We knew ahead of time that instead of taking steps to the top of the Giralda, the bell tower of Seville's cathedral (the largest Gothic cathedral in the world), we would be walking up a series of ramps. The reason, the story goes, is that the monk responsible for ringing the bells every morning decided it would be easier to ride to the summit on a little donkey — and since donkeys don't do stairs ... you get the idea.
I haven't had time to verify this tale, but I have climbed the ramps (all 35 of them) to the top of the tower, which was originally a minaret when there was a mosque at this site centuries ago. To be atop this edifice, to see the splendors of Seville spread out below, well, it passes the prickles-down-the-back-of-the-spine test. And if you happen to be strolling around the nosebleed section of the Giralda when the bells begin to ring, then the thrill is complete.
