I
got back from a mini break (I know I’m an adult, I can’t quite believe it
either) from Seville around a month ago and have been reminiscing about my short
time there ever since. My advice? Go go go!
First
and foremost, I must preface this entry with a confession: it would seem that I
cannot speak Spanish. I thought that my one year of learning the language in
Year 9 in school, which in fairness to me was 10 years ago, was going to be
enough, because if you know what un sacapuntas is you’re winning, but it turns
out it isn’t helpful at all. Thanks Madam Cutts (she also taught French at the
school hence the french title, I know that much.) You do not know real
embarrassment until you are ordering an ice cream and all Spanish words have
dried up in your throat and you begin to just point at things and attempt to
articulate your meaning through confused French until you’re like no let me
just use English as a last ditch attempt to minimise the torture for everyone.
Then your friend who sniggers in the background at your performance, orders and
suffers the same outcome.
For
me, this embarrassment not only stemmed from a feeling of inadequacy but also,
and more importantly, from feeling rude for not being able to communicate
adequately. If the lovely ice cream lady ever reads this I was trying, I
just panicked. Therefore, before I next travel, I want to at least have a firm
grasp on all the basics (I could say hello and thank you but more than that)
and thankfully (only in this instance, otherwise it’s not great) at the moment
money wise that’ll be a while, so at least I have lots of time to practice.
The
first night upon our arrival, we (I went with one of my oldest school friends) got a
taxi to our hotel, Hospes las Casas del Rey de Baeza and upon exiting the vehicle
we were blasted by the delicious scent of dozens of orange trees which led up
to the entrance. The hotel itself is gorgeous, a boutique 4 star establishment
(made possible by a generous discount through BA- keep your eyes peeled for
similar getaways- thank you BA!) with beautiful courtyards and a roof top pool.
Oddly enough the premises bear more than a passing resemblance to the Mamma Mia
movie set, although you know not in Croatia (spoiler the second wasn’t filmed in
Greece!) so of course much ABBA was sung.
My
friend and I had decided that our MO of this trip was just to wander around and
not be too constrained by having to see everything that the city had to offer-
but by Jove we about managed it. Our first full day, we had a leisurely
breakfast and made our way to the old town- sadly using google maps instead of
our physical map because we also didn’t take too much in from D of E- sorry HRH. But
through a process of discovery and the help of the well beaten tourist
recommendations we have come up with the below list:
Catedral de Sevilla.
This is a gorgeous and cool spot which I’m sure is half the reason in the heat of full summer why non Catholics infiltrate it’s walls. A piece of history regardless of your religious views that is well worth viewing.
The Royal Alcazar of Seville.
We had to queue for an hour and a half but that is what us Brits do best and let me tell you that queue was worth it. The Alcazar is an oasis of peace, even with the hundreds of other tourists flooding through the doors, the inside spaces are gorgeous with mosaic covered walls wherever you look but the gardens are glorious and a must see.
The Plaza de Espana.
This spot hosts beautiful architecture and you can even go boating (my friend and I didn't- largely because when I visited Versailles a few summers ago with another of my best friends we frequented the lake and it was the most stressful hour of my life!!!) or have a horse and carriage ride around the square. It is an Instagram lovers dream so if your looking for a place to shoot then definitely come here. We actually visited it more than once on our break, both due to its beauty and the fact that the first time we came, my friend had an emotional breakdown so we wanted to overwrite that particular moment. It is a great place for a breakdown though- lots of benches to sit and weep on.
Metropol Parasol.
This attraction is known locally as Las Setas de Seville basically the giant mushrooms- appropriately nicknamed. We went just before sunset and were gifted with glorious 360 degree views of the city. We were told you could get a free drink at the top but we couldn't work out where to find them so if you find out give me a shout they owe me.
Parque de Maria Luisa.
This a wonderful park to just wander around in, smelling the beautiful citrus trees and taking great photos. You can also walk through it to get to the other various Plazas in the vicinity. A nice spot to keep cool in the beating sun.
All of these are surrounded by spots which host brilliant restaurants and bars that are not too expensive despite the tourist trade. I would however recommend searching for specific ones that cater to certain diets or intolerances. I googled some vegetarian restaurants but for the most part you’ll be able to find what you need on the fly. Even if, like me, you don’t speak the best Spanish. All in all a lovely trip and I would return there tomorrow if I could.
