Sevilla

It begins…

So off to Spain. First stop – Sevilla with my linguistically incompetent father for a quick city break before the move to Madrid. This city is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful that I have ever visited. I definitely advise going at some point. Not like us however in the 40+ degree weather at the end of June/beginning of July. Sweating like a pig on a spit fire would be an accurate description of myself during that week.

And taking up our roles as the typical guiri (the Spanish word for a (stereotypically English) tourist), we were of course impressed with the quantity of wines and tinto del verano (like sangria) everywhere. The chain Cervecería 100 Montaditos, native to Andalucía, is also heaven for any guiri. And why? One litre of tinto de verano or cruzcampo for one euro. Far from being a mere tourist hotspot though, the majority were Spanish lending these bars a great atmosphere. Supermarkets are again heaven in Spain where you can find an array of genuinely nice wines for under 2 euros. Needless to say, we found ourselves on the verge of alcoholism by the end of the week.

My favourite of all the tourist destinations was undoubtedly the Parque Maria Luisa. These gardens are gorgeous and perfect for finding a relaxing spot in the afternoon. I also enjoyed visiting the gardens of the Alcazár (the Moorish royal palace). Yet I found the amount of information about the palaces themselves a tad limited. It just felt like a mere collection of empty rooms that used to be interesting. The city itself is completely spectacular though and perfect for a relaxing city break.

The only problem with Sevilla is the amount of homeless people. I warn you: they are not ashamed to interrupt your dinner to beg for money. This may even be accompanied by a terrible accordion version of Edith Piaf’s La vie en rose (please note: destroying one of my favourite songs is not the way to get the contents of my purse). I suppose that this is the major issue with Spain’s street culture. The inability to avoid awful buskers. All in all though, a wonderful start to my stay in Spain.

I’ve added a gallery on the tab ‘Sevilla’ if anyone wants to check out some pictures of the gorgeous city.

L. x