A charabanc to Seville

Sevillian fans for sale...

When we first sailed into the Mediterranean some fourteen years ago we stopped in the small Spanish port of Duquesa and set about touring the Andalusian highlights. For some unknown reason we didn't visit Seville and it was time to put that omission right. There didn't seem much point hiring a car so we set about investigating buses and trains. Surprisingly the train was going to take longer so we opted for the Alsa bus, a subsidiary of our trusty National Express! We started our 5 hour journey in Almeria and stopping once in Granada we finally arrived in Seville and settled in to our city centre hotel.

Metropol Parasol

Metropol Parasol

View of Seville from the top of the Metropol Parasol

There was a lot to see and do but with a storm approaching we decided to make the most of some outdoor activities first. It wasn't far to walk to the Metropol Parasol, a relatively new 30 metre high wooden structure often likened to a mushroom or a waffle! The space used to be a parking lot. The Parasol now houses a market, shops, a restaurant, viewing platform and some Roman ruins in the basement. Needless to say it was an expensive and controversial urban project and the jury is still out.

View across the Guadalquivir river to Triana and the Isabel II bridge
dominated by the hideous and controversial office block, Torre Sevilla

View across the river to the colourful buildings along Calle Bettis, Triana

Calle Bettis bar

Wall plaque for the matador Chicuelo, Calle Bettis

The following morning, with the rain still holding off but the storm clouds building, we set off for a walk along the Guadalquivir, the only great navigable river in Spain. We crossed over to the western bank and slowly made our way south to the metal arched Puente de Isabel II, Seville's first bridge, in the Triana neighbourhood. We had a fascinating time at the Castillo San Jorge, the seat and headquarters of the notorious Spanish Inquisition from 1481-1785. Thousands of people were imprisoned here over the centuries but it is now a museum bringing to life one of the darkest periods in the history of Catholic Spain. We continued along Calle Bettis with its row of brightly coloured 18th century townhouses and home to lively riverside bars and restaurants affording wonderful city views especially of the Torre del Oro. The military watchtower, now a naval museum, dates back to 1220 and was originally designed to protect the docks. 

View of the Torre del Oro across the Guadalquivir river

View of Seville and the cathedral from the Torre del Oro

Torre del Oro

Tile work at the Plaza de Espana

We crossed back over the river and made our way to the picturesque Barrio Santa Cruz, formerly the Jewish quarter of Seville, in search of some food. The narrow winding cobbled streets are full of tapas bars which were also a welcome shelter from the torrential rain that finally arrived. This historic city is where tapas were invented but we soon discovered that here we no longer got a tapa included with the price of a drink. This tradition has long since been abandoned in favour of a small charge. Apparently the only two areas in Andalusia still offering free tapas are Granada and Almeria!

The Patio of the Maidens in the heart of the Alcazar. The sunken gardens were only discovered in 2004

Mercury pond, Alcazar

The next day with our fingers crossed that most of the rain had passed we set off to visit one of Seville's main attractions. The Alcazar Real is one of the most beautiful palaces in Spain and the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The Alcazar started as a Moorish fortress and was later expanded into a palace in the mid 14th century. We spent a few hours exploring the wonderful salons and patios as well as the pools, palms and pavilions of the extensive gardens. 

Grotto gallery and gardens, Alcazar

The Royal Shipyards

In need of a sit down and a bite to eat we made our way to the El Arenal area, the original home of the city's port and from where ships originally sailed to the New World. As well as the Reales Atarazanas, the royal shipyards, dating back to the 14th century, and the Moorish Torre del Oro the other attraction in this neighbourhood is the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza one of the most famous bullrings in the world. We found ourselves in a tapas bar adorned with bullfighting memorabilia along with the stuffed heads of some of the mighty beasts that fell in the arena.

Bronze statue of the matador Curro Romero outside the bullring

Tapas bar next to the bullring!

At last the weather was improving and on our final day we made sure we were in the queue ready for the opening of the largest cathedral in the world. Construction of Seville's cathedral on the site of the Aljama mosque, lasted over a century from 1401 to 1506. It was originally built to demonstrate the city's wealth and the sheer size and grandeur are breathtaking. It has the largest and richest altarpiece in the world, a treasury full of silver, gold and

monstrances and a tomb housing the remains of the explorer Christopher Columbus. We climbed the 103 metres to the top of the Giralda (bell tower) which was originally the minaret of the 12th century mosque. The views alone were well worth the never ending ascent. We left the cathedral through the Patio of Orange Trees and out of the Gate of Forgiveness...

View south from the top of the Giralda

         

                                       The Giralda                                      Gothic facade

Reaching up to heaven...

Tile work at the Plaza de Espana

Having escaped the tourists and the rosemary touting gypsy women we found ourselves on the edge of the city in Maria Luisa Park, home of the massive Plaza de Espana. It was built for the Ibero-American exhibition of 1929 and is another love it or hate it grandiose building also known as the Venice of Seville. Today it houses government buildings and as well as being a tourist attraction the Plaza has been used as a location for several movies. By now we were beginning to wilt and even the horse drawn carriages were beginning to look appealing! Our time in Seville was up and our legs were happy to have the following morning off as we hopped on a train down to Cadiz...

Plaza de Espana

Plaza de Espana