Seville: Plaza de España & Flamenco

Returning to Seville from Cordoba, we stopped by the Plaza de España. It was built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, which was like a World’s Fair for Spanish-speaking countries (and the U.S. participated as well). Part of Lawrence of Arabia was filmed here, portraying the British consulate in Cairo.

We didn’t have nearly enough time to explore and appreciate the tilework and ceramic railings, the Venice-like canals (complete with rowboats) and the expansive park across the way. It’s a place you could spend a full day, enjoying lunch in the cafes, discovering the museum and sitting in the sunshine by the fountain.

In the evening, we had the opportunity to attend a flamenco performance. Flamenco originated in this region of Andalusia, so it’s a big tradition here—shops with frilly dresses in the windows and several “casas del flamenco” for performances. Our show included all the elements of this art form: guitar playing, dance (lots of foot tapping/stomping), hand clapping, finger snapping, and singing (sounded a bit like Arabic chanting).Read more