This past week we had a fantastic trip to Seville in southern Spain. We left London on Monday afternoon and had three days to take in the sights and sounds before coming home on Friday. Our hotel was just on the edge of the old city where we spent m
ost of our time and where the Moorish influences can be seen everywhere in the architecture. One of our first stops was the huge gothic
Catedral de Sevilla which features
La Giralda – originally a minaret that was converted into the cathe
dral’s bell tower after the reconquest
of Spain in the 15th century. From the top we got a fantastic view of the city (and the many rooftop pools)! The audioguide informed us that the builders designed the cathedral with the express purpose of making visitors think they were crazy – this will give you some sense of the flamboyant nature of the decoration inside! One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the
Real Alcázar which was originally a Moorish palace built in the 12th century but has been added to over the many centuries by Spanish monarchs. The many rooms show the Mudéjar style, a un
ique blend of Moo
rish, Andalusian and Christian architecture that inc
ludes beautifully pain
ted tiles, carved wooden ceilings and water features in the many courtyards. The palace also has a beautiful garden with different levels and sections that gives it a sense of intimacy although the area it covers is enormous. We enjoyed a few hours wandering around outside watching the ducks (lots of mallards!) and peacocks trying to shoo away the tourists. The weather was so beautiful that although it was in the low 30s it felt
cooler because there was always a slight breeze. We also visited the huge
Plaza de España built for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It also features beautifully painted tiles and a little moat around the outside. Its setting is the lovely Maria Luisa Park which is full of lush green trees and yet more gardens. I think this is one of the things I liked best about our trip – we spent much of it outside and the weather allowed
us to do that comfortably! We also visited the
Museo de Bellas Artes which is housed in a former convent and has some beautiful medieval and renaissance art from Seville and the surrounding area; and the
Museo Arqueológico which had some beautiful mosaics and sculptures from the nearby Roman town of Italica.
We managed to get to one flamenco show that was held in
Museo del Baile Flamenco. There was a guitarist, male singer and two dancers. It was a really fantastic show (if short – just an hour) and we got a feel for the passion of flamenco! We arrived back in London to the sight of people wearing winter coats and overcast skies – ah, England!
This past week we had a fantastic trip to Seville in southern Spain. We left London on Monday afternoon and had three days to take in the sights and sounds before coming home on Friday. Our hotel was just on the edge of the old city where we spent m
ost of our time and where the Moorish influences can be seen everywhere in the architecture. One of our first stops was the huge gothic Catedral de Sevilla which features La Giralda – originally a minaret that was converted into the cathe
dral’s bell tower after the reconquest 
of Spain in the 15th century. From the top we got a fantastic view of the city (and the many rooftop pools)! The audioguide informed us that the builders designed the cathedral with the express purpose of making visitors think they were crazy – this will give you some sense of the flamboyant nature of the decoration inside! One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the Real Alcázar which was originally a Moorish palace built in the 12th century but has been added to over the many centuries by Spanish monarchs. The many rooms show the Mudéjar style, a unique blend of Moo
rish, Andalusian and Christian architecture that inc
ludes beautifully pain
ted tiles, carved wooden ceilings and water features in the many courtyards. The palace also has a beautiful garden with different levels and sections that gives it a sense of intimacy although the area it covers is enormous. We enjoyed a few hours wandering around outside watching the ducks (lots of mallards!) and peacocks trying to shoo away the tourists. The weather was so beautiful that although it was in the low 30s it felt 
cooler because there was always a slight breeze. We also visited the huge Plaza de España built for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It also features beautifully painted tiles and a little moat around the outside. Its setting is the lovely Maria Luisa Park which is full of lush green trees and yet more gardens. I think this is one of the things I liked best about our trip – we spent much of it outside and the weather allowed
us to do that comfortably! We also visited the Museo de Bellas Artes which is housed in a former convent and has some beautiful medieval and renaissance art from Seville and the surrounding area; and the Museo Arqueológico which had some beautiful mosaics and sculptures from the nearby Roman town of Italica. 
We managed to get to one flamenco show that was held in Museo del Baile Flamenco. There was a guitarist, male singer and two dancers. It was a really fantastic show (if short – just an hour) and we got a feel for the passion of flamenco! We arrived back in London to the sight of people wearing winter coats and overcast skies – ah, England!
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