It's a Twofer Day! Part One, Sevilla

Wow. I just got back from a day in Sevilla, and that’s what I have to say. Wow. It was really nice. It was easily way more touristy than Edinburgh (believe it or not), but it pulls it off. Maybe it’s because it is so friggin beautiful? It has it all—a river promenade, beautiful, almost exotic parks, ancient buildings (least of which is the cathedral), small, almost closterphobic streets, fashionable shopping district…I guess I liked it so much because it’s exactly how I always pictured European cities. I hear that outside of downtown isn’t as nice, and it’s ridiculously hot in the summer, but having only spent an afternoon there, I liked what I saw.

The bus to Sevilla was only an hour, couldn’t believe it. It was so short! After a quick stop at the tourist office for my free tourist map, I headed to Parque de MariaLuisa for lunch. On the way, I stopped at the Plaza de España, which was a-mazing, but quite touristy; for a cloudy midweek afternoon in spring there was an unbelievable amount of tourists there, all taking pictures in front of the Plaza…I can only imagine what it will be like in July! The park was quiet though, and I immediately loved it—it was so tranquil; paths wound their way past fountains, small ponds, and small ornamental gardens. Around each corner there was another surprise. I ate my lunch to the soft coo-ing of pigeons that could be heard throughout the whole park. I left a bit sleepy and very relaxed.

Up next was the Cathedral. It’s described on my map as “one of the greatest gothic buildings that exits, and one of the most colossal of Christendom”. It was truly spectacular. After (partly) dodging the hefty 7,5€ entry fee with my old WCC Student card, I went in… My jaw dropped—it was huge, and everything was exquisitely ornate. I tiled my head up and started walking further. Then I tripped over myself. Ok, so walking with head up wasn’t such a good idea. I saw Christopher Columbus’s tomb, then climbed for a crazy long time up to the top of the Giralda Minaret, marveling at the spectacular views of the city and cathedral the whole way. Back in the Cathedral I explored the many small little rooms and courtyards, all unbelievably ornate. A little World Book research shows why…(for Mac OSX users, there are bubble views of Plaza de España as well as the Cathedral) I spent well over an hour there…pictures below.

After the cathedral, I just cruised around the downtown…there are so many little streets it’s really easy to get lost. I wandered around until it started getting dark, then headed home. All in all, a great trip!

Pictures, there’s a lot, so no descriptions…