Sunny Seville and Me.

A weekend in Seville   

     Tapas, flamenco, sunshine, and great fun are all things that come to mind when someone mentions Seville. I can wholeheartedly say that all those things are true. Seville is truly a magical place with vibrant, warm colors painting the street and history at every corner. The people there love to smile, laugh and are very hospitable. With so much to do, it was easy to spend a weekend there and not be bored. 

Day 1  

     I left Madrid by train at 08:51 am and arrived in Seville at 11:32 am. Spain has a great transportation system and sometimes, when booked in advance, train tickets are very economical, as my round trip ticket was 112.72 euros. I arrived at Sevilla-Santa Justa station and walked about twenty minutes from there to get breakfast near my airbnb. 

    Unfortunately, it was raining and the sidewalks were not the most evenly paved or the widest, so it was a bumpy trek. I had breakfast at Mala Brunch. It is a very nice brunch location right under the ¨Las Setas¨ or giant mushroom, one of the main tourist attractions. 

   After brunch, I went to visit the Flamenco Museum, a 10 minute walk from where I ate brunch. There I learned about the history of flamenco, famous dancers, and even saw traditional costumes that were worn by celebrities. The price for entrance was only 8 euros. After exploring the museum, I stopped at a nearby cafe for coffee until I could finally check into my airbnb at 4pm. 

      I quickly dropped off my belongings and rushed to a free walking tour called "The Best Monumental Free Tour of Seville". The meeting spot was at the gates of Plaza de Espana. The guide was energetic, knowledgeable, and gave tours during the day, while performing as a flamenca dancer by night. The tour lasted for 2.5 hours and we visited all the major attractions. The main takeaway during the tour was that the year 1929 carried significance in Seville. A few of the main attractions, Plaza de España and Hotel Alfonzo 13, were built during that time because the World Fair was held in Seville!      

       After the tour, I went to eat some traditional food at La Sacristia Tapas, a local and tourist favorite. I ate a Sevillan classic: espinacas caseras con garbanzos (Spinach and chickpeas) with cola de toro tradicional con papas frita (oxtail with fries), paired with a tinto de verano. The whole meal cost 19 euros.  

          To end the night, I went to a popular tourist destination: a flamenco bar called La Carboneria. Generally, most flamenco shows cost about 25 to 30 euros. At this venue, the show was free but you had to buy a drink. It was an enormous establishment, filled with people from all over, and there were three shows. Each at 20:30, 21:30, and 22:30 pm. The only downside is that the flamenco dancing took place in the very front of the venue. If you weren't sitting nearby, you couldn't see anything, just hear the clapping of the shoes. Despite this, I wasn’t too disappointed by my poor view because I’ve seen so many flamenco shows in the past. I honestly just went for a good time!    

Day 2  

     I departed from the airbnb at 10:00 am and grabbed a croissant and coffee for breakfast at La Taberna La Encarnación for a total of 3.90 euros. Of course, that meager meal wasn’t satiating, so I then had a Spanish favorite, tortilla de pata, at Bar El Comercio, a popular, local spot.This was a typical Spanish bar; lively customers, friendly, quick staff, and of course, well priced food. Their tortilla de patata con cebolla, was by far the best I've had.   

      I bought early tickets to see the Real Alcazar of Seville, although I was still required to wait in line for my entry time. To get into the Alcazar was very disorganized and unpleasant. There were no signs indicating where to stand, and the staff directing the customers were overwhelmed and rude. However, the paradise that awaited me inside made it all worth it.The impressive, Moorish influenced interior decor and the grandiose gardens made for a delightful afternoon. I got lost multiple times and found myself discovering new rooms and additional things to appreciate. It is definitely a place to visit again!    

       After the Real Alcazar, I grabbed tapas at a tapas bar that was recommended by my tour guide at Pepe Hillo. The tapas were pricier than what I’m accustomed to, but they had a nice variety and I left feeling satisfied and delighted.

      After lunch, I was off to another free walking tour that started at 17:00 pm to explore the neighborhood of Triana! This tour was conducted in Spanish so I had to pay more attention than usual. Triana was a cute, quaint, small neighborhood. It didn't really pique my interest like the other parts of Sevilla. After that tour, I embarked on a tapas tour conducted by a local that began at 19:15 pm. The tour was suggested to me by airbnb and it cost $75 USD. In three hours, I ate at 5 different bars and tried different tapas and drinks. This ended up being my favorite part of my trip. The people in the group were from different parts of the world and we all got along and enjoyed each other's company.  

Day 3  

        My last day was dedicated to leisure and relaxation. I had no real agenda except to explore freely. I ate breakfast again at Mala Brunch. I then went to Las Setas, the giant mushroom sculpture in the city center. For 12 euros, you can go up and see a panoramic view of Seville. It was slightly cloudy but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

     There was also a helpful chart to guide visitors towards what exactly we were looking at in the distance. Next, I walked to Plaza De España. It really should be a world wonder. It is magnificent in size, vibrant in color and beauty, and beaming with life. It is also where the Latin Grammys will take place this month. There are boats to rent out on the man-made lake, plenty of places to sit, and even flamenco dancers performing for free! I could have spent the whole day there. It helped that the weather was so nice and warm at a sunny 75 degrees. After Plaza de Espana, I went to the University of Seville, which was a former tobacco factory. Afterwards, I enjoyed an expensive coffee for five euros in the courtyard of the Alfonso 13 hotel. 

    It is a bougie, sophisticated, and classy hotel that has hosted multiple famous people such as Angelina Jolie, Princess Diana, and Tom Cruise.

      Since I had extra time until I needed to catch my train, I sat under the giant mushrooms in the city center and enjoyed the sunshine, crowd, and free street entertainment. Sometimes no plan is the best plan! After that, I collected my bags from my airbnb, paid 1.40 euros to catch the bus to the train station, and went back to Madrid!