Seville (Sevilla), Spain

Travel weekend number six of seven, off to Spain I went. Sevilla, being not quite the tourist destination in Spain that Madrid and Barcelona are, only has one flight to and from London daily. Therefore, my weekend began on the Friday evening flight to Sevilla and ended on the Sunday night flight back to London. I was very much excited for my trip to Spain. After a few months apart in Europe, Monica, Matt, and I were to meet again in Sevilla. Excited to see them both, and others who made the trip to Spain this weekend, the added warm weather was just a bonus (Sevilla got up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit while I was there, a nice change from the cooler London).

Arriving at the airport I boarded the bus for the city center where I would meet Matt, Monica, and Jess at the bus station nearest Matt’s house. Even though I haven’t taken Spanish in five years, and nearly failing the Spanish placement exam at DU, I was comforted to know some basics to communicate with the locals. I was surprised at how much Spanish I did remember… now, don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t understand a word the Spaniards were saying due to how fast they talk, but had I needed to, I could have stood some chance at conversing with one of them.

From the bus station where we all met we made our way to our hostel so I could drop off my things. My late arrival, 9:30 p.m. meant nothing in a culture where everything seems to happen later in the day. We met Brad at the hostel, who is also studying in Sevilla, and made our way to a tapas bar in some square in the city. Sevilla is much like the small town Spain I imagined. The roads are narrow, the buildings have a Spanish influence to their design and materials, and the people and lifestyle seem to move much slower than other parts of Western Europe. It was great catching up with friends as we dined on delicious tapas… my first taste of true jamon and some sort of toast with cheese and drizzled warm honey. Our night ended with a visit to a few student bars (Sevilla is home to thousands of abroad students each semester) and my first waffle and chocolate experience.

Having been out late the night before (which seems to be a common trend in Spain) we started our day around 11:00 am after breakfast at the hostel with trips to the Alcazar and the Cathedral. The Alcazar is an Islamic palace that blends the culture and architecture of the Moorish and Spanish Christians. The grounds were adorned with many fountains, gardens, and mazes (yes, mazes in the hedges, good times). I was most amazed by the baths of Lady María de Padilla, the picture which can be seen below.

Below is a photo of Matt and me at the Alcazar.

Following the Alcazar we went to the Cathedral which is within a stone’s throw from the Alcazar. Beyond all other locations I have traveled, the entrance fees to tourist sites in Spain were the most reasonable; with free admission to the Alcazar and minimal fee for the Cathedral. It sure is great being a student. The highlights of the cathedral were Christopher Columbus’s tomb and the view from the top of the Giralda (the bell tower). Unlike many other treks to the top of a cathedral on stairs, the walk to the top of the Giralda consisted of 36 switch back ramps. Matt informed me this was most likely due to the use of livestock to ring the bell prior to its current mechanical state.

Below is a photo of Christopher Columbus’s tomb.

After our visit to the Alcazar we went and toured the Plaza de Espana. The plaza was originally built to hold the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibit. The building is quite impressive and spans a very wide panorama view. The tower on the plaza was used most recently in Star Wars Episode II for the scenes with Naboo, although it was digitally altered. Following the exterior tour of the plaza we walked through the nearby Parque Maria Luisa, another creation for the 1929 exhibit. It seems Sevilla likes to build a lot of buildings, bridges, and parks for its exhibitions as most monuments we visited were erected for a certain purpose or world exhibition. At the park we rented a five person bicycle car thing (yeah, it has an official name, I forget what it was). We rode our way around the park taking in the warmth of the Sevilla sun and the sights of the nearby Plaza de America. Following our bike tour of the park our legs and bodies needed a rest as we siested (yes, I made up a word) back at the hostel.

Below is a photo of the Plaza de Espana

That evening we headed out to explore the nightlife of Sevilla. We ate dinner at Cerveceria 100 Montaditos. A montadito is a small sandwich (imagine three or four bites) with various toppings and spreads. Your order sandwiches much like you would sushi by tallying your choices on a menu list. We crazy Americans ordered all of our sandwiches, much to the surprise of the chef who confirmed our order, with brown bread. You should have seen the four of us sitting there trying to figure out what exactly we had ordered (the menu is all in Spanish)… needless to say, they were all quite delicious. Contently full we went to experience a free flamenco show with a pitcher of Agua de Seville. Agua de Seville is a blend of beverages topped with fresh whip cream and cinnamon that you mix in prior to drinking… also delicious. As you can tell, Sevilla lives up to its reputation as a gastronomic center of Spain (not that I have much to compare it to though). The night concluded with drinks at a local watering hole near Alfalfa.

Below is a picture of the sandwiches we devoured…

Monica and Jess left early, which is relative in Spain, the next morning. I took the leisure of sleeping in, recovering from the weekend thus far before meeting Matt at the hostel around noon. We spent the day wandering the city. Highlights of the day include the live animal market near the river, the graffiti art near the bus station, the bull fighting ring (we just saw the outside), and many bridges scattered along the river. The afternoon concluded with paealla and sangria (which Monica swore I had to try before leaving Spain) prior to my bus to the airport. As I walked back to my flat from Baker street (I stupidly booked the wrong bus and banked on being able to find a night bus back to Victoria station) in the brisk London air I was able to reflect on what a great weekend I had… Sevilla was amazing!