15/16/17th June
We said our goodbyes to Jack and Simon, got back into our Fiat 500 and motored off to Seville for our next stay. Always a bit scary trying to find a hotel in a new town, but this one was relatively easy, despite roads only one car width at times. We found our hotel in a very scruffy end of town; this does not have the feel that Cadiz had and were given a room in a semi basement with a high window onto the car park!! Having booked one with a balcony, we complained and were moved on the next day, which was good but irritating having to pack everything up again.
When we walked into the tourist area of the Alcazar palace and cathedral, Seville showed its true colours. The narrow streets behind the palace (the old Jewish quarter) being a labyrinth of interesting bars, cafés and individual shops. Beautifully conserved old buildings with fantastic interiors, heavy studded doorways opening onto palm filled airy atriums beyond decorative gates, and glimpses into age old bars with crooked tiled floors, shiny trims and hanging Serrano hams. Great.
The palace was breathtaking, endless rooms of moorish tiling, wood and stone carving. A senses-fest. Everything so colourful too; even the carvings were painted. Such detail, hours and hours of work obviously. I love this style. Unfortunately we visited on the Monday (possibly should have come on the Sunday we arrived) because there were many school parties milling about - the Spanish clearly don't believe in the English way of 'crocodile' lines, they were like shoals coming at you and there was no giving way to old folk!
Sian, where are you?!
So 3 days of sightseeing again, wearing the soles of our flip flops out in the hottest temperatures we have experienced here. Seville is not called the oven of Europe for nothing. Love the cafe's outside tables with a continuing mist of water to cool you though - they work so well along with a freshly squeezed orange juice or a cold beer.
Streets so hot they suspend canopies above them
more magnificent patterning in the palace
our favourite bar
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Quick, could be trampled here
We said our goodbyes to Jack and Simon, got back into our Fiat 500 and motored off to Seville for our next stay. Always a bit scary trying to find a hotel in a new town, but this one was relatively easy, despite roads only one car width at times. We found our hotel in a very scruffy end of town; this does not have the feel that Cadiz had and were given a room in a semi basement with a high window onto the car park!! Having booked one with a balcony, we complained and were moved on the next day, which was good but irritating having to pack everything up again.
When we walked into the tourist area of the Alcazar palace and cathedral, Seville showed its true colours. The narrow streets behind the palace (the old Jewish quarter) being a labyrinth of interesting bars, cafés and individual shops. Beautifully conserved old buildings with fantastic interiors, heavy studded doorways opening onto palm filled airy atriums beyond decorative gates, and glimpses into age old bars with crooked tiled floors, shiny trims and hanging Serrano hams. Great.
The palace was breathtaking, endless rooms of moorish tiling, wood and stone carving. A senses-fest. Everything so colourful too; even the carvings were painted. Such detail, hours and hours of work obviously. I love this style. Unfortunately we visited on the Monday (possibly should have come on the Sunday we arrived) because there were many school parties milling about - the Spanish clearly don't believe in the English way of 'crocodile' lines, they were like shoals coming at you and there was no giving way to old folk!
Sian, where are you?!
So 3 days of sightseeing again, wearing the soles of our flip flops out in the hottest temperatures we have experienced here. Seville is not called the oven of Europe for nothing. Love the cafe's outside tables with a continuing mist of water to cool you though - they work so well along with a freshly squeezed orange juice or a cold beer.
Streets so hot they suspend canopies above them
-
Quick, could be trampled here
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