Sevilla, Spain

As one of the most talked about cities in Spain, the buildup for Sevilla is warranted. We were excited to save this gem of a city as our last stop in Spain and our last city in Europe (for a while at least.)

Sevilla possesses all the tradition and history you except in Spain- cathedrals, bull fighting, flamenco dancers, nuns and of course- a giant palace.

It is also a city in tune with the 21^st century. Sections of town are covered with lively bars and restaurants, perfect for a lifestyle of staying out late and spending time with friends. There is developed shopping, modern hotels and even a city tram.

Thanks to facebook and some last minute planning we were lucky to get to meet up with an old HOBY friend Jason Frederick during our time in Sevilla.

We spent our first day walking around taking in the architecture and beauty of the city.

The next day we started with a stop by the famous bullring of Sevilla. The season ended just a few weeks prior to our visit so we didn’t see any action this go round.

We made our way to the Alcazar Palace for a proper visit- audio guide and all. The Palace is beautiful inside and out. There are gardens on an entire side of the palace with mazes and courtyards, palm trees and water features.

Later in the day we visited the Cathedral of Sevilla. We hiked up the 35 inclining ramps to the top of the Giralda. The Giralda is a former minaret that has now been converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Sevilla. The first two-thirds of the structure were the minaret. The upper third of the Giralda was added after Christians conquered the city in 1248. That portion was completed in Spanish Renaissance style. The entire tower is a great example of the interwoven styles of Islamic and Spanish art.

The day after we visited the Cathedral of Seville was ironically Christopher Columbus day back in the USA. I say ironically because the Cathedral of Seville is home to the tomb of Christopher Columbus himself.

Mixed among Seville’s historical treasures are an abundance of tapas bars with plenty of outdoor seating.  We spent the last hours of our visit migrating from one to another tasting the town and enjoying good conversation between friends.  It was the perfect way to bid goodbye to Spain.

 

 

 

 

Tags: Cathedral, Featured Posts, Palace, Sevilla, Spain

Category: Alison's Blog, Blog, Destinations, Featured Posts, Spain