My Vintage Journeys: SEVILLE - A JOURNEY THROUGH ANDALUSIA

Thursday, November 7, 2019

SEVILLE - A JOURNEY THROUGH ANDALUSIA

PLAZA DE ESPANA, SEVILLE, SPAIN

Ron and I recently traveled through Andalusia, Spain making many stops along the way. We planned the four-week trip ourselves and took risks, as usual, having never traveled this route before. It turned out to be one of my favorite journeys, until the last two nights in Madrid (not Andalusia). My bag was stolen by one of those slick thieves that you hear about, but somehow think you are too savvy to be a victim. More about that in a later post, however, one of the losses was my travel journal and notes. Consequently, I will be sharing more photos and writing less--maybe that's a good thing.

We arrived in Madrid and flew directly to Seville (pop.700,000), allowing two hours between flights. We stayed for three nights at the Sleepin Sevilla Arenal apartment located in the old town. It was reserved through booking.com and we rated it a 10 out of 10.

Seville was taken by the Moors, during the conquest of Hispalis in 712AD. The Moorish influences are still present today in the buildings, monuments, gardens, and parks. I loved this city when I visited 16 years ago and I still feel the same. There's something a little calmer and more peaceful here than other cities.

PLAZA DE ESPANA, SEVILLE, SPAIN

Seville is the warmest city in continental Europe. In October the afternoons were still in the 80s, however, the mornings and evenings were perfect with many people sitting outside in cafes and parks.

ALCAZAR OF SEVILLE

A visit to the Alcazar of Seville is usually on everyone's list of things to do in Seville and for good reason. We stood in line one hour before the royal palace opened to get tickets to enter. (They tell you to order them ahead online to avoid the wait--good advice.) Once inside, you can stay as long as you wish. We were there for about three hours including time for coffee in the gardens. The palace is in the Mudejar architectural style, with many influences from Moorish and Christian culture.

ALCAZAR OF SEVILLE

We also visited the Seville Cathedral, General Archive of the Indies, and walked along the Guadalquivir River. Another favorite place is the Plaza de Espana that was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.