In the past, for my blog posts about the different cities I’ve visited, the format was similar to a diary, in that I basically wrote what I did in chronological order. I’ve decided not to do it like that anymore for 3 reasons:
- It isn’t particularly fun to write like that so I was losing some of the enjoyment of writing my blog, which I didn’t want.
- It isn’t necessarily interesting or helpful for people who are reading my blog to just get a list of what I did.
- I’m starting to forget the details of exactly what I did, considering I’m still writing about trips I took in May!
So with that in mind, I’m changing things slightly. My posts will still include a bit about what I did, and probably some anecdotal stories where relevant, but I’m not going to include anything that isn’t worth mentioning! I’ll also try to include more tips and favourites for anyone who feels inspired to visit the places I mention!
Now to get started, with my day in Seville!
This was the first place I visited alone, because my friend was ill on the day so couldn’t come. Initially I was a little wary about going on my own, but in the end I had a great day, and not having anyone with me didn’t cause any problems. I’ll try to write about that aspect of it in another post. It was also the first day when we got real sun, so the gorgeous weather really helped my impressions of the city. But even in rain Seville would still be a beautiful place – I would say it’s definitely up there in my top 5!
The first thing on my list is probably the most well known part of Seville – the Plaza de España. As the name suggests, this is a square, but a lot more elaborate than many others. There is a canal running through the middle of it, and you can hire boats to travel along it. There is a building surrounding the plaza. I’m not sure exactly what it is but you can go inside and walk up the flight of stairs to get a lovely view of the square! The building and floor are beautifully decorated and there are lots of ceramic posts in blues and whites.
On the day that I went, there was some sort of running race that I think finished in the square, so it was heaving with people and there were various white tents around. Despite that, I still spent a good half an hour wandering around and enjoying it.
The plaza forms part of the Parque Maria Luisa, the perfect place to escape the heat and enjoy the gardens, or take a ride in a horse and carriage.
The next thing that should absolutely be up there on the to-visit list is the Real Alcázar, the palace/fortress (depending on which translation you prefer!) of Seville. Some episodes of Game of Thrones have been filmed there. I’m still catching up with it so have yet to see it on TV, but I think it’s used as Dorne! But regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of GoT, the palace is spectacular. It goes on for miles – it would take hours to explore all of it – and you can visit towers, bath houses and the sprawling gardens. If you’re lucky you might also catch some posing peacocks.
The cathedral is worth a visit too, but when I went there were huge queues, and having just waited about half an hour for the Alcázar I didn’t fancy queuing again. But even just the outside is impressive!
The Espacio Metropol Parasol is a big white structure that covers a few restaurants and cafes. It’s cool to see but other than providing shade, it doesn’t do much, so if you’re on a tight schedule then prioritise other things first!
There is a bullring in Seville too, which is a lovely building with bright yellow sections. I didn’t go inside as I’d seen the one in Madrid and I assume they’re vastly similar, but you can visit if you want.
The last thing I want to mention is the Torre del Oro, or ‘tower of gold’. The outside isn’t as impressive as I’d imagined (it is not made out of gold, and does not even look particularly gold coloured) but it’s pretty cheap to walk to the top and you get great views over the river.
But even if you just choose to have a wander around, you’ll see nice buildings, quirky shops and gorgeous views. If you do choose to visit Seville, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Life of a Language Graduate 