As the one year mark since my memorable Europe trip approaches it is definitely worth reminiscing the best part of the sojourn - The city of Seville. As part of my Euro trip I visited Madrid, Granada, Seville and Barcelona in Spain followed by 3 days in Paris. Although I have fond memories of every single city but nothing captured my imagination more than Seville.
Seville is the fourth largest city in Spain with a population of 0.7 Million. It took us (me, my sister, brother-in-law and brother-in-law's sister) three hours by bus from Granada to reach Seville. We reached around 1 PM and then headed off to our hotel from the bus station. Considering we were going to stay out most of the time we just wanted a place with the absolute basic amenities so our hotel, Pension Nuevo Pino turned out to be perfect for us. It was also within walking distance from Metropol Parasol which is considered to be the largest wooden structure in the world.
The Initial Feasting
As we weren't too tired from our previous day in Granada we headed off pretty quickly to explore the city. All I wanted to do for the next few hours was to gorge on some delicious Spanish/Mexican food. The tacos and the pasta that we had at a nearby restaurant definitely didn't disappoint. Not to forget probably the funniest incident of the entire trip happened at that time when our bald (and extremely helpful) waiter comically asked if the hairclip kept on our table was meant for him.
Not completely satisfied after tacos and pasta, I had churros from a nearby cafeteria called Pickea. This too turned out to be unforgettable due to 2 reasons. Firstly, I somehow successfully managed to order churros in Spanish without speaking a word of English. Secondly because these turned out to be the best churros + chocolate sauce that I have ever had.
Plaza De Espana
After the initial feasting we walked to Plaza De Espana which is a must-see if you visit Seville. The view of the incredible moorish architecture can be enjoyed further by taking a boat ride (which we did the next day)
Flamenco Night
After Plaza De Espana we headed towards La Carboneria for what was the highlight of the Europe trip - The Flamenco performance. La Carboneria was a little difficult to find but it was a little gem of the place. It will be a monumental task for me to find sangria that can rival the one that I had there. The sangria was great but the Flamenco dance was something different altogether. No words could do justice to the magnificent performance of the Flamenco dancer as well as the support crew. This was one of those rare occasions when music and dance had a legitimate magical effect on my mind. Judging by the reception given to the performers, there were definitely others in La Carboneria who felt the same way.
The Final Feasting
After the Flamenco experience we went back to Metro Parasol and gorged on some more Spanish food. With so many friends suggesting me to try Paella I finally decided to try it out for dinner. Yet again the food was exquisite.
Alcazar of Seville
The next morning we visited Alcazar, a royal palace which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is recommended to book the entry tickets online as the general queue is usually very long. The buildings, tapestries and the paintings are very well preserved, and the gardens are extremely beautiful.
Fun Fact: Some parts of the fifth season of Game of Thrones were shot here
End of the 24 Hours
After spending several hours in Alcazar we saw Seville Cathedral and went back for boating at Plaza De Espana. A whirlwind 24 hours finally came to an end and we headed off to the airport to catch our flight for Barcelona. Barcelona and Madrid are obviously much bigger and popular cities however if you want to go a place that exudes Spanish flair and try out the food and experience Flamenco Seville is a must-visit.
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