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Seville

Winter days & Spanish sun.

By Emma-Jane Browne

March 14^th, 2020

NO8DO

'No me ha dejado' - She (Seville) has not left me.

Last year I had been reading about Al-Andalus a lot, and found it absolutely fascinating. It was cold in Paris and before I knew it, I was looking up cheap flights to Seville (which I didn't find - and also the first and last time I flew with Vueling - worst airline I have had the misfortune of taking).

I soon left the cold Paris february weather and landed in the glorious sunshine of Andalucia (seriously, I spend the entire week in Summer dresses) - I was actually terribly happy I had chosen the winter, because I'm not sure I would have survived the Summer heat.

I stayed in a really cute little hotel in the Santa Cruz area, right by the Catedral and the Alcazar.

I had also convinced one of my best friends - and also a photographer - to come along with me. YAY photo holiday :D

Catedral

Sevilla Cathedral is imposing. I was not surprised when I learnt during the visit that it was the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Built upon the Almohad mosque, some elements and styles still serve as remnants of the older structure. Most notably the Giralda (the bell tower) - the lower part is a Minaret of Moorish design, with large ramps leading up, which once you reach the Christian addition, turn into stairs. The walk up is quite something, but definitely worth the view over the cathdral roofs and terrasses and over the entire city.

Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza

Reales Alcazares de Sevilla

Seville's royal palace was built for Castillan king Peter the Cruel, in the 14th century, on the site of an Abbadid fortress. It a well known example of the Mudéjar style (the Hispano-Moresque style predominant in the medieval Iberian peninsula), and mixes elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Romanesque architecture.

The palace and gardens are widely known as the sets of films like Lawrence of Arabia and Kingdom of Heaven. But also the tv series Game of Thrones.

Metropol Parasol

Las Setas! The mushrooms :)

The structure is quite hard to explain, a huge wooden structure that Sevillians nickname the mushrooms! It's quite a site and a fun visit - not to mention a magnificent view of the city. We went as the sun was setting and were greated with a fantastic sunset as we walked around the walkways.

Plaza de Espana

Built to showcase Spain's industry for the 1929 World Fair, with tiled alcoves illustrating each Province and pavillions of Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) style.