Sunny Sevilla, Andalucia, Spain

Sevilla Cathedral, City Centre

This week our highly anticipated summer vacation is now officially underway, an action packed month of exploration awaits us. Sun, sangria and flamenco pulls us south again to the enchanting Andalusian provence and city of Sevilla. 

Only two and a half hours on the fast train, entering Sevilla is like being transported to a foreign land. The charismatic city with such a fascinating history was, according to local legend, founded over 3000 years ago by the Greek god Hercules. 


Ruled by Romans, Moors and Christians the city has seen the strongest of men conquer and fall, empires and entire civilisations develop, prosper and crumble. Sevilla holds its stories and secrets tight, wrapped up and hidden deep within the dark corners of the city. 

Amazing facades down the streets

Great place to stop for a tapa

Mixing old and new

Sevilla sparkles and charms, enticing you to seek what it hides around every bend. The larger roads are lined with fragrant orange trees, laden with bright fruit. Tropical palm trees grow high into the sky, standing strong and erect in the warm breeze but the heat oppresses any motivation to sway. Within the city the streets are odd shaped and narrow and the balconies above are burdened with the weight of blooming flowers in terracotta pots. 
Richly decorated facades and intriguing secret patios hide within the old puzzle of streets. Doors are left wide open displaying large intricate entrances to which you can peer and wander into with detailed iron gates at the ends to protect the inhabitants and to allow the breeze through. High windows are covered with protective, thick straw mats giving refuge to the city from the sweltering heat. Old and new integrate seamlessly.  

It took only moments to feel at home, absolutely lost between the unstructured tangle of roads, caught between the hand-painted tiled patios and under the ancient bell towers of one of the hundreds of old city cathedrals.

John by Torre del Oro

Walking from our Pension

The city was silent and calm when we arrived, locals and tourists alike hiding from the mid day sun, quietly tucked deep away inside their homes or crowded under the water vapor sprinklers strategically placed under the pavement umbrellas.

Our pension, in the San Bartolome neighborhood backed up against the old town. A stones throw over the intricate tangle of undefinable homes we wandered in the late afternoon to explore the center. Immediately, confused and disoriented, we were fortunate to eventually stumble into the historic Plaza Virgen de Los Reyes. Dominated by the looming Seville Cathedral and steps away from the Royal Palace, it swarmed with traditional horse drawn carriages waiting in the shadows for tourists.

Plaza Virgen de Los Reyes

East side of Seville Cathedral

Our first stop was the Reales Alcázares, the Royal Palace. The architectural fortress-like masterpiece, known as Al-Muwarak, the blessed, was built in a frenzy by the Almohades a Moorish dynasty. After the Spanish Reconquista, King Pedro I, commissioned the construction of a new palace, however the beauty of the original palace was so inspiring that they couldn't bring themselves to tear it down and rather craftsmen from across the south designed a magnificent interior arranged around water features and tiled patios. 

Courtyard of the Maidens

Courtyard of the Maidens

Private area of the Royal Family 

Patio of the Royals

We made our way through the expansive palace, it's fine halls and salons and into the royal gardens. For Game of Thrones fans, it's here that they filmed the gardens of Dorne (season 5) featuring the Pond of Mercury. We loved the terraced gardens which lead to secret alcoves and pavilions and the hidden bath houses.

John inside the Courtyard of the Maidens

The pond of Mercury 

Galeria de Grutesco

After an early dinner of local salmon and the necessary help of our GPS, we headed back to take a rest and gain respite from the unyielding heat in our air-conditioned room. When the full moon shone and the streets buzzed with the sultry sounds of flamenco, we walked down along the Rio Guadalquivir, the warm, fragrant breeze whipping across the calm waters. 

Individually wrapped Yema's

Religion is strong in the south, and they'll tell you the best sweets come from the kitchens of Seville's convents. Disastrously hard to find, the convents are hidden down the smallest and most complicated of paths. The ritual of buying sweets, when you do eventually find them, is archaic and completely based on trust. We went off on Saturday morning in search of the inconspicuous Convento de San Leandro and to our dismay couldn't find the right entrance. At several doors we enquired "Tienes galletas?" Do you have cookies? 

Receiving only half-cocked looks of surprise. Consequently giving up, and walking off we remarkably caught sight of a small, ordinary-looking wooden door. With hope, we approached and noted a small plain piece of white paper pinned to the wall with handwritten opening hours. This must be it! We hesitantly entered, nervous and unsure what we would find. The entrance door led into an lonely, deserted square patio where six old dark wooden doors led off into different directions. Maybe divine insight helped us choose the right way as we approached a small wooden turnstile. Alongside, another old and worn paper listed prices for their delicious dulce yema's. A mixture of egg, condensed milk and more sugar, coated in a hard white icing. Soft, yellow and creamy they are divine. 

John at the turnstile

At the turnstile we softly knocked and were greeted through the wall by a chirpy voice that said 'Ave Maria purisima' we placed our order for the smallest quantity: half a kilo. Silence ensued as the order was quickly packaged. Then quietly the turnstile rotated and there was our small parcel, carefully placed in a delicate wooden box. John left the money and the faceless transaction was completed. A final prayer and goodbye saw us on our way, back out into the secluded morning streets.

Here's where we had lunch! 

Street side dining by the Rio 

After this experience the day was heating up quickly so we made a mad dash to get to the Plaza de España complex before the mid day sun became unbearable. Built in 1929 for the World Fair the crescent shaped complex is decorated with thousands of hand painted ceramic tiles and made of red brick, typical regional revival style of the time. It's difficult to put into words the outstanding grandness of the site. It's not rated number one on trip advisor for nothing!

Plaza de España 

Kara in front of Plaza de España 

Stunning tile works

John taking a break in the shade by Huesca

After the obligatory siesta, we sought out lunch trying the most delicious ¡que rico! local potato salad. A few glasses of the smooth house wine combined with the pressing heat saw us return shortly after for a follow-up siesta. 

Ensillada Rusa 

As the late afternoon cooled into early evening we traversed more of the old city, visiting the Cathedral, through the shaded network of shopping streets and over the Rio to the terraces lining the bank. By 10.30pm we went off in search of the elusive, secretly hidden (perhaps purposely) and figuratively 'underground' Peña. Almost all but pushed away from the city for increasing rent prices this is the one remaining raw, cave-like home of flamenco. Obscured from the lane there is a labyrinth of paths and rooms to manoeuvre before reaching the den. Inside it is Gypsy-like; painted white with low lighting and decorated with dark, faded and torn posters of by-gone festivals dating back to the early 20th century. Furnished with long wooden tables over an uneven stone floor, local patrons flock there to watch the passionate flamenco. This was not a tourist show set up for paying customers but more a casual gathering of old friends lovingly and wistfully practicing their famous heart-wrenching songs and powerful dance. 

Extremely impressed with the professionalism (and that we had found this little local gem) we sat parallel to the singers and joyfully tried to join in with cries of 'ole'. We ordered the local 'Agua de Sevilla' which translates to 'water of Seville' but was rather of a strong concoction of spirits and pineapple covered in sweet cinnamon cream.  

Flamenco performance

Calle Verde- The long way home

As the night transformed into morning, it was the stars that guided us home.....star light, star bright, hope we find our way home tonight. Getting lost in the dimly lit neighbourhood where no road fashions a straight direct path is child's play, getting out on the other hand is a mystery. 

We returned to the glorious Plaza de España early the following morning to make sure we had not missed anything the day before under the blistering heat. We enjoyed a relaxing and long breakfast filled with strong coffee and then checked out. Later that afternoon we met up with our Blabla car driver, Aurelio, a local Andalusian, who drove us onwards to Cordoba! 

To the beautiful southern Spanish city, in which a small part of our heart remains: 'Ole'.

Tot siens,

John and Kara

Seville- Home of Flamenco