Sevilla

With limited time to soak up the countryside, we unfortunately had to use the motorway for our trip from Lisbon to Seville – mostly 120kph speed limit travelling in the right hand lanes unless passing. The far left lane is there to quickly dart into to pass and then quickly move out of, lest you fall prey to the flashing lights and blaring horns of the black Mercedes and BMW’s and Audi’s cruising at 150kph plus. The speed limit signs appear to be indicative only in Spain and Portugal.

On the way, we stopped briefly for lunch in the Algarve, a short distance from the Spanish border, in Olhão. Couldn’t beat the grilled salmon and a prawn salad, washed down with cerveza and vino tinto.

Then on to Seville. Our AirBNB apartment was a converted convent and was superbly located right in the middle of town, surrounded by bars, restaurants, shops and a supermarket. And only a short walk from the cathedral, Alcazar and other attractions.

By chance, our arrival coincided with Corpus Christi, and its associated public holiday. The streets and squares were decorated and we witnessed a series of processions with brass bands and large groups of devotees carrying huge platforms with religious figures.

We decided to spend our first day in Seville exploring and visiting a couple of art galleries. On the walk, the Metropol Parasol in La Encarnación square is spectacular.

Our first gallery was the Museo de Bellas Artes Seville (Museum of Fine Arts). The gallery, housed in a magnificent building has a great collection of works by Spanish and Sevillian artists from the 15th to the 20th centuries, including Goya, Murillo,  Zurbarán and others. The following are a few snaps of the gallery and paintings I liked.

Our next stop was the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, located in a huge former convent across the river. A large section was given over to a large exhibit of works by a performance artist Pierre Coulibeuf. The show was totally radical and out of this world – worth a google. There were two other installation exhibits. The following piece by Ala Younis was impressive.

That evening, one of the highlights of our trip was a flamenco show at Los Galos. This is a very small theatre, with chairs and tables crowded around the stage. The several guitarists, three singers and four dancers were magnificent. This was a truly memorable show with authentic flamenco – even though it ranks highly on TripAdvisor. No photos were allowed, so, again, worth a Google.

For our final day in Seville, we had pre-booked tickets to the Cathedral (and it was worth pre-booking as the line was very long). My understanding is that when this cathedral was completed in the early 16th century, it became the largest cathedral in the world, and that is certainly how it feels. It is massive. My photos cannot hope to do it justice.

And of couse, there is also Giraldo – the bell tower. Unlike any other bell tower we have climbed, and there have been more than a few, there were a series of ramps instead of stairs. And yes, the view was spectacular.

In the afternoon, we visited the Alcázar, built for the Christian king Peter of Castile, but built in moorish style. Amazing architecture, magnificent mosaic tiling and beautiful gardens.

Seville was among our favourite cities on this trip and we will visit again. Our AirBNB host, Pilar, also helped to make our visit memorable. In the next edition, we will be in Granada, and the Alhambra.