Seville was only supposed to be a stop en-route from Portugal to Morocco (I had a few spare days, and on the map it looked to be a logical direction to take). But, after 3 nights it is officially one of my favourite places…
I guess there are numerous reasons for this; I met some great people (albeit, only briefly), had some fantastic experiences, and I loved the city itself: the features and facilities, and it’s ‘vibe’. Overall, ‘Sevilla’ is a beautiful city; with an attractive river, gorgeous public gardens and orange trees lining most of the squares and streets. It has an interesting history - occupied by Roman, Moorish, French, Spanish (and possibly a few others? – my history is still somewhat limited), some fascinating tourist attractions, nice people, and a FANTASTIC food culture (what more could you want?!!)
I also thought that I could adopt a siesta pattern – up early to enjoy the cool mornings, sleep in the heat of the day (preferably in a room with good air-con… the hostel had AC in the rooms, but it wasn’t especially effective), and then dinner out on the streets until late!
I’d say, that the only two issues I had with Sevilla were (1) it was WAY too hot in the middle of the day, and (2) I don’t speak Spanish… and a lot of people don’t speak English.
Night 1: A real Tapas experience… (Tues 28th June)
Ruben was on reception at the hostel when I checked in to the Traveller’s Inn. I arrived into town around 8pm, and it was so hot! By the time I’d found the hostel, checked in, and showered it was nearly 10pm. I was confident that there would be someone still serving dinner, since Mediterranean Europe typically seems to eat late-ish: I was so naïve! Sevillanos don’t just eat late-ish; no-one even starts to consider dinner until after 9:30pm, and the restaurants are typically quite empty until 10.
(Ruben did assure me later that it was ‘ok’ to start at 9pm… but any earlier than that would be quite odd!)
Ruben recommended a tapas bar close-by. He told me I might need to wait – just ask to put my name on the list, get a drink, and I should be seated in 15-20min. I was a little unsure about whether going to a tapas restaurant was ok for one-person (since in Australia tapas is something you need to do with friends in order to try a range of things), but he said it was ok to just order a couple of dishes. So… off I went.
When I arrived, I saw the blackboard outside with the waiting list, and gave my name.
(Incidentally, in Europe I am “Laow-ra” not “Law-ra”; the latter would be spelt LORA… Laura is actually a great name for travelling in Europe, as it is relatively common in Italy, Portugal and Spain… Thanks Mum and Dad!)
My name was probably 10-15 places down the list (which at 10:30 at night surprised me, but I decided I was committed at this point). I started to engage in conversation with a mother and son standing next to me (who were obviously speaking English). I admit here to some ulterior motive: I was vaguely hoping that if I were charming enough they might invite me to join them – thus providing me with dinner companionship and a chance to try more things on the menu (and skip the waiting list a little!). Unfortunately, they were shortly seated (they’d been waiting 45minutes), and actually they were a party of 4 – the others having been waiting elsewhere.
I didn’t have to wait much longer, however, before another girl walked up –clearly on her own. So, I smiled and said ‘hello’, and we started a conversation… she was Colombian, currently living in Germany (working as an Au Pair) and visiting Spain for a few days. We agreed to eat together, and she asked the waiter to add +1 to my name (the fact that I now had a Spanish-speaking companion was to prove very useful). We talked for a while (travels, work, general stuff), and then my new companion (we hadn’t yet introduced ourselves by name!) said that the waiter had just told someone they would be closing at midnight… it was now nearly 11:30! My name was still about 4-places down the list, and I wondered whether we’d actually get to eat…
At this point, we noticed another couple, who were clearly next on the list, but were being directed by the waiter – and it appeared that they didn’t understand (so not Spaniards then…) So, taking boldness to new levels (for me) I approached them, ascertained they did speak English, and asked if we could join them for dinner… I think they were a bit taken back: who were these rude people trying to crash their date? (They did explain that they were newly in love, and tended to be a bit ‘touchy ’!) So, of course we apologised, and said “no-no don’t worry”… but as they were being seated the girl motioned for us to join them. From then on, we all agreed that it was a bizarre, but memorable experience! The couple were Dutch (Rene and – a Dutch girl’s name I can’t remember!), my Colombian friend was Alejandra (It's such a beautiful name, but I can’t stop singing the Lady Gaga song – although that’s the boy’s version: Alejandro - after meeting her!).
We ordered a huge spread of tapas – the Dutch couple had actually been to this restaurant twice already, and were working their way through the menu! Between us, we ended up with 9 plates of food – all pretty generous in size – so masses of quantity and selection. It was all pretty good – although I thought the experience was more memorable than the food (the BBQ tuna and the Pavía de Merluza – battered hake fillets – were especially good).
And… the total cost was €8.00 each (including one drink each) – amazing value compared to what I’d pay in Australia for that kind of meal!
If anyone is heading for Seville, this place is worth checking out: Coloniales, Plaza Cristo de Burgos, 19
Day 2: Tapas for lunch…
On my second full day in town, I thought I’d opt for a tapas lunch local-style (standing at the bar) at one of the many tapas restaurants near the Alcazar and Cathedral (probably a bit touristy, but Alfonso; our walking tour guide had recommended one).
Standing at the bar, the scene around me was fairly crowded and hectic. I couldn’t read the menu on the wall, but I could also see some options (fresh salads) under the glass cabinet on the bar counter. As I stood wondering what to order I realised that the guy next to me was speaking English… so, I asked him what he was having!
Dave (from Lebanon, living in Canada), is a keen foodie, and had been given a list of tapas dishes to try – one of which was evidently snails! The only time I’ve ever tried snails previously was for Wendy’s birthday a few years ago (where I ate snails in garlic butter – and thought they tasted like… garlic butter!!) These were tiny, and still in their shells, they were also very cute (you could see their little eyes sitting atop their stalks) – this didn’t stop me trying them though. Verdict?: Actually, I’m not sure – they didn’t really have a lot of flavour, and while not objectionable, were also not exciting.
I had very nice lunch, trying a whole range of tapas dishes – eventually I just pointed at one of the salads, and asked the waiter behind the bar for recommendations for some other options - and chatting with Dave. This is definitely what I like about the tapas culture: it’s a really social way to eat.
Night 3 in town (yes, more Tapas)…
Ruben was back on the reception desk on Thursday night (he’d evidently had a day off on Wednesday). So I asked for another dining recommendation… This time, he directed me a little further afield – and, advising that he didn’t think they had an English menu, also equipped me with a list of possible dishes to order!
This time, I didn’t have to wait for a table – but inside was full, so I stood outside at a small ‘bar table’. It was very pleasant, the temperature had dropped, and a bit of breeze picked up – at one point there were some specks of rain in the air, and myself and the rest of the crowd outside started looking skywards… but it didn’t come to anything (in fact, a little later on, I looked up and realised that the sky had cleared completely, and while it was now dark, the sky had taken on a ‘perfect’ midnight-blue colour).
This time, I didn’t find myself a dining companion – but it was interesting to people watch: several of the other tables outside were packed with people who looked like they were meeting for drinks and small bites post-work (at 9:30pm-ish this is), but there was also a couple with a young baby, and a pair of women sitting down to eat. The waitress spoke only a little English, but she was really lovely – and my list of recommendations from Ruben worked well (plus the waitress suggested another dish that was a specialty – or a special… or something like that).
The food at this place was a real highlight – although I didn’t have company it was TOTALLY worth going there, and between crowd watching, writing in my diary, and salivating over the food it was superb!
I ate olives and altramuces (which is apparently lupin! – Very tasty – a bit like the Spanish equivalent of edamame beans), Pimientos stuffed with hake, Pork in a blue cheese source, and (the special) Quail egg on top of mushroom soufflé with caramelised wine sauce. It was all beautifully presented, and really really yummy.
This place – Eslava bar – appears on a food blog, and is described as a ‘hidden gem’
I did do some sights & history too!!
· Although Sevilla was stinking hot in the middle of the day, I discovered that it was beautiful early in the morning – so part of my exploration of the city was in the form of a couple of runs around the streets, parks, and along the river. Admittedly, this type of running isn’t always the best exercise (it’s necessary to stop frequently in order to fully appreciate the sights!) The first morning I ‘discovered’ the Parque De Maria Luisa, next to the Plaza de Espana – it was amazing: beautiful tree-lined avenues, and ornate tiled fountains and pools around every bend! As I ran around the streets I couldn’t believe what an amazing city it is: I kept seeing fantastic architecture, and thinking “oooh, this must be one of the main sights” – and then realising that it wasn’t anything particularly important, just an ‘ordinary’ building! The next day, I ran along the river – a section is currently undergoing some construction works, so for that I needed to use the footpath next to the road, but the remainder runs for miles and is really pleasant down at river-level, away from the road (and well used by other morning walkers, joggers, cyclists).
· I did a walking tour, and learned a little of the history of the city – essentially it’s been under the control of lots of different empires, and retains a little of all of them in its modern-day appearance… Alfonso (our guide) likened the Sevilla culture to tapas (A little of this, a little of that – tastes of everything!) I also learned that football allegiances are as passionately held as with AFL in Victoria (there are two city teams – the Reds: Sevilla and the Greens: Betis).
· The city streets and plazas are lined with orange trees; these provide shade year-round and act as avenues for people to get from ‘A to B’ without stepping out into the sun (it’s significantly cooler in the shade). In my opinion, this shows fantastic initiative from whomever instigated these plantings (a few other cities – like Lisboa for instance – could learn a thing or two!) The trees produce a bitter fruit (which is apparently no good for eating, but is sent to the UK to be made into marmalade), but the blossoms are highly perfumed, and it is for this short flowering period that they are selected. Alfonso told us that apart from the 3-week flowering period, the women of Seville keep the memory of the scent alive through their use of orange-blossom water as a perfume (so poetic!) At dinner that night, I realised that the trays of white objects that were being offered by itinerant sellers were orange blossoms: and they really did smell amazing in the night air.
· I visited the Real Alcázar (Royal Palace) – still the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain when they visit Sevilla (although I’m hoping that the areas they inhabit are finished in a slightly more modern manner than what I viewed – it looked a little museum-like, and not all that comfortable!) Initially, I was slightly underwhelmed; thinking that the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul was far more ornately decorated. However, some of the inner rooms are really very spectacular: Moorish archways, tiles along the walls, spectacular ceilings and elaborate plaster carving above the arches. What I liked most however, was the way all the rooms opened onto tranquil courtyards with ponds, fountains and plantings. The garden behind the palace was something else again… large ponds, extravagant fountains, palm trees and even a labyrinth! (Unfortunately, the palms didn’t provide much shade down at ground level – but some of the other sections of garden had more foliage, and would probably have been pleasant even in the hottest parts of the day.
· The same day that I visited the palace I also went to visit the Cathedral – the 3rd largest church in the world (behind St Peter’s and St Paul’s) and the largest gothic cathedral… interestingly, I’ve just checked my diary, and found that it didn’t even rate a mention (I got carried away recording the fabulous food experiences from that day!) Despite having seen a fair number of churches, it was still quite impressive – the OTT-ness of the gothic style was really quite fabulous (the main alter piece is a towering gold creation containing multiple alcoves and statues, and took something like 80 years to complete)! The Giralda belltower is actually the minaret from the mosque that was originally built on the same site (with some additions), and the cloister contains a courtyard of orange trees. Plus, it contains the remains of Christopher Columbus (with an impressive tomb) – which I thought was really amazing.
· The other highlight for me was the Plaza de Espana. I saw it on my run on the first morning I was there, but had to return with a camera that afternoon. The second viewing of it was even more amazing than the first: I felt like I was in serious ‘sensory overload’ – and I feel that it is a strong rival to Istanbul and Topkapi Palace as the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. The design incorporates canals, bridges, extensive tiling, towers and elegant archways. What I thought was especially amazing was that it’s not actually that old: it was built in 1929 for the Latin American exhibition – but it’s much more beautiful that most ‘modern’ architecture!
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