Seville

I am writing this post as we leave Seville by Fast Train on our way to Toledo via Madrid.  As mentioned in a previous post, it has become increasingly difficult to come up with ways to describe the great European cities we have visited.  Seville has: a river through the centre, beautiful buildings depicting the blend of Middle Eastern and European flavours, great food, and a historic core.  In this post we are going to try to describe what we think we will remember most about our visit to Seville.

We will always remember the journey from Madrid, for both good and bad reasons.  The good was the travel by Spain’s Fast train.  We covered 465 kilometres in 2 hours and 20 minutes, including a 10-minute stop in Cordoba.  Each coach had a speedometer and we reached a top speed of 271 km/hr.  The countryside reminded me of travelling in Alberta from north to south, flat/rolling flatland with the foothills on the horizon.  Most of the crops were being harvested or the ground was already under plow for spring.  

Madrid Train Station

Inside Madrid

Our Fast Train

Note the Speed - 271 km/Hr

The bad was finding our apartment hotel.  Deborah received instructions from the owner indicating it was only one km from the station.  Since we hadn’t any exercise, we decided to walk.  The “bad” began as we left the station following the owner’s direction to turn left.  As it turned out, he meant his other left and we were lost in a matter of minutes.  After struggling for over an hour with maps and Spanish directions we surrendered and hailed a cab.  He drove us to an intersection, took our money, and were still lost.  It turned out the apartment was on a no-car road. After another 20 minutes of wandering we finally found our temporary home.  It was on the first floor and only 100 meters from the Cathedral.

From Our Window

By Day

We will always remember the “vibe/feeling” of the city.  Seville is near the southern coast and has a laid-back California-like feel to the place.  People are not rushed, go to work after nine am, go out for dinner after 9 pm, and dress casually.  The “bad” was the fact the whole “don’t smoke cigarettes” concept has not caught on there.  It was only in the last few years that smoking in restaurants and bars was outlawed.  As a result everyone smokes outside so prime seats for people watching are in a constant fog of smoke.  That said, the inner old city is teaming with great street side cafes where the tapas and beer/wine are both tasty and relatively inexpensive.  As well, our apartment overlooked a great little restaurant bar but when the windows were open we were treated to secondhand smoke.

Bull Fighting Arena

Old and New Co-Exist

Love Their Meat

River Walk - Moor Tower on Right

Opera House

Art - Made of Wood

We will always remember how nice it would have been to have bicycles in Seville.  It is a city set up for bike riding.  Dedicated bicycle paths criss-cross the city and vehicle drivers are very courteous to pedestrians and cyclists alike.

A Great Place to Have a Bike

We will always remember the Cathedral.  I know, I know … you’ve seen one cathedral, you have seen them all.  While we subscribe to this theory, Seville’s Cathedral deserves a close look.  It was originally a Visigoth church in the 12 century, then the Moors converted it to a place to worship Allah by bricking over the previous owners idols, then the Christian church (Catholics) came and took it over and added their own embellishments.  It has a tower with 35 ramps instead of stairs.  Apparently the old time catholics like to ride horses inside and were into walking stairs.  It is the largest Catholic Cathedral in the world according to our guide, Juan.  An Aussie in our tour group called bullshit and he smiled and said, “the church in Rome is a Basilica, not a Cathedral, and the Cathedral in London’s is Anglican, not Catholic, therefore Seville’s is the number one Catholic Cathedral in the world.  It is memorable for its glistening gold decorations but more importantly as the tomb of Christopher Columbus.  One of the Cathedrals side chapels is called Antigua.  It is said that Columbus prayed there before setting out on his voyage that led to the discovery of America.  He named the present country of Antigua after the chapel when he found it.  Some of his bones are buried here while others are in Dominican Republic, Cuba and Madrid.  Columbus got around in life and in death.

Columbus' Tomb - Sculptures of Spain's Four Kings Carrying.

View From the Tower

We will always remember the fact that Seville has been host to two World Expositions in 1929 and 1992.  The parks, buildings and bridges remain in full use, unlike many of the pavilions from Vancouver’s Expo 86.  The highlight is the Plaza de Spain.  It is a huge curved building with waterways, bridges, fountains, and gardens built to symbolize Spain’s love for its South and Central American neighbours.  It is built in the shape of a large “hug”.

Expo 1929 - Plaza of Spain

Lastly, we will always remember our night at the Museo del Flamenco.  While I admit Deborah had to drag me kicking and whining, she was right, it is a must see in Seville.  We were treated to an hour of Flamenco guitar, singing and dancing.  The hall only held around 60 people and you could feel and see the power of the dance and the expression of the story.  I didn’t want it to end.  We enjoyed a last series of tapas, wine and beer on a side street café before ending the night at our favourite gelato place just outside of the cathedral.

Cafe Dining After Nine

Enjoying a Plate of Baby Eel

Not Sure Why You Couldn't Just Poor - Wine Pump

On to Toledo for two days and then it will be time to head home….

Madrid

We flew Vueling from Barcelona to Madrid and caught a taxi to the historic city centre.  We stayed at the Hostal Luz Madrid for three nights and were within walking distance of the major historical attractions.

The fixed price (30 E) taxi took us from the airport taxi queue directly to our door at #10 Fuentes Street.  The cabbie dropped us staring at a large double wooden door devoid of any markings. The Hostal Luz Madrid was nowhere to be found.  We tried ringing the buzzer to no avail.  Finally a man opened the door as he was leaving.  We asked him about the Luz and he said it wasn’t there.  He was staying at the Hostal Fuentes on the second floor.  Regardless, he let us in.  We then phoned the hotel and the lady answering couldn’t speak English but she was able to tell us she was looking at us on close circuit TV. and invited us up to the fourth floor and lo and behold, the Luz was there.  This happens a lot in these small, old city hotels.  This one was rated 8.8 on Trip Adviser.

The Elevator Size Was Similar to the Room

We dropped our bags in the room and headed out map in hand.  We were within 100 meters to the Mercado de San Miguel, the Real Theatre, Puerta del Sol (geographic centre of Madrid), the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and the Cathedral de Almudena.  The streets were packed with people and the restaurants began filling after 9 pm.  

It has become increasingly difficult to come up with adjectives to describe these great European cities.  Descriptors seem to always reach a common pattern: great architecture, cathedrals, boulevards, plazas, restaurants, street entertainment, etc.  Not to diminish Madrid but to simply underscore, Madrid is everything the others are. We became very familiar with our neighbourhood during our four-day stay but were always surprised to discover a new little square (plaza) to enjoy tapas, beer, and to people watch.  There are things that stand out but one has to look closely to differentiate between the great cities.  I’ll try to hit on a few that we experienced and believe to be “must sees”.

Firstly is the Mercado de San Miguel.  It is an old iron framed building about a small city block in size.  Inside there are vendors serving every kind of tapas, from beef & fish, pastas to pastries and gelatos.  You buy beer or wine from a variety of vendors and then wander the market sampling tapas of all sorts.  We sampled: i) lasagna & empanada carne, ii) olives & dolmades & stuffed peppers, croquettes of iii) shrimp, iv) roquefort cheese, and v)spinach, then finished with vi) gelatos. 

The Mercado For Tapas

Just Shave A Little Off the Leg Please

Secondly, is the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour.  We were up at the crack of 9 am and finished our café breakfast and coffee on the street by 11 am.  The hiking boots were brought out, the feet taped and off we went for a day of sightseeing.  We started with a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the old city.  We could have walked but then we would not have known what we were looking at.  We had a great morning in the open air double-decker and saw more architecture than I can remember to relate here.  We were back at the hotel for a pit stop before the San Miguel tapas and then back on the bus to the art gallery. 

On The Bus

Peddle Powered, Keg Flowing, Cigarettes Smoking - Stag Madrid Style

Hopped Off For A Stroll

Real Madrid's Stadium - 70,000 Season Ticket Holders

One of the four main gates to the city.

Thirdly, is the Reina Sofie Modern Art Gallery.  We arrived at 3 pm expecting to get free admission (according to the guide book it was free after 2:30) only to find that that was last year.  We paid our 16 Euros and cursed the book.  We spent three hours wandering the exhibits.  We cannot truthfully say we were inspired by the art.  It was cool to see Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali’s work but we’re not sure we would want it hanging in our house.  I was most interested in the photograph collection depicting the revolution between 1936 and 1937.  The various photographers captured the misery, violence and despair.

No Pics in Sopie - Selfie with Gallery in Background

Fourthly was the Palacio Real Madrid. While touring a palace is a staple on many city tours, this one was special.  We agreed this was the “best ever”.  We spent three hours touring the various rooms.  While the royal family no longer lives there, it is still used on occasion and each room is set up as if a member of the royal entourage had just stepped out for a minute.  We think it is better than a visit to Versailles.

Harpist At Night In Front of Palace

Deborah dwarfed by Palace Light Standard

Fifthly, a visit to the Prado, Spain’s National Museum, is a must.  We spent over four hours there and only stopped because we reached culture overload.  By the end we were blowing by Rembrandt’s like they were graffiti on CN grain cars. 

We started with the main exhibition, El Greco.  We didn’t know much before but discovered that he was a great 17 Century Spanish artist that influenced a great many others.

The Permanent collection of the Prado comprises works of Italian, German, British, Flemish and French artists.  Deborah did her homework and we targeted, Goya, Velazquez, Patinir, Brueghel, Raphael, El Greco, Rubens and Rembrandt.  While I cannot say I am fully informed about the intricacies of the fine art produced by these guys, I can say Brueghel (and the works of his two sons) are my favourites.  I would have a Brueghel hang in my living room any day.

Strictly No Pics in Prado - Deborah In Garden Out Front

Lastly, there are the more everyday things.  One night we went for dinner at the Gran Cafe de Madrid restaurant and bar.  It is on the Calle Mayor, near the Mercado San Miguel. It has been in continuous operation as a bar/restaurant since 1873 and is a great place to watch a soccer game with the locals.  We arrived at 8 pm and had the pick of seats.  By 9 pm the place was packed and folks were turned away.  As well, there is shopping.  Apparently Madrid is the place to buy leather footwear.  Deborah found knee-high brown boots and she found me blue leather shoes.

Beer Always Goes Well With Football (Soccer)

They Love Their Meat in Spain

Deborah Got A Kiss From the Toreador Barman

A Cup of Wine With Lunch

P.S. We also learned a little more about the always confusing (in Europe) tipping policy.  We were advised at the Tourist Info Centre that there is and there is not, tipping.  On one hand, all workers are paid a good living wage and do not require tips to make a go of it.  On the other, if you feel you received exceptional service, go ahead and tip but don’t exceed 10%.

That’s it for now.  Off to Seville (Sevilla).