24 hours in....SEVILLA!

Hola a todos!

For blog number 2, I'm heading to my second home, Sevilla. 
Thanks to the ELA program, I was lucky enough to spend an amazing year living and working in the sunny Andalucian city.
So what is a chica/chico to do with a spare 24 in Sevilla? Let me tell you....

Start at  Plaza Nueva and walk all the way along the tram lines (be careful!) down Avenida Constitucion and get some tostada con tomato and a cafe con leche at any of the little cafes along the way (TIP: the ones with bulls and flamenco decor are super touristy, more expensive and less authentic- AVOID!). At the end of the avenida, when you reach Puerto de Jerez, take a left towards Torre Del Oro.

The view of the river from this side of the banks is incredible, even on the cloudiest of days the Guadalquivir (try saying that 3 times fast after a few cervezas) is beautiful. The Torre del Oro, with the Naval Museum inside, is open every day (except Monday) between 11 and 2 and only costs 2 euros. From the top you can see all along the river, its banks and a pretty good amount of Sevilla, well worth the trip up. 
From the Torre Del Oro, walk back along the banks towards the centre again. If you are feeling particularly athletic, you can make use of the city's wide bicycle network Sevici, to get yourself from A to B. Back on Avenida Constitucion, head towards the cathedral but take a right before you get there and head into the Alcazar. 

The Alcazar is without a doubt my most favourite place in the city, I could easily spend days getting lost there and you could too but I would recommend only allowing yourself 2.5 hours there- you only have 24, don't get carried away! Many other cities in Andalucia have similar buildings, remnants of when the area was under Moor reign but the Alcazar in Sevilla is one in a million, with the gardens and the fountains and the ornate palace rooms do not be surprised to see wedding photos being taken there (if I could get married there I would do it in a heartbeat!). TIP: be careful of the wild peacocks, they seem not to share the Sevillana relaxed attitude that the rest of the city has. 

Post Alcazar, head back across the Avenida to the most amazing restaurant Los Coloniales. WARNING: be prepared for a wait but I promise you it is more than worth it. Order some olives and tinto to begin with and then split a couple of plates, the portion sizes are impressive and it's so cheap there will definitely be no fights when it comes to splitting the bill. If you need a little something sweet to round off your meal, Yoghurtlandia is just round the corner (banoffee toppings are the best way forward) but make sure you finish your snack because there's no food allowed in the Cathedral which is the next stop on my 24 hour itinerary.

Surprise fact about Sevilla Cathedral: It's the 3rd largest church in the world. The inside is really beautiful, huge and ornate and full of parts to explore like the museum, treasury and the various chapels not to mention the tomb of the one and only Christopher Columbus! If you are lucky enough to be in the cathedral around the time of a mass, then stick around and listen to the organ and choir singing, its really something.
 

       When you are finished exploring the inside of the cathedral, head up to the top of the Giralda. This is much easier said than done. Back when Sevilla was under the control of the Moors, the Giralda was attached to the Mesquita and during times of fasting, someone would ride a donkey up to the top to ring the bell to call everyone to prayers. Because of this.....there are no stairs. That's right it's a series of sloping ramps all the way from the bottom to the top. (Not for the faint of heart or, unfortunately, the elderly). Even though the (roughly) 70 metre climb up might feel like it will kill you on the way, I promise you it is worth it. The view from the top is absolutely breath taking. I've done the climb maybe 8 times and every time there has been something new that I've noticed, a new perspective of the city but for someone just on a flying visit to the city, the top of the Giralda provides a perfect live action map to see where you've been, where you want to go next and how far apart everything is. 

After sliding down leaving the Giralda, and catching your breath outside the Cathedral,  head through my old neighbourhood the lovely barrio of Santa Cruz towards Parque Maria Luisa. Walk alongside the park past the teatro and the cigar factory turned university that CARMEN was based on! Heading into the beautiful park, stroll through the trees and fountains and eventually you will get to the amazing Plaza de Espana. This is one of my favourite places not just in the city but in the world. It's hard to believe that this beautiful place is where the horrendous act of registering for your NIE (social security number for foreigners) takes place! 
Splurge out 5 euros and rent a row boat and take sail round the little lake/moat that surrounds the plaza. Not only is this a really cute way to see the whole thing but it's also a sneaky arm workout thrown in (rowing is much harder than it looks!). You can fit up to four people in a row boat but I would definitely keep it to 2 or 3; Sevilla is a beautiful and clean city but even then you do not want to end up with any part of your body in that water. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience  for a friend. 

 Walking around the inside of the building you can see little touches of the other cities and zones of Spain built into the columns and floors. Its like taking a stroll around Spain that only takes 10 minutes. The bridges over the moat are such a perfect place for that holiday photo opportunity or (depending on the type of holiday you're on) a proposal, which I've seen more than once. 

Once you are completely done soaking up the wonderfulness of Plaza de Espana, head deeper into the park for a more.....unusual tourist activity. 

About 5-10 minutes walk further on from the plaza,  there is a clearing filled with doves. For about 2 euro you can purchase a bag of birdseed, do this and then stand still and watch what happens. These birds go from 0-60 and descend on you, lightly pecking all the seed off your hands and sitting on your arms, shoulders and head (!!) fluttering away. It is one of the weirdest feelings I have ever felt, not quite sore but not too tickly, I felt like the bird whisperer. I also could not stop laughing the whole time, it was so so surreal. Definitely a top tip in a 24 hour stopover in Sevilla. 

After all this excitement, it will be almost sunset so head back towards the centre to Plaza de la Encarnacion, where in 2011 Jürgen Mayer H made himself pretty unpopular by unveiling his architectural  structure fondly known as Las Setas. The locals don't love it but I do, and its definitely a must see for tourists to Sevilla.  Shaped like a giant mushroom and made of wood (it won't feel like that when you're up there), it's another great way to see the city (there's a bit of a theme appearing to this blog....). For only 3 euros, jump in the lift, head up to the bar, grab a Pedro Ximenez and watch the sun set on the whole of this beautiful city that you've just spent a whole day exploring. The open plan setting makes for an amazing panorama of the city and gives you such a free feeling while you see it all.   Finally at this point, it will be night time but make no mistake this does NOT mean your Sevilla time is over, part 2 of the trip is only just beginning.  Like many other cities in Spain, in Sevilla it is practically rude to go to dinner any earlier than 9pm and definitely do not try and make a reservation (more than once I've had a waiter tut at me on the phone for trying to reserve and also then 'lose' my reservation). For dinner, head on over to Calle Santa Maria la Blanca to Bar Carmela. This cute little restaurant has everything you could want: extensive menu, veggie friendly, not at all touristy and they sell wine in glasses so big they could double as buckets to take to the beach for sandcastles. My go to is the queso de cabra and the patatas con salsa majo and end the meal with some creme catalan. When your stomach is full and you've laid the foundations for the night with a couple of glasses of red and a mojito or two, head over to the famous Carboneria, for some authentic and FREE sevillianas. Get there early because this place fills up so so fast and trust me you do not want to be stuck at the back with no seat!  I don't know if I'm good enough with words to describe the atmosphere and action of the Carboneria but I'll give it a shot. Pre- Sevilla, I was not massively into flamenco and even now I wouldn't willingly sit down and listen to the music sans dancing but I have been to this place easily 15 times and I would go another 15. The guitar and singing is enchanting but once the lady starts dancing its all over, and you are mesmerised. You'll be so hooked that you'll forget about the 6 euro pitcher of of sangria that you'll have inevitably bought for the show. The movement of the dancers feet and the rhythm of the music so perfectly in sync with all the quick movements of the hands and dress without the dancer breaking a sweat or missing a beat, is something beyond amazing. If you make a trip to the Andalusian capital and DON'T make it to the Carboneria, then its basically a wasted trip. (Kidding!) When the show comes to an end head to Calle Perez Galdos to grab some 5 euro bucket Mojitos in the bars along the street. If you fancy something slightly more adventurous, head across the river to the famous/infamous Calle Betis to Long Island, a shot bar with a shot for every state in the USA (no I don't know why either), beer pong, darts and also girls drink free sangria between 10-1 on a Thursday. Vis a vis, hitting the clubs, I would recommend Demo or Big Ben (on Betis) for a more casual night but if its bright lights and full dance floors that you are after Bhudda, Sanctuario or Abril are where it's at. But beware, guard your bags and your livers because the drinks are a lot stronger than the UK and some people get very thievey when drunk.  So there you go, 24 jam packed hours of climbing tall things and drinking lots in my favourite city on earth.  Bonus restaurant recommendations:  La Mia Tana (Italian, Calle Perez Galdos) San Marco (Italian, Calle Meson del  Moro) 100 Montaditos (Sandwiches, allllll over- euro Wednesdays and Sundays!) Lizaran (Mini tapas, all over the city!) Bars- Check out La Alameda for a more casual, hipster vibe and also pretty cheap drinks, the only reason I didn't put it in here was because it didn't fit on the route to/from Carboneria!