The next weekend, I found myself once again waiting in Madrid airport for a flight south. This time I was heading for Seville, the largest city in Andalucia. Seville is an old city and one of the most important cities in Spain. Because it's the functional capital of the south of Spain, and because the culture in the south is so ubiquitous with Spain generally, Seville is exactly how people picture Spain to be. It it is full of cathedrals, tapas and flamenco and everything really does stop for a few hours in the middle of the day for siesta. You haven't seen Spain until you've seen Seville.
I was just in Seville for the weekend so I thought I should make the most of it. I arrived Thursday night and on Friday I found a walking tour around the city. For such a large city, the historical centre is quite small and easy to explore, albeit difficult to navigate accurately. The first half of the day was some pretty rotten weather but it eventually cleared up. As with the Granada post, I'm writing this several weeks afterwards so a lot of the details are a little fuzzy.
The personal highlight for me that day was Plaza de España. Every city and town in Spain, big or small, probably has a Plaza de España but this is the best by a mile. These photos are totally unfiltered and untouched. It actually just looks like that #nofilterneeded
That afternoon I explored the old Jewish quarter of Seville. Seville once had a large Jewish population but they were the first victims when the Spanish Inquisition swept through Spain. Now there's just a 'Jewish quarter' but no Jews. Even still, it was a cool part of town. The streets were narrow, winding and cobbled and mostly feed into small, beautiful plazas. A few hours wandering around the Jewish quarter of Seville is time well spent, I think.
Another cool thing was the Metropol Parasol. It's an enormous art installation/building made primarily out of wood. I'm not quite sure what it is but it's a good view from the top.
Although it wasn't planned that way, Chuck and some of his housemates from Salamanca were also in Seville that weekend for a big Erasmus party. I managed to stow away on their bus that night, over an hour away to another city, to an enormous party in a club/warehouse thing. It was a pretty crazy night.
The next day was far more relaxed, with a late start and a mission to find an open Vodafone store so I could put credit on my phone. This was a lot harder than expected, since I was trying to find an open store during siesta time. My mistake, I guess. After that I figured, if you can't beat them, have a nap with them and had a quick siesta myself in the park.
Sunday, the final day, Chuck and I wandered around the Jewish quarter some more before he had to get on a bus back to Salamanca. I hung around and checked out the other major attraction in Seville; the Alcazar. Originally a Moorish royal palace, now an official residence of the King of Spain, the Alcazar is an incredibly ornate building, inside and out, set amongst beautiful gardens but is probably best known for being the location where the kingdom of Dorne was filmed for Game of Thrones. Anyway, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. The views from the Alhambra in Granada are breathtaking but I actually thing the Alcazar is the nicer building inside and the gardens are just a bonus.
Anyway, if you want a taste of Spain, Seville is your one stop shop; the weather is hot, the people are napping, the tapas is free and you can get your Game of Thrones fix.
I was just in Seville for the weekend so I thought I should make the most of it. I arrived Thursday night and on Friday I found a walking tour around the city. For such a large city, the historical centre is quite small and easy to explore, albeit difficult to navigate accurately. The first half of the day was some pretty rotten weather but it eventually cleared up. As with the Granada post, I'm writing this several weeks afterwards so a lot of the details are a little fuzzy.
Once in the morning
And again in the afternoon
Fun fact, the cathedral in Seville is the third largest in the world
400 year old graffiti, written in sheep blood. Supposedly.
Every section is dedicated to a province of Spain
That afternoon I explored the old Jewish quarter of Seville. Seville once had a large Jewish population but they were the first victims when the Spanish Inquisition swept through Spain. Now there's just a 'Jewish quarter' but no Jews. Even still, it was a cool part of town. The streets were narrow, winding and cobbled and mostly feed into small, beautiful plazas. A few hours wandering around the Jewish quarter of Seville is time well spent, I think.
Another cool thing was the Metropol Parasol. It's an enormous art installation/building made primarily out of wood. I'm not quite sure what it is but it's a good view from the top.
The next day was far more relaxed, with a late start and a mission to find an open Vodafone store so I could put credit on my phone. This was a lot harder than expected, since I was trying to find an open store during siesta time. My mistake, I guess. After that I figured, if you can't beat them, have a nap with them and had a quick siesta myself in the park.
Sunday, the final day, Chuck and I wandered around the Jewish quarter some more before he had to get on a bus back to Salamanca. I hung around and checked out the other major attraction in Seville; the Alcazar. Originally a Moorish royal palace, now an official residence of the King of Spain, the Alcazar is an incredibly ornate building, inside and out, set amongst beautiful gardens but is probably best known for being the location where the kingdom of Dorne was filmed for Game of Thrones. Anyway, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. The views from the Alhambra in Granada are breathtaking but I actually thing the Alcazar is the nicer building inside and the gardens are just a bonus.
Anyway, if you want a taste of Spain, Seville is your one stop shop; the weather is hot, the people are napping, the tapas is free and you can get your Game of Thrones fix.
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