Sunset on the Mushrooms!

I needed to get back to the Parasol Metropol, better know as Las Setas (the Mushrooms) in time for my sunset ticket.

As I think I mentioned when we saw this on the walking tour the other day, this was built between 2005 and 2011 and was paid for by Seville City Council, who continue to pay for its costly maintenance, much to the disgust of the locals.

On the ground level is the reopened fruit and veg market which had always stood here, above that is a public space now filled with a not yet open Christmas Market. Underground is the Antiquarium, uncovered excavations of Roman and later ruins.

And above are Las Setas which, as well as the lattice or waffle-like framework, includes a walkway which snakes across the top to a viewing platform, and back again.

I arrived, as recommended, 30 mins before sunset, and was soon on the top, listening to the audio guide and watching the sky change colour all around. And so were a few hundred others.

The views of the city are great, and enhanced by the sky turning gold and orange, and on the opposite side, it went pink and then endless shades of mauve.

Once it was dark, the Mushrooms started to be lit with a show called Aurora, in which different coloured lighting moves around the surface.

On my way back past the catedral I spotted 2 things I’d not noticed before. First, just outside one of catedral entrances is the starting point for the Via de la Plata (Silver Way) which meets the Camino Frances in Astorga. Second, I found what appears to be a full size copy of the weather vane on top of the La Giralda tower.Read more