Feb 7, 2020
A couple of weeks ago, I took my
son to Sevilla in Spain. He is staying there to study Spanish and
the culture. What a place! I had been there a long time ago, and it
was so marvelous to return. Of course, it was almost the perfect
time of year: 70 degrees during the day, and the streets filled
with orange trees full of fruit. Before we met my son's host
family, we stayed spent the night right in the old center, next to
the cathedral. We were offered a free upgrade to our room; another
room with a balcony overlooking the cathedral was available, so of
course I said yes. It was so special. As I gazed over the
magnificent building that was all illuminated, I thought, "I cannot
leave Sevilla without seeing inside." So, the next day, after
meeting Cass' host mother, we wandered around the center, and went
back to the cathedral. One thing I hadn't done was read about it. I
had done no research at that point about its history, or the art
inside the building. That lack of research lead me to get a really
big surprise. Breathtaking is a word that comes to mind when I
think of Sevilla's cathedral. I have been in many around Europe,
but this one really is quite overwhelming. Cass and I slowly walked
around taking photos, and reading information about different
statues etc. After a while, I noticed a lot of people near a wall,
under a large clock. I had actually never seen a clock in a
cathedral before, and so I thought it odd to find one there. I went
over to have a look, and as I approached, I saw a dark, but
extremely elegant statue. It was of four kings, carrying a coffin.
I knew that there was something special and different about this
piece of art. It was subtle, powerful, and very regal. "What is
it?" I thought to myself as I searched for an information placard.
I looked and looked, and finally found a little piece of paper that
was stuck to the base of the statue. I took my glasses out and put
them on, as the letters were quite small. 'The tomb of Christopher
Columbus,' it said. I gasped. I felt a lump in my throat. "Cass!" I
called out to my son, "This is the tomb of Christopher Columbus!"
"Woah!" he said in astonishment. We were both bowled over. It was
quite a moment. Obviously, if I had read about it beforehand, it
wouldn't have been such a surprise, so I'm glad that I hadn't. I
knew there was something special about the monument. Since then, I
have read that there is debate about whether all of his body is in
the tomb. Well, as far as I'm concerned, all 206 bones don't need
to be inside. Even if only one of his little finger bones is there,
that would be enough for me. The piece is stunning, and it was
built to commemorate someone whose destiny affected the world, and
the royalty who sponsored him. That is enough for me.