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Published: April 27th 2016
Another day in paradise! The day has dawned with an absolutely blue clear sky and it looks like we did the right thing holding back our visit to Seville until today.
Gretchen had worked out the bus timetable to Seville and the bus stop was right outside the gates. This was going to save having to find and pay for parking in Seville and with buses every hour it gave us some flexibility as to when to go and return. The fine weather wasn’t going to present a problem should the weather change and we wanted to head home.
We geared our departure to the 11am bus and joined another 5 people at the bus stop to wait for the bus which route started just down the road at Sanlucar de la Mayor.
It was a cheap ride to the city at €2.35 each for a 45 minute ride. Bus fares must be heavily subsidised in Spain! We could hardly pay for petrol and a car ark for the day by the time we multiplied the single fare by 4 to get us return tickets each.
It was a comfortable ride into Seville and there is something
to be said that you can sit back and enjoy the scenery rather than contend with roads that you are unfamiliar with.
The bus took us to the main bus station next to the river that runs through the city and then it was just a matter of finding our way to the historic heart of the city where the Cathedral and the Real Alcazar (Palace) were.
Actually we seemed to just follow where people who looked like tourists, were tracking and eventually we found our way to a side chapel of the main cathedral.
It was probably just as well we decided to go inside and have a look as later when we went around the corner of this vast cathedral we discovered that the queue to get into the main cathedral was at least a half hour long. So we decided to give it a miss for the moment and try our luck at the Real Alcazar which is the palace buildings and gardens.
We thought that if we could get in here easily enough then any disappointment we might have in not getting tickets to the Alhambra in Granada might not be so
hard to bear. We had already discovered that there were no tickets available for the Alhambra online such is the popularity of this attraction.
It was just a few steps away to the queue for the Real Alcazar and it looked like a half hour queue after Gretchen reported back from a stroll up to the front of the queue which was moving.
So we spent the time people watching as others came to join the queue or take a horse and carriage ride or simply head off to find lunch somewhere.
During the half hour we waited we were approached by two or three women who ‘could get us to the front of the queue by taking a guided tour for an extra €5 admittance fee’.
While this was tempting it also meant that you were restricted to where they took you inside and of course you had no control over just how big the group she rounded up to get to the front of the queue would be.
We declined on each occasion but many didn’t and while we waited at least two groups of ‘rounded up people ‘got to the front of
the queue.
Time actually passed quite quickly and we were soon inside and on our way strolling around the buildings which dated back to the 12
th century and the gardens that had been developed to their present appearance during the times of the Moors occupation.
The buildings were effectively added to in 1364 when Pedro I had a palace within a palace built for his reign and then later kings and queens enhanced what was already constructed with their own additions.
As we moved around the various rooms we discovered that the building is a haven for recently married brides and grooms to have their wedding photographs taken with 2 or 3 of the rooms being the favourites and also the gardens.
At one stage as we were watching one couple in various poses to satisfy the photographer, there was another couple being lined up for the same room and down the way there was another couple approaching.
Surprisingly the crowds inside the buildings weren’t that great or it may have also been the fact that the buildings were very spacious and despite there being groups on tours we didn’t really find our photo or
video shots being interrupted by people.
What is so striking about the Real Alcazar are the mosaics, the plasterwork and the tapestries on display.
Of particular note are the horseshoe arches in the Ambassador’s Hall with its symmetry and ornateness.While in every room there were mosaics in mainly pastel hues to be amazed at. All the while you have to be careful not to bump into other people while you crane your neck admiring the carved and gilded ceilings. All just so exquisite!
The only area we couldn’t get into were the rooms still set aside for the Spanish royals of today as the tickets for there were very limited in number and sold out long before we joined the queue.
The gardens with their terraces, fountains and patios were very relaxing to sit in and the smell of the citrus blossom played on the senses.
It would have been quite easy to spend longer but we were ready for some lunch and it was past 2pm so we called it a day at the Real Alcazar and found ourselves a tapas bar and rewarded ourselves with a selection of warm tapas for €10 and
a couple of beers.
We walked further along the streets of the Santa Cruz district stopping to watch the street performers including flamenco dancers with their accompanied guitar players and got even more of the feel of this relaxed city.
Compared to the northern cities of Spain, Seville is quite a contrast and we are now beginning to realise just how diverse this country really is.
Wandering back through the narrow streets towards the bus station for our return journey home we took in the various forms of architecture that make this city quite unique with the different styles evident and in particular the blend of Moorish design that seems to stand out more than anything else.
Then we came across something we hadn’t read or been aware of.
And that was the Metropol Parasol, a modern structure built in 2011
We could see people higher up but we couldn’t initially find a way of getting to a lift or stairs to take us up for the views of the city that they obviously were taking in.
Then a directional arrow pointed us to the basement level where for €3 each we took
the lift up to where we had seen people looking out over the city. What we hadn’t also realised when we paid the €3 each was that we would get a ‘free’ drink for buying our ticket. What a bonus and we were ready for another cold beer as the day had warmed up to be in the mid 20’s and with no breeze to speak of the day felt even warmer.
The views from the Metropol Parasol put some of what we had viewed from ground level into perspective and we were please we had stumbled across the Parasol on our way back to the bus station.
We had a bit of a wait for our bus but eventually we were on our way home. On the way in we hadn’t had to concern ourselves with where we pushed a button or whatever to get the bus to stop as we were going to the bus terminal.
However the ride home was going to be different and so we took the second row seats where we had noticed a big red stop button on the back of the front seat. We didn’t need to use it
as the driver remembered where we had asked tickets for when we boarded and as we drove into the road where the apartment was he turned and acknowledged that he would stop for us opposite the gate.
Phil and Steffi and their family from South Carolina, had moved on that morning but they had left us a note that perhaps our paths might cross again as they too were heading for Italy and Norway as we have planned.
It had been a fulfilling day of lots of new sights and experiences in this lovely Andalucía city and so far as our time in Spain has been concerned has edged out Pamplona as our favourite Spanish location.
PS enjoy Sabicas and some magical Flamenco guitar on YouTube
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Kj
non-member comment
Great writing
A particularly descriptive blog today thank you- gave us quite vivid mental pictures on top of some great photos of your day in Seville.