History, Life of adventure, Spain., Travel

Seville

Suzanne

August 2016

Firstly, after leaving Lisbon, we needed to travel down to Faro which is where our bus journey would depart from to take us into Spain.  A few nights in Faro would give us a chance to see another area of Portugal and to relax.  After a couple of days people watching from cafes and strolling in the twilight hours through the old town. It was indeed relaxing and less touristy and hectic compared to Lisbon.  The next day we were ready to board the bus heading to Seville.

We were looking forward to visiting Spain!

The beginning of our journey was somewhat chaotic, to say the least, no one was really sure which bus we were to get on.  The driver would not help people with their bags through when you didn’t do it right, we all had to take them off and start again.  It was a memorable start to our journey as I banged my head on the luggage compartment door, so be aware when putting your bags into the below compartments!.  As a side note, those compartments make an excellent place for drivers to indulge in a siesta! Eventually, after much chatter noise and shuffling, we were on the bus and heading out of Faro.  The journey itself was rather uneventful, the seats comfortable and we had a clear view as we had front row seats.  We arrived in Seville relaxed UNTIL the bus door was opened.

46 horrendously hot degrees

we just laughed and whispered: “This is going to be challenging!”

Around the corner was the taxi stand, yes you guessed it, no taxis.  Keep smiling, and we did.  Then no sooner had I gulped the last of my water it arrived, thank goodness!

Life really is all about timing!

Off to our Airbnb apartment which was in the Macarena neighbourhood.  We loved the area as it was more of a local one than touristy, the apartment was not so great, felt more like a private hostel with very basic amenities.  It was to be the least comfortable of our rooms we stayed in.  Having said that, the most important aspects: the bed was very comfortable, and aircon performed superbly which made the rest bearable as the lounge was by the back door and the bedroom had the street view, a bit back to front.  As most people do, we only spent minimal time inside the apartment.  To be fair, this apartment was also the cheapest in our travels, as the old saying goes “You get what you pay for”.

After cooling off with a cold one, it was time to have a wander around this fascinating historical city called Seville.  Here are some highlights of our wanderings.

The Modern Art Scene

You know that amazingly HUGE bastion of Sevilla’s modern art scene?  The infamous mushrooms that loom over part of the city.  Well, we were mainly just on the next block.  It took us two days to actually come across them, to be honest, we were not looking for it.  Which I feel says quite a lot about this city.  We were so engrossed in what else was happening around the rest of the city, the local streets we did not seek out the more ‘touristy’ objects.  We did see them, and they are spectacular.  Do they detract from the rest of Sevilla?  You tell me.

The Moorish Architecture, Bulls Fighting Arena and Flamengo Dancing

Flamengo Dancing was a favourite traditional hobby to enjoy learning if the numerous dance studios were anything to go by.

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The beautiful and unique artwork on buildings that themselves are outstanding in their architecture.

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The Palace wall was hiding the incredibly, spectacular building within it.  While the horse-drawn carriages gave the city a more relaxed atmosphere.

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If you don’t mind a little bit of a walk from the centre and want an authentic taste of neighbourhood life in Seville, then Macarena is the neighbourhood for you.

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The markets, the food, the people,

the flamboyance 

and

not so much the heat,

made our visit to Seville

a memorable one.

Adiós por ahora_edited

SEVILLE2

 

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

45 thoughts on “Seville”

    1. I think that rule of getting out of the cities and into the countryside to feel the ‘real’ culture applies to all countries. Yes we have also spent time in Barcelona, it is a more popular city than most.

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        1. Have a couple of housesits lined up. It is always an ongoing thing applying for more! You and hubby need to look into it, maybe start with Australia and NZ 🙂 Just putting it out there again!!

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    1. It is another city worth a revisit. Yes, that day was exceptional, not always that hot. One morning we had 19degs and it was cold!!

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  5. I really enjoyed Spain. Had a tremendous time when I visited many, many years ago, though I never made it to Seville. Portugal, on the other hand, has been on my bucket list for awhile. May have to pencil in a side trip while in London later this year.

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    1. You will not regret doing so, Portugal is amazing. Yes, I know that word gets bandied around quite a bit when talking about travelling to different countries. Though it is true when describing Portugal. Though not a rich country it’s food, warm people and buildings with beautiful ceramic tiles make up for lack of flash infrastructure!

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    1. You are welcome, Masha. I am pleased that you enjoyed the post. Seville is a very interesting place to explore, with most of the city being less touristy than say Barcelona.

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  12. Pingback: Not the average couple – Global Housesitter x2

    1. Thanks, Susie, yes Spain has some fantastic art and their architecture with the influence from a few cultures is worth a visit or two!

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    1. Thanks Josy, luckily it wasn’t that hot for too long. Hopefully I haven’t put off to many people visiting Seville in summer 🙂

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