Seville Epistle

As our train headed toward Seville, the laughter and talk of a group of young women overpowering the carriage, the endless olive trees that were our scenery so far gave way to endless orange trees. Otherwise the country all looked about the same.

We hit Seville on a weekend and it was all abuzz. No namby-pamby siestas for these people, when there was a long lunch and loud conversation to be had.

The historic area around the Cathedral and the Alcazar was filled with horse-and-cart-riding tourists, cameras and selfie sticks and long queues.

We visited the Alcazar in the cool of the next morning and it proved to be a worthy addition to our itinerary of Moorish architecture. The interiors reeked with history, either that of the Muslim founders over a thousand years ago, or their Castilian successors since the 1400’s.

We walked along a raised wall with incredible views of the gardens, with pools and fountains and kilometres of perfectly-groomed hedges.

A great, probably COVID-inspired development since we last travelled is the downloadable audio guide - scan the QR code with your phone and away you go, although it does need a local data connection.

For a quick dose of extra culture we visited the Hospital de Los Venerables, a former refuge for ailing priests with a church that has a stunning painted ceiling as well as a small but significant art collection. Who knew there were rules for depicting the immaculate conception? Apparently she must be wearing blue and white, and be standing on a moon, which may or may not explain something about the early religious scholars!

The Cathedral was our last stop, and it was a little overwhelming, an absolutely cavernous interior supported by monstrous pillars, endless chapels around the walls containing the usual dusty statuary and some stunning altar pieces.

We had a couple of fabulous dinners close to home in Plaza Abastos, in the shadow of the Setas de Seville, a frankly weird wood and concrete structure that covers the entire square. Just when you think you are starting to understand a place…

We felt like we barely scratched Seville, but are looking forward to our next few days in Caceres.Read more