The morning affter driving from Lisbon to Seville and settled down. My sisters and I took a sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus at the Paseo de Colon. We saw the artistic, cultural, and financial areas. We saw Islamic monuments, gardens and beautiful panoramic views. We discovered the great history of the Plaza de Espana, Triana, Isla Magica, Plaza del Duque, among other iconic places in Seville.

Top left is the Tower of Gold at the Quidalquivir river. This landmark was a military observation tower in the city. It was built by the Almohads in the 12th century with the purpose to control shipping on the Guadalquivir and to prevent enemy ships from sailing on the river. Bottom left is the Rossio Square is a beautiful baroque fountain on a cobblestone plaza. Next to it is the area of Triana which was the center of the local ceramics industry and now charming houses. To the right is the Isla Magica’s theme part built on an old fort with a lake in the middle.

We had a wonderful experience learning about Seville’s wonderful architecture and culture.  We enjoyed the outdoors life of the local people, cozy café terraces, the superb taste of the coffee, delicious bread and pastries. With regards to the typical cuisine, we tried the Iberian pork, other cuts of pork, potatoes, serrano hams, seafood and different varieties of delicious tapas. As with any other new experience, we enjoyed some meals more than others, but overall, we had fun trying new flavors, textures, spices and of course, the fine red wine- now in my list of favorites.  We also shopped for souvenirs to bring home to remember this special place.

The following day, we visited the Flamenco Dance Museum which was created by the famous dancer Cristina Hoyos. The museum is the only flamenco space declared as a Place of Tourist Interest in Andalusia.  Flamenco dance is a cultural and heritage advantage. The museum exhibits explain the history of the dance, the name and life of famous dancers throughout history and models the different dance styles, their beautiful and artistic clothing. It also has an art gallery with wonderful pieces depicting the beauty of the flamenco dance; paintings, artifacts, trophies, shoes and clothing.

During the evening, we also treated ourselves to a wonderful Flamenco show at the Museum. We were in the front seats which enhanced our experience.  The dancers were excellent and each move was performed with precision, passion, and attitude. Every dancer, women and men, gave their best on stage- they are awesome artists and athletes- it was a dream come true for me!

The next day we visited the famous Catedral de Sevilla a world heritage landmark. The Cathedral has one of the richest artistic treasures preserved in an ecclesiastical setting. The art has scenes from the Gospel, the life of Jesus, Mary and even the mysteries of Faith as a source of inspiration for their works.  I personally was mesmerized by all the wealth and gorgeous architecture, but it also let me with a bit of a sour taste looking at all the opulence of the influence religion had and continuous to have in the population’s beliefs that I don’t particularly appreciate, but I took it as an educational experience and to acknowledge the whole thing. 

The artistic heritage includes extensive paintings from the 15th to the 20th century, sculptures from the gothic, renaissance and baroque periods, decorative arts, goldsmith, glasswork and fabrics. This Cathedral establishes one of the most extensive, homogeneous and best-preserved sets of Spanish cathedrals. My sisters and I were shocked by the extensive collections and riches that the archbishops and the church owns. How can this continue to go on when there is so much poverty in the world? I wondered- this people acquire so much wealth; It left me concerned.

Afterwards, I needed something to “cleanse my palate” and fun so we went on a river boat tour on the Guadalquivir River to do sightseeing while listening the history and art of Sevilla.  The Guadalquivir River is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest in Spain. We started at the Torre del Oro, a beautiful tower, and went along the river enjoying beautiful views. We saw the historical center, the 19^th century houses of Triana, the well-preserved bridges of the 1929 Ibero American Exhibition. A couple of the breaches were bult for the Universal Exposition held in Seville in 1992 (Expo’92). The tour explained the timeline, landmarks and buildings along giving us a comprehensive insight of the history, traditions and rich culture of Andalusia.

We finished our trip of Seville after three days of much exploration and amazing experiences. We drove back to Lisbon the following morning to catch our plane home. We said so long to Seville and hope one day we will come back to Spain and continue to enjoy all it has to offer.

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