Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
April / May 2011: Seville
Friday 29 April 2011 was a one-off public holiday in the UK to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. With the following Monday also being the standard Mayday bank holiday, I couldn't resist the temptation to use the four-day weekend for travel purposes. I decided to re-visit Seville, administrative capital of Andalucía in Spain, which I had briefly seen once in the 1980s while on a day trip from Portugal's Algarve district. Unfortunately the weather this time around was uncharacteristically wet, but in spite of this I managed to have a thoroughly enjoyable visit and to see almost everything that I had set out to see.
Cathedral
Seville Cathedral is one of the largest churches in the world and, for sheer size, tops the list of Roman Catholic cathedrals. Its Giralda bell tower, the city's most celebrated symbol, is a former minaret. Many parts of the cathedral interior are lavishly decorated, with the incredibly ornate altarpiece reported to be the lifetime's work of a single craftsman.
Alcázar
The Alcázar is royal palace and former Moorish fortress, situated right in the centre of Seville, beside the cathedral. Parts of the complex are still used by the Spanish Royal Family when visiting the city, but large areas of the building, the grounds and even the walls are open to the public.
Plaza de España
The Plaza de España is a large and exceptionally beautiful paved open space in Maria Luisa Park, featuring a moat, a fountain and several bridges. Most notably of all, it is home to a striking semi-circular building that was erected for the Iberian-American Exposition of 1929. The sweeping curved wall of the building has numerous tiled alcoves representing the various provinces of Spain.
Other views
Horse & Carriage Parade
It always gives me a little thrill when I visit a place and, quite by chance, encounter a special event of which I had no previous knowledge. I had only been walking for a few minutes on Sunday morning when I realised that the city was preparing for an equestrian parade, with both two- and four-legged participants dressed in their finery.
Base: Hotel Bécquer