Wednesday 31st October 2018 - Hallowee’en
We were Up quite early to try to leave by 9 a.m. We had a quick breakfast ‘on the go’ and were packed and loaded up in the car, secured the house and left more or less on time. We took the road toward Gibraltar on what started out as a bright and sunny morning. By the time we reached the outskirts of La Linea and started to turn north towards Jerez and Seville, spots of rain had spattered on the windscreen. This proved to be just a shower and the rest of the journey was in the dry. We arrived in Seville at around 11.20 a.m.
We soon found our ‘digs’ in Seville, an AirBnB at 1 Calle del Periodista Ramon Resa which is near the university in southern Seville. Christina, one of our hosts greeted us as we arrived and showed us into the enclosed car park and then let us in to the beautiful apartment in which we were to be the first guests, The apartment has a large living room, kitchen,dining area, two large bedrooms, each with attached bathrooms, and lots of closet space. It is fitted out very well indeed with everything one could need for a stay. The grounds have a small swimming pool ( a bit chilly this time of year!!) and the private parking. It was certainly a great find.
We settled in, unpacked a bit, had a coffee and then decided to explore the city.
After Christina had showed us the way into the main part of the city, we walked up Avenida de la Palmera towards the Parque Maria Luisa. The avenue was lined with buildings which are relics of the 1929 World’s Fair which was held, rather unsuccessfully, due to the ‘financial crash’ of that year. The buildings are immense and very decorative and were the pavilions of those who would exhibit at the Fair. Many are very ornate and obviously were very expensive to build. Some of them now house the consulates aof the countries who would have used them at the Fair to exhibit their goods and cultures. Others are part of the Seville University. To say that the buildings are impressive is a masterly understatement. The avenue itself is very wide, six lanes and tree lined with bike paths and sidewalks each side.
We came to the park where at the entrance, there is a fountain and a statue with a huge flock of, mostly white, pigeons or doves. There was a stall selling food for the birds and many people did so and the birds flew up and perched on their heads and arms.
It was at this point that the rain started. At first, not too heavy, so we walked on towards the Plaza Espana. This is truly amazing. It formed the Spanish pavilion for the 1929 World’s Fair. There is a semi circular line of buildings with a large tower at the north and south ends and an impressive edifice in the middle. In the plaza there is a large fountain and area of ceramic tiles. Around the semi-circle there are painted ceramic maps and pictures, each one representing one of the Spanish provinces. Even in the same increasing rain, this was a most impressive sight. Around the plaza, horses and carriages were carrying sight-seeing tourists. On a sunny day this would be an even more impressive experience. The original costs of these magnificent buildings and their ongoing upkeep must have been and still is extremely high.
We carried on through the last of the park and at the north end, decided to make for the Cathedral. We walked along by the river and another huge building which was part of the Spanish Government offices and yet more extensive buildings of the university. This buioding had, formerly been the tobacco factory upon which the story of Carmen was based. Carmen is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhacand and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The rain at this point was starting to be quite heavy and we decided to find a place for lunch which had been recommended by Christina.
On our way to the restaurant, we encountered an old-fashioned stage coach which was advertising a stamp fair which is was going on in the city.
After quite a walk through narrower and narrower streets, we fund the Bodequita Reyes Antonio Romero in the Calle Antonio Diaz in the older part of town. We sat outside warmed by the gas burners on each side of our table.
The meal consisted of tapas, of course. We had cod and cuttlefish fritters, scrambled eggs and asparagus, cheese, wine, of course, and coffee. It was a delicious meal in every way.
At the next table there was a foursome of Spanish people and we were surprised that they were joined by their children, fresh from school who sat and chatted to them, quite unlike some teenagers we know!!. The mother talked to us briefly and told us that they were twins and 15 years old. She and her husband were separated and the children spent time with her and with her ex-husband. Such are the friendly ways of the Spanish!!
We finished our meal, paid and set off into the heavy rain but took shelter in a nearby artisan art gallery. This was quite an eye-opener. There were lithographs signed by such artists as Miro, Dali and Chagall at what seemed to be very reasonable prices, as well as an original Banksy. There was also a lot of other drawings and paintings, some sculpture and also much jewelry and ceramics by local craftspeople. We spent some time admiring the works and deciding if we should buy but ultimately did not, mainly due to the difficulty of transporting anything in the now very heavy rain.
We decided to make a run for the cathedral but arrived there at one minute before closing time. At this point, somewhat damp, we sought a taxi back to our base. This proved quite tricky to find and we could not find a taxi rank. After some time, we found a cab and hailed him on the street and were soon back home again. A nap was essential after such exploits.
At about 9 p.m. we left again for a small local restaurant nearby called the Orangerie. This served various local foods, both tapas and main dishes and we had some tapas, morcilla, a Seville tart, some tuna and salad washed down with some beer. The small place was full, mostly with Spanish people and one very engaging beagle dog who looked longingly at the waiter every time he passed with a plate of food.
We left and returned to base where we spent an idle hour watching an old Western, starring Gary Cooper, Maria Schell and Karl Malden called 'The Hanging Tree' and dubbed in Spanish.
Then it was off to bed.
We soon found our ‘digs’ in Seville, an AirBnB at 1 Calle del Periodista Ramon Resa which is near the university in southern Seville. Christina, one of our hosts greeted us as we arrived and showed us into the enclosed car park and then let us in to the beautiful apartment in which we were to be the first guests, The apartment has a large living room, kitchen,dining area, two large bedrooms, each with attached bathrooms, and lots of closet space. It is fitted out very well indeed with everything one could need for a stay. The grounds have a small swimming pool ( a bit chilly this time of year!!) and the private parking. It was certainly a great find.
 |
| Our AirBnB in Seville which was very well appointed (apologies for the unmade beds in the photos!!) |
After Christina had showed us the way into the main part of the city, we walked up Avenida de la Palmera towards the Parque Maria Luisa. The avenue was lined with buildings which are relics of the 1929 World’s Fair which was held, rather unsuccessfully, due to the ‘financial crash’ of that year. The buildings are immense and very decorative and were the pavilions of those who would exhibit at the Fair. Many are very ornate and obviously were very expensive to build. Some of them now house the consulates aof the countries who would have used them at the Fair to exhibit their goods and cultures. Others are part of the Seville University. To say that the buildings are impressive is a masterly understatement. The avenue itself is very wide, six lanes and tree lined with bike paths and sidewalks each side.
We came to the park where at the entrance, there is a fountain and a statue with a huge flock of, mostly white, pigeons or doves. There was a stall selling food for the birds and many people did so and the birds flew up and perched on their heads and arms.
 |
| The entrance to Maria Luisa Park |
 |
| The incredibly impressive Plaza Espana, built for the 1929 EXPO at what must have been enormous expense. Even in the rain this was a monumental sight in every respect. |
On our way to the restaurant, we encountered an old-fashioned stage coach which was advertising a stamp fair which is was going on in the city.
 |
| The 'Stamp Fair' stage coach. |
After quite a walk through narrower and narrower streets, we fund the Bodequita Reyes Antonio Romero in the Calle Antonio Diaz in the older part of town. We sat outside warmed by the gas burners on each side of our table.
The meal consisted of tapas, of course. We had cod and cuttlefish fritters, scrambled eggs and asparagus, cheese, wine, of course, and coffee. It was a delicious meal in every way.
At the next table there was a foursome of Spanish people and we were surprised that they were joined by their children, fresh from school who sat and chatted to them, quite unlike some teenagers we know!!. The mother talked to us briefly and told us that they were twins and 15 years old. She and her husband were separated and the children spent time with her and with her ex-husband. Such are the friendly ways of the Spanish!!
We finished our meal, paid and set off into the heavy rain but took shelter in a nearby artisan art gallery. This was quite an eye-opener. There were lithographs signed by such artists as Miro, Dali and Chagall at what seemed to be very reasonable prices, as well as an original Banksy. There was also a lot of other drawings and paintings, some sculpture and also much jewelry and ceramics by local craftspeople. We spent some time admiring the works and deciding if we should buy but ultimately did not, mainly due to the difficulty of transporting anything in the now very heavy rain.
We decided to make a run for the cathedral but arrived there at one minute before closing time. At this point, somewhat damp, we sought a taxi back to our base. This proved quite tricky to find and we could not find a taxi rank. After some time, we found a cab and hailed him on the street and were soon back home again. A nap was essential after such exploits.
At about 9 p.m. we left again for a small local restaurant nearby called the Orangerie. This served various local foods, both tapas and main dishes and we had some tapas, morcilla, a Seville tart, some tuna and salad washed down with some beer. The small place was full, mostly with Spanish people and one very engaging beagle dog who looked longingly at the waiter every time he passed with a plate of food.
We left and returned to base where we spent an idle hour watching an old Western, starring Gary Cooper, Maria Schell and Karl Malden called 'The Hanging Tree' and dubbed in Spanish.
Then it was off to bed.
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