Our final destination in Spain is Seville. There is a great deal written about how wonderful the city is in books and on the internet so I decided we should stay here for a week. I found another great apartment in a central location and after visiting Ronda we drove our car into town (only getting lost once or twice) and turned it into the rental agency. All good. Once settled in we headed out to explore. Surprisingly because it doesn’t get dark there until after 10:00 p.m., it seems pretty natural to wait until 7:00-8:00 to eat. That of course is still early for Spaniards who typically wait until 10:00 to eat, but it worked just fine for us. We relaxed the first day in town (did some laundry) and prepared for our tour of the Real Alcazar–The Royal Palace–the following day.
Looking out over the gardens at the Real Alcazar.
Originally a Muslim Fortress, most of that was destroyed in 1248 when Seville was conquered by the Castillian Christians. Built for King Peter it is considered a “preeminent example of Mudejar style combining Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance structural elements. ” The upstairs is still home to the Royal Family of Spain when visiting Seville. While the palace is impressive (mainly the incredible tile work) it is the gardens that are particularly lovely–especially on a warm day.
Visiting the Plaza de Espana.
Next to the Alcazar is the massive Seville Cathedral which is considered the fourth largest church in the world. And while certainly monumental, we actually found some of the smaller churches around the city more attractive. What we did enjoy perhaps more than anything was wandering the small windy roads or alley-ways in the old town area where our apartment was located. Lots of little bars and restaurants (with patio seating of course) in order to stop and have a cappuccino and croissant. Of course locals seem to have no trouble having a beer at any time of the day!
Another impressive site is the Plaza de Espana. A massive square and plaza that sits besides the lovely Maria Luisa Park. (The park was Thom’s favorite part of the city.). Originally built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 it is an enjoyable way to spend the day–both on foot or by carriage.
My birthday carriage ride.
On my birthday, May 23 I didn’t plan anything special (other than this entire trip!) But after seeing the carriage rides we decided that would be a lovely way to experience the city. While we were just passengers for the actual ride that took us around the Cathedral, the Alcazar, down by the river front and through the Plaza and the Park, Thom asked the driver if I could “sit behind the wheel” for a minute.
My birthday dinner.
Most all the food we ate here in Seville and the rest of Spain was good. Not fabulous, but all good. At first we were delighted with the idea of tapas available everywhere. We like to share and those small shareable plates seemed ideal. The problem was (at least for us) it got very repetitive. Everywhere seemed to have the same thing. However for my birthday I researched a nearby restaurant and made a reservation. We got to sit outside (the weather was perfect) and we had a wonderful meal.
And while I’m finding it particularly challenging to only post a few photos from such a memorable city, I will always remember the spontaneous flamenco dancers we found in nearly all the popular areas around town. They were everywhere and so talented and passionate! We considered going to one of the paid shows but instead just decided to enjoy the gift of them all around town. Here’s one:
Seville is definitely worth a visit if you ever make it to Spain. We are left with happy memories from our time in this great country.
What an amazing time you guys are having. Thank you for taking me along on your travels. I love the pictures and videos. Happy belated birthday Kathy!
What a beautiful city! And happy belated birthday! My daughter’s birthday is May 27, so she is a fellow gemini. 🙂
You look so happy, and so at peace. And I really like your hair the way you have it. 🙂
Hi Kathy. Scandinavia and Finland were both excellent, and neither of them were outrageously expensive (unlike Norway, especially, & Denmark which are in a league of their own). Lots of coffee and cake breaks of course – an important part of both countries culture. Highlights for us were the ABBA museum in Stockholm and the Moomin museum in Tampere, Finland, an hour and a half north of Helsinki by train. Oh, and the cruise ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki where, in the evening buffet wine was literally on tap. Open a tap and wine came out. Way to go!
Hi Kathy, A belated very happy birthday. The trip and the carriage ride are a good present.
I do love how you describe your adventures – succinctly however still capturing the essence of Spain and their lifestyle. Eating dinner late is a change. We’re trying to get ourselves accustomed to it before we get there. 🙂
Glad you and Thom are enjoying the sites, the culture and the people. You will have a lifetime of memories when you get back home. Plus all the pictures 🙂 Enjoy and thanks for sharing!
Hi Debbie! Thanks for the birthday wishes and yes, the carriage ride was a fun way to spend a warm day. And thank you for saying you enjoy my commentary. I read a number of other travel blogs and I just don’t seem to “process” the same way. Hopefully a number of my readers enjoy it and don’t get too annoyed. Still have a couple of months to go!
And yes to the memories. When you get to Portugal you’ll have to adjust as well…and good if you can do a bit of it before you arrive. We don’t stay up that late…I wake up fairly early even if I stay up late and I’m a much happier girl if I get my sleep. So even though we are eating a bit later than we do at home…bedtime is still pretty close to to normal. It will be interesting to hear how you do on your trip??? Meanwhile, has your weather warmed up yet? I think you’ve had it fairly cool haven’t you???? ~Kathy
It’s warmed up quite nicely. It’s still a little cooler than it usually is this time of year (about 70 F). We’ve had some much needed rain however that’s mostly overnight.
I agree with you about the sleep. I, too, need to get the proper amount of rest. So it’s a good thing bedtime is pretty normal. My biggest concern is the jet lag. I don’t do well with it.
Yes, it will be very interesting to see how we adjust to the changes. Looking forward to it.
I laughed about how late they eat. I thought I had adapted to the late restaurant openings in France when I lived there, but nothing prepared me for Spain. My first day there I almost starved waiting for the restaurants to open. Then I was stunned by how many families with small children were out eating late into the night. One of the great joys of travel is all the new experiences, including different cultural rhythms to the day.
A belated happy birthday!!
Hi Galen! Yes I thought about the kids too. On the rare night we stayed out a bit late (for us) I saw entire families with loads of kids heading to dinner. That made me wonder what time they get to bed and then school in the morning? But one thing I loved about all the kids was how there were scads of them on school field trips all over town. How great for them to learn about history and culture just by visiting it!
Surprisingly I think it is the grocery stores that are throwing me off the most. We are trying to eat in our Vacation Rentals more but it is tricky because the groceries are open in the morning and then close most of the afternoon. I think those of us in the U.S. are so accustomed (at least I am) to be able to shop and buy stuff any old time we want. If anything, it is teaching me patience and gratitude! ~Kathy
Oh I didn’t think about that regarding the stores. I don’t remember that groceries closed in Paris during the day, so I never ran into that problem, and I was only in Spain briefly and in a hotel. Interesting!
I’m glad you enjoyed Seville. We loved it there and it’s on our Must-Revisit list. And it didn’t rain when we were there.
Aside, we’re just back from a week in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland. The very model of Scandinavian efficiency. If you were minded to extend your trip I’d recommend both of them.
And belated Happy Birthday!
Hi Gordon! Yes it is a lovely city and worthy of more than one visit. But it was on the warm side so I think we’d plan it earlier in the spring if I was going to do it again. Of course with current weather around the world who knows? How was it in Scandinavia? And I’m not surprised it was considered more “efficient” than the countries further south. We can’t extend this time but who knows? So many places, so little time!!! ~Kathy
I am enjoying these little “postcards” of your trip (supplemented with your FB posts). You have managed to pack so much in. I noticed the Jacaranda tree in one of your pictures… are they blooming everywhere now?
Hi Janis! I like the idea of being a “postcard” of our travels. That fits for sure. And I’ve started enjoying the posts a bit more. I think because we have sort of settled in and aren’t moving quite as much. For example, we just traveled to a new little town today (Matera, Italy) and it’s pretty hot outside. So we are just hanging here at the apartment and getting settled. We will wait until this evening to go exploring. A nice way to spend the day. ~Kathy
Looks like a great trip. Happy birthday … did you get flamenco lessons as a birthday present?
Hi Tom! No lessons for me. While I love to dance I’m more of a free-form dancer! Still I did appreciate their passion! And the music is GREAT! ~Kathy
Sevilla has a very varied selection of activities and is a great representation of Spain as a whole, it seems! Looks like you had an amazing cumpleaños! Where to next? 🙂
Hi Liesbet! Yes we enjoyed are time in Sevilla and it was a perfect capping of our time in Spain. And yes my birthday was great but I do plan to celebrate for the ENTIRE trip! :-). ~Kathy
Wonderful! Keep sharing. We will just be voyeurs!
Thanks Gary. You know I post a LOT more photos on FB but this is a chance to add a little commentary. Glad you like it. ~Kathy
Cathy, I am already looking forward to your next destination. Thanks for sharing Spain with us. Happy Birthday!
Oops, sorry about the C. I usually check myself but I am a bit under the weather today.
No worries! And feel better soon! ~Kathy
Hi Suzanne! Yes our next stop is Puglia in Southern Italy. We’ve been here a few days and I already have TONS of photos. Glad you are enjoying all my travel notes and thanks for the Birthday wishes! ~Kathy
That looks like a great trip! Spain is on our list of sights to see. I bet the old buildings and plazas are amazing.
Hi Mitch! You are SO right. The history is everywhere, the architecture lovely and the plazas inviting. So much to see. But if you come south to Andalucia I would recommend a month earlier. It was bordering on pretty warm and it would be more pleasant if it was cool. But the good news is you don’t have to worry about rain! ~Kathy