Seville was host to the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition (world fair). In order to promote the city and tourism, they built the massive Plaza de Espana. Unfortunately, the Great Depression began just months before the expo began, resulting in the exposition being a bit of a failure. The expo building still remains and is a very impressive site to visit!
Just across the river from Sevilla is a neighbourhood called Triana. People from Sevilla say that Triana is where the Gypsies invented Flamenco (... apparently there are several cities in Andalucia who also claim to be the "birthplace" of Flamenco :) )
As you walk through the streets, you notice that the houses looks like they are falling over or leaning out into the street. Sometimes this is due to the rotting of their wooden support posts, but in many cases, the leaning construction is actually intentional! If you look up at the top of many homes you will see a pulley, rope, and hook. The pulley system allows for furniture/goods to be easily hoist to the upper floors and attic. Having the house tilted slightly forward allows the item to be pulled straight up without bumping into the front of the building on the way up.
There were so many interesting things we learned during the tour (way too many to blog about :) ). So if you're planning to visit Amsterdam we definitely recommend taking the free walking tour with Free Dam Tours to find out more!
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