Two Days in Seville, Spain

Charming narrow streets, mesmerizing cathedrals, gorgeous architecture everywhere you look…many European cities could fit this description. Add mouth-watering tapas, welcoming people and flamenco to this list, and you’ll be on your way to understanding my experience while in Seville.

Must see tourist stuff

1. View from the top of Giralda tower

The Giralda tower now forms the bell tower of the Seville cathedral, but this was not always the case. Built and completed between 1184 and 1198, the Giralda was once supposed to be the ancient minaret of an Arab mosque.

Did you know that the south of Spain was under Arab rule for almost eight centuries until the late 1400s? Sadly, I didn’t – until a week ago.  As a child growing up in small town Pennsylvania, Europe was a far away place. History class was a bore, and I never had a real understanding of European history or recognized the impact it had on present day society, until my travels began. Throughout the Andalusia region, the architecture is a cross between Arab and Christian influences. It’s magnificent to see in person, and made me realize that I still have a lot more things to see and understand!

Climbing up the tower was actually much easier than previous climbs I’ve undertaken in old historical churches throughout Europe, particularly because of the wide internal ramps in place of the usual narrow, claustrophobic staircases.  The tower is approximately 325 feet high (or about 100 meters).  Below is a view from the cathedral looking west, where you can see the Plaza de Toros (the bullfighting stadium). Worth the journey up for the 360 degree views around you.

2. Flamenco show

I knew that flamenco shows involved some clapping, lively music and women in ruffled dresses but that was the extent of my knowledge. Needless to say, I was anxious to experience it firsthand in the place where it originated!

We chose the Los Gallos Tabalo Flamenco show, an hour and 45 minute long show broken down into 8+ separate acts where we watched 12 performers dance, sing, play & clap their way through a magical evening of entertainment. It was fascinating to watch the musicians play the spanish guitar, their fingers moving along the chords at record-breaking speeds. The singers were equally strong and talented, and I was surprised to hear the Arabic influence in the resonance of their songs. Finally there were the flamenco dancers with their quick feet and graceful movements (I doubt I’d be coordinated enough to complete any of those movements without falling over my costume!). The passion in the music and the dancing was beyond what I anticipated and I couldn’t help feeling the power that this art form obviously represents to the Andalusia area.

Los Gallos Tablao Flamenco show in Seville

3. Exploring the city via self-guided walking tour

One of my favorite mornings involved getting lost via a 2 hour plus walking tour all over Seville by myself.  I passed peaceful gardens, walked over a bridge where the River Guadalquivir passed underneath, and observed the activity going on in other parts of the city. Here’s a few images of what I saw along the way…

Other memorable moments…

Drinks & cards on the rooftop

After all that walking, it’s always nice to find that place where you can stop and relax.  Through Airbnb, we rented an apartment almost directly next to the Seville cathedral, the city’s most famous landmark. From the rooftop terrrace, we played cards and had an Alhambra beer while overlooking this –

Speaking (e.g. saying a few grammatically incorrect phrases) in Spanish

As a child, I had a minor speech impediment, a lisp that formed when I said words with the letter “s”. After a few speech lessons, it was fixed, but my self-consciousness remained, and a sense of fear about the way I spoke. My small town PA accent/dialect was another form of embarrassment growing up, often causing people to question where I was from even within other parts of my own home state (though now I proudly state that it’s Pennsylvania Dutch English – PA German influence. No, I was never a member of the Amish community).

From the time I started traveling, I wished I was fluent in another language. A few years ago I finally enrolled in spanish classes in New York City, followed by one more recent course in London. But last year while traveling in Madrid, I froze and didn’t even try to speak the language. Somewhere in the back of my mind I still felt like that 5 year old with a lisp.

Until last week…Everywhere I could practice it, I did. Strangers (waiters, bartenders, cashiers, & owners of the apartments where we stayed) encouraged me to try and offered their support. Most surprising was that the Spanish people even seemed to understand what I was saying!

It was clearly a breakthrough, and a great first step.

Summary: Spain is beautiful

Seville was only the start of our travels in the south of Spain, and over the next week we also explored Granada and Cordoba. (more to come in my future posts) I’m already craving the delicious food that I feasted on at the spanish tapas restaurants…and I’ve only been back in London for two days.

Don’t miss out on a visit to Spain!