Our return to Madrid was brief and uneventful. We were all a little tired from our early flight back so we decided to do like the Spaniards do – eat a heavy lunch, then take a nap! After we felt rested, we walked around the city for a few hours to show Jigar some of the sights we saw when we were here a few days earlier. After a light Mexican meal (we were all tapas’d-out!) we headed to bed early so we’d have plenty of energy for Seville on Thursday.
The train ride from Madrid to Seville was very nice. The service was exactly on time and we even got fed a hot meal onboard. Some of the other passengers on our car ordered multiple rounds of wine (which was free), though none of us were in the mood to imbibe at 10am. I think these other passengers have done this before because the wines were served in mini-bottles and many of the passengers just tucked them in their bags for later! Oh well – I don’t think there will be a shortage of Spanish wine in Seville!
We booked an AirBNB apartment for the next three days so we checked in with our host and set out to explore the city. It was REALLY hot on Thursday – RealFeel temperatures were over 100 degrees! – so we moved at a slow pace and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. Our first stop was Metropol Parasol, the largest wooden structure in the world. While it certainly is a huge wooden structure, none of us really cared for it that much because it struck such a sharp contrast to the more traditional Spanish architecture that defines the rest of Seville.
On our way to the Metropol Parasol, we found ourselves strolling down one of the many beautiful, small streets of Seville.
Old meets new: the Iglesia de la Anunciación and a corner of the Metropol Parasol.
A very strange structure indeed.
View from the top of the Metropol Parasol, looking south at many of the city’s main landmarks.
And the view looking north.
Even exploring the Metropol Parasol slowly left us drained in the extreme heat so we decided to take a break at one of the many restaurants in the area. This one happened to be advertising the cheapest beers in Spain - €0.40! – so we figured it was as good a place as any to cool off in the A/C. The drinks cost that little because they were tiny, but it was still a good place to relax for a few minutes. Next we walked south to see some more of the city, but before long it was time to duck into Bar Alfalfa to escape the heat!
There is a beautiful courtyard waiting around almost every corner in Seville.
Another beautiful alleyway.
Sarah popped her head into a private courtyard to snap this great picture.
My favorite street in Seville.
After a hot day of exploring Seville, all three of us were ready for some food. Our first stop was Taberna Coloniales for traditional tapas. It was here that we were first introduced to salmorejo, a thick, tomato-based gazpacho soup – it is delicious, make sure to try it if you ever visit Spain! After a few rounds of tapas and people watching from our table on the street, we walked over to La Azotea for our main courses. I opted for an omelet, Jigar got roasted vegetables and Sarah got a mini-burger. All were amazing!
Didn't realize I was getting freshly (and thinly!) sliced ham - straight from the leg - on my omelet!
Not "traditional" tapas, but still delicious (and excellent presentation!).
We slept in until an embarrassingly late hour on Friday, but when we eventually rose we headed over to the Seville Cathedral to see (arguably) the city’s main attraction. When we arrived, however, the lines to get in were absurdly long. We figured it would be best to let the crowds pass and eat a leisurely lunch at Bodeguita Romero – this place is known for its sandwich tapas and the pulled pork / chorizo / black bean sandwich was one of the best things we’ve eaten so far in Spain!
The Seville Cathedral. Beautiful from the outside (we'll explore the inside after lunch).
Another shot from the outside of the Cathedral.
When we were done with lunch, the crowds to get in had practically disappeared – timing is everything! Our wait to get in only took 10 minutes and we explored the incredible Cathedral for a couple hours.
Almost inside, we snapped a picture of this statue by the entrance.
This is the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. But the pictures don't even come close to doing it justice!
Looking up at the main dome of the cathedral - the different lighting provided quite a contrast.
One of the many intricate "treasures" on display in one of the side rooms.
We were able to climb to the top of the Cathedral to get some great views looking down on the rest of Seville.
Back down in the courtyard, looking up at the Cathedral's towers.
After the Cathedral we headed down to another of Seville’s tourist attractions, the Plaza de España. This beautiful, but modern, structure was very pleasant to walk around for an hour or so. There were row boats for rent to explore the moat but we opted to take in the views from dry land.
The Plaza de España.
Another benefit of having Jigar around: we always have a photographer on hand!
And Sarah is always happy to return the favor for a shot of the two of us.
Incredible tiling detail throughout - really a spectacular place.
Since we were close to some of the bridges that connected us with Triana, the west side of Seville, we figured we'd cross over and see what that side of the river had to offer. There were a handful of bars and restaurants, but many were closed when we were there. Extended siesta, perhaps? In any case, it wasn't long before we headed back to the downtown Seville in search of tapas. After bounding around a few places we didn't really love, we ended up at Bodega dos de Mayo and loved it. The food was great (even though we were a little full from our earlier, less delicious tapas) and the place was packed with locals.
Aging pig legs: our view for dinner. When in Spain!?!
Sarah and I decided to get up early on Saturday to see the city when it wasn't bustling with people. Jigar said on Friday night that he planned to join us...but it's always difficult to pull yourself out of bed before sunrise! He stayed behind, but we got some great pictures of the city without too many other people blocking the views.
Sunrise at the Cathedral.
Empty plazas...
...and streets.
The Christopher Columbus Monument.
Lots of joggers along the river this morning - with views like this I don't blame them for choosing that route!
After we returned for a nap, we woke Jigar at his regularly scheduled hour, 12 noon ("It's the jetlag!" does not work on the 7th day of the trip!), and walked south to explore Seville’s palace, Alcázar. Though not as impressive as the sights we saw yesterday, it was still well worth a visit to see the beautifully tiled rooms and impressively manicured gardens.
Me and Jigar at the main gate of Alcázar.
One of several great courtyards in the palace.
Some Islamic features of the palace design are hard to miss - haven't seen archways like this since Dubai.
A quiet corridor of the palace (and Sarah's favorite part).
Ok maybe this was Sarah's favorite part.
We concluded our evening - and our time in Seville - with a Flamenco show. We'd been meaning to do this in Spain and our AirBNB host recommended a great place so we figured it would make a fun end to our time with Jigar. These shows are obviously geared towards tourists but I can't tell you how much we all enjoyed it! Really incredible guitar, singing and dancing - well worth it if you are in Seville (or Spain in general)!
OLE!
Jigar just left us on an overnight bus to Portugal. Sarah and I will probably get just as much sleep as Jigar since we have to be on the move by 5am to catch our flight to Barcelona, but we all enjoyed our time in this lovely town. It's hot in the summer months but definitely worth a visit!