the town in the bright sunshine, browsing a bit, having a coffee here, a couple of tapas there, and in between marveling at one of the many works of ancient craftsmanship that can be found here – each of these days here is a jewel, a gift, for which we are deeply grateful.

Our first destination today was the Alcazar de Puerta de Sevilla, an impressive castle complex from the 3rd century BC, the foundations of which were already laid by the Phoenicians 1,000 years earlier. The gate to Sevilla has a counterpart on the other side of the city: the gate to Cordoba, Puerta de Cordoba. This offers a beautiful view of the vast fields and meadows of this fertile plain, the Vega del Corbones, and also shows why Carmona was settled as early as it was: it is situated in a strategically favorable location on a hill and can be easily defended. The silhouette of the city is also marked by the Iglesia de San Pedro, whose tower is said to imitate the Giralda of Sevilla – which we will verify tomorrow when we visit the capital of Andalusia.

Carmona will also remain in my memory because of the many small cafés and tapas bars. And one or two of the pretty girls from this city might remember me as well. It was in a small café at the edge of a large square. I was already sitting there, having saved a spot for myself. I could hardly believe my luck; dozens of female students had gathered around our table, apparently coming from some meeting. I weaved through the tables, with a friendly smile and a soft “Sorry” here and there – and overlooked a step. In that split second, as I realized that a fall was unavoidable, I internally closed my eyes. Oh my God! I fell flat on my face. Fortunately, I didn't knock over any tables or chairs. I simply landed on the stone floor. People jumped up, but they were not pretty girls; they were elderly men who grabbed me under the arms and helped me up. I had no external injuries; however, my internal wounds were severe. I fear that it will take days, if not weeks, to heal...