Up early, and out the door of the Anacapri (a hotel Iād recommend!), Kim and I debated between taking a taxi and catching the city bus. We went with the bus option and headed for the Granada train station only to realize we would be taking a bus from there to the Antequera-Santa Ana train station in Malaga and then boarding the train for Seville. Waiting for the bus to arrive, we met a nice couple from Orange County who were also heading to Seville. They had been in Granada visiting her dad who is a guest professor at the local university. They had started their trip in Madrid and were ending in Barcelona, so we exchanged a few suggestions since we had started our trip in Barcelona and would be heading to Madrid in a few days.
The bus ride from Granada to Santa Ana took about an hour, and we passed by several fields of sunflowers. They were beautiful. Getting off the bus and heading into the train station, the four of us boarded a small, empty train car bound for Seville, a one and half hour trip.
On arrival in Seville, rather than making the trek by foot across town or taking the time to figure out the local bus system, we decided to just jump in a taxi upon exiting the station. Leaving the taxi on the main street, we wound down the back alley to the entrance of our hotel, La Abadia de Giralda. We were able to check in when we got there and moved into our āfamily duplexā that consisted of 2 double beds (one up stairs, one down) and one bathroom before heading out to explore.
First stop, lunch! We found a cute outdoor restaurant, and I had my first taste of paella! Delicious!
Then we walked over by the river to check out the Torre de Oro, the round castle originally built to protect Seville from attack via the river. The tower that once housed precious metals from the Orient and the Indies (the Americas) is now a naval museum. We wound our way up the spiral staircase to explore the museum and eventually made our way to the top of the tower where there were some great views of the city and the river front.
Near the tower was a bridge that led across the river to Triana, the neighborhood on the opposite side. We walked down the street along the water that was lined with tents (most closed for midday) that were part of a week-long festival, the Vela de Santa Ana, that takes place each July. Getting down to the second bridge, there was a big indoor market that we ducked into only to find that almost every stall was closed for the day. Because we were nearing the start time of our city bike tour, we made our way back across the river and explored some of the streets on the way to the bike shop. We came upon yet another large market, but it, too, was closing down for the day.
At 4:10, we began our ebike tour of Seville. Lucas (Luca) was a brilliant tour guide from Elecmove Bikes who took us all over Seville (even though Kim was half asleep š ). We rode through the neighborhood of Triana, home of Cruzcampo beer. Leaving Triana, we made our way to Plaza de America and into parque de Maria Luisa. What a magnificent place! I would have been ok ending the tour right then and there and relaxing in the shade of the tree lined park, but onward we went. Weād already planned to head back to the park for a longer visit later. Just outside the park was the Plaza de Espana. We parked in the shade near one of the front fountains and learned about the Plazaās origin, then took a ride through the middle of the plaza into the mist of the center fountain, a much needed cooling off on a hot summer day. Then we went over by the old tobacco factory which is now a university and cycled back to the shop at the end of our tour around 6:45pm.
Triana
Triana
Plaza de America
Plaza de America
Plaza de America
Plaza de Espana
Plaza de Espana
Plaza de Espana
Tobacco Factory/University
Tour over and ready to relax a little, we headed straight for Metropol Parasol (Las Setasā¦the mushrooms). Very unique indeed. It was just before sunset, the perfect time to be up on top. We walked around for a bit and then grabbed a glass of cava to sit and relax as the sun set on the city. I didnāt miss the chance to get a few more sunset photos from here! Then we headed back toward the hotel, grabbed a bite to eat, and called it a night.
Thanks to a noisy air conditioner that exuded a bright light across the top floor where I was sleeping, I didnāt get much rest before starting out on day two in Seville. First stop: back to Parque de Maria Luisa to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Pulling ourselves away from the peaceful park, we walked back over to Plaza de Espana to explore a little further now that we were not attached to a bicycle. As we looked around, we were treated to music from a couple street musicians. There wasnāt really anything to see inside the buildings as they were mostly office spaces. Nice place to work!
We attempted to go back and visit the big market, but unfortunately most stalls were closed yet again. Instead, we made our way toward Seville Cathedral and took the audio tour. Amazing placeā¦and SOOOO BIG! Until I went inside, I had no idea that this was the final resting place of Christopher Columbus.
After a couple hours in the cathedral, it was time to head back to the hotel for a short siesta before taking on theĀ AlcĆ”zar at our 4:30 entry time. So much to see inside and such intricate details on all the walls and ceilings. It was very easy to get lost inside though. There were lots of gardens in the back as wellā¦one full of peacocks.
Ā We finished our journey through the AlcĆ”zar around 6:45 and stopped at a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel for tapas and the local beer, Cruzcampo. We sat out at a small table on the sidewalkās edge where we were joined by a little friend. He only stayed for Kimās bread.
After a couple Cruzcampos, it was time for another siesta (I think the lack of sleep from the night before played a part in the need for this). Then we got up at 10:15 and headed back out in hopes of enjoying a bit of the festival going on in Triana. As we crossed the bridge into Triana, the streets were packed like sardines. So. Many. People. There was a large platform set up in the first intersection and a band was playing. Far too crowded to walk around, I bought some sugary fried dough from a street vendor, and we stood and watched the band until they stopped playing.
Back across the bridge, we ran into the Orange County couple we had met the day before on our trip to Seville. We had also seen them briefly earlier in the day while at the cathedral. We stopped and chatted for a bit before heading back to the hotel to shower and pack for the next dayās train ride to Cadiz. Hotel surprise for night two? Multiple power outagesā¦one while I was in the shower. Good times!
Time to catch up on summer travel blogging... Sevilla. What a beautiful place! Up early, and out the door of the Anacapri (a hotel I'd recommend!), Kim and I debated between taking a taxi and catching the city bus.
