I decided
a well deserved trip with old friends was on the cards. With milestone
birthdays and time moving too fast there was lots to celebrate. My love of
everything Spanish from the wine, food, sunshine and dancing is well known
amongst my circle. So it was no surprise when I said Seville would be the place
I'd most love to visit.
It didn’t
take much persuading and I soon found myself Spain bound strapped into a plane
seat with a Rioja in hand.The thought of stepping to the door of the plane and feeling the heat on my face as I looked skyward was all consuming during the flight. We talked about that distinctive aroma that washes over you as you disembark in sunny climates.
So you can imagine our surprise and disappointment when we arrived into torrential rain and had to run through it in flip flops and summer tops. But, not dissuaded, and being Irish, we can deal with the rain, we decided surely life wasn’t so cruel and the rain could only last a short while?
Once ensconced in our apartment in the old Seville district of Santa Cruz our gracious host assured us the rain would soon stop so we decided to walk and find a tapas bar for some authentic cuisine and perhaps a tipple of wine.
Our stroll took us through the meandering cobbled streets peppered with orange trees, reminding us where Seville Oranges come from, and we found ourselves admiring the magnificent Cathedral de Sevilla that dominates this part of the city. Our quest was short lived and soon we were tucking into chorizo, iberico jamon and croquettes. As we munched and chatted the sun shone and dried the streets, the locals and tourists alike came out to play and we strolled the city for the afternoon taking in the sights and sounds. The stunning Plaza De Espana which was built for the Latin American Expo in 1929 quite literally takes your breath away as it comes into view.
Wanting a view of the city we headed towards The Metropol Parasol which locals refer to as the mushroom (las setes) due to its unusual shape. It affords a viewing deck like no other with a walkway constructed around the outside of the building. Archeologically protected Roman ruins in the basement add intrigue to this unusual building and a libation break afforded us a Sangria served with a star fruit garnish. Don’t you just love holidays!
The ease of getting around the city was not lost on us and by renting bikes or taking the tram you can rest weary legs for a moment. It was a wonderful city filled with families and friends enjoying a relaxed, cosmopolitan life and I look forward to returning with my son soon to once again bask in the glorious sunshine, sip a cafe con leche and enjoy the many parks on offer. Forget leaving my heart in San Francisco, mine is in Seville.
