Iglesia de Santa Maria la Blanca

We arose at 6:30am to shower, pack, cleanup and exit our Airbnb by 7:15am. We had been able to catch up on the clothes washing so all was looking good. The drive to the airport only took about 30 minutes, including a stop to refuel the hire car. After dropping the hire car off we still had time at the gate for a croissant and coffee before boarding the Ryanair flight from Santiago de Compostela to Seville. Our plane took off at 9:20am. There was a noticeable increase in temperature when we arrived at 10:50am. We are in the southern Spanish region of Andolusia, and the expected top temperature today in Seville is 36 celsius at 6pm.

After catching two buses and a short walk we arrived at our Airbnb, which is a nice unit on the edge of Barrio Santa cruz, otherwise known as the Jewish Quarter, the old area of the city. We have booked all our accommodation so we are right in the medieval part of the town. We are a short walk from the Cathedral and the Royal Palace (the Real Alcazar).

Sam had a rest while I went for a walk around the old city. Seville oozes character and charm. It is a city that was at its height in the 15th to 17th centuries. The river Guadalquivir (good luck pronouncing that one) flows throught the town. The river flows through Cordoba, then Seville the to Cadiz on the coast. Further upstream was an important port in Cordoba, but that region of the river silted up in the middle ages and Seville became the major Spanish port on the river. Later in the 18th century the river in Seville also silted up to make it difficult for boats to navigate, so Cadiz on the coast became the major port. However, when the Spanish empire was expanding, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan both set off on their overseas missions from Sevilla.

There are some major historical buildings to be seen and explored in Seville. The cathedral is the third largest in Europe. The only two larger are St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's in London. The cathedral looks grand from the outside, and we have booked a tour for tomorrow of that building. The tower attached to the cathedral is the only remaining portion of the Mosque that was built when the Muslims took control of Spain. The tour tomorrow will also include the Real Alcazar (Royal Palace) which is the home of the Kings and Queens of Spain when resident in Seville throughout history. The top floor of the palace is still reserved for the royal family.

The 1929 World Fair led to the construction of some amazing buildings, gardens and squares in Seville. The prominent and majestic Plaza de Espana stands out as an amazing piece of architecture which was the centrepiece of the World Fair.

Seville is a beautiful city, albeit very hot at this time of year. It is a dry heat, so it is bearable if one keeps to the shade when walking around.Lue lisää