Seville

Saturday

On the way out of town, we decided to visit the Medina Al-Zahra. Medina Al-Zahra was built by one of the Islamic caliphs to be a new city, cementing their rule of the area. It was a massive complex, with a palace, gardens, irrigation, military and administrative compounds, and residential areas.

The city was essentially destroyed less than 100 years after it was built, with the fall of the caliphate. The buildings were looted for intricate carvings, anything of value, and even plain stones to reuse in other construction projects in the area. Over a few hundred years, the entire city was destroyed and forgotten. It was discovered by archaeologists in the early 1900s and has been an active excavation site ever since.

There is a nice little museum near the site, with excellent English descriptions, that detailed the lay out of the complex and the discoveries they’ve uncovered. After touring the museum, we went up to the ruins and wandered through the excavated and partially reconstructed walls.

We ate a little picnic lunch before hopping in the car and driving to Seville. Keller dropped us off near our apartment and then went to return the rental car at the airport. Meanwhile we got checked into the AirBNB. This was a new listing with just a few reviews, but as it was managed by a professional company, I was hoping for the best. Unfortunately, it had several issues. No trash can. No lighter for the gas stove. No key for the balcony to get the drying rack. And dirty towels hanging in the closet. The management company came back twice to fix the issues and we were hoping that would be the end of it.

The kids and I wandered along a pedestrianized plaza near the apartment, tried a few little playgrounds, and got some ice cream. There was also a woman making large bunches of bubbles that Kamy and Caden ran through and popped, amidst several other kids.

Later that evening, we went out to dinner at La Locanda di Andrea, an Italian tapas restaurant. It was really good! The tapas style meal works really well for our family — they’re perfect for trying things and sharing dishes. We were pleasantly surprised at the overall cost too. Hooray!

Sunday

While cooking breakfast this morning, my carbon monoxide detector was registering a gradual build up of CO. It was coming from the gas stove that wasn’t burning properly. I turned off the stove and immediately contacted our hosts. They were able to send out a technician who adjusted the stove and fixed the issues.

However, as this was only the latest in a string of issues, we decided to find new accommodations. This apartment had a flexible cancellation policy, so we would double pay for Sunday night but that was the only penalty. We arranged for a new apartment in another section of Seville, in Triana.

Our new apartment wouldn’t be ready until about 5:30, so we packed everything up and returned to the same restaurant for lunch again! It was just as tasty as before.

Next we wandered down to the Setas de Seville — huge mushroom like structures with a walking path and view point above the cityscape. The kids loved running down the ramps, pretending they were on a roller coaster.

Back to the apartment for our luggage, and then to our new apartment via Uber. Fortunately all our stuff fit in the truck easily, so we were able to take just one car.

Our new apartment feels much better. It’s not perfect — few AirBNBs are, but it is comfortable and we’re happier here. Not exactly what we planned on spending our Sunday doing, but now we’re set for the rest of the week and we don’t have to worry about other issues cropping up. Oh well!

After getting settled, we wandered through the Triana neighborhood, along the river and into a flamenco bar where we watched some locals participate.

Monday

Today we started out with the Seville Cathedral! It is a massive church — the 3rd largest in area in Europe, only behind Rome and London. It is very imposing, though since it is set amidst other buildings it is hard to see where the cathedral starts and where it ends.

Honestly, we were a little underwhelmed. The high alter was stunning and absolutely dripping in gold, but the colors just weren’t as vibrant as those in Toledo. It almost looked dusty with muted colors. Don’t get me wrong, it is a HUGE church and went on and on. But I think all four of us agreed that we liked the one in Toledo better. Oh well — the curse of high expectations strikes again! 😉

The cathedral is also the official resting place of Christopher Columbus. Whether it is actually his remains is unproven, as he was buried and exhumed and moved several times after his death. If there was any doubt about the importance Spain placed on his discoveries in the New World, it is erased by his monument. His “casket” is being carried by four kings of Spain — signifying even kings were grateful for his contribution to the Spanish coffers.

After the cathedral we stopped by a little shop that sells sweets made in the local convents. We shared little almond cookies that were quite tasty. We took the long way home by the Tirana market to pick up lunch ingredients. Sometimes these markets are a little overwhelming — so many choices, so many vendors. Making a decision can be tricky! I ended up with pork tenderloin, asparagus, and a lot of fresh strawberries. Strawberries are in high season right now, so they are extra tasty! I bought a kilo and it didn’t make it through the night. LOL!

The rest of the afternoon was pretty simple — lunch, school, and work. Next week will be a whirlwind as Keller is taking the time off from work, so we’re enjoying some down time here in Seville.

Tuesday

Today I have my cooking class! Per Keller’s suggestion, I booked a 3 hour cooking class to learn some basics of Spanish cuisine. Most of the classes included either tapas or paella. This particular class included a short market tour and preparing 4 dishes — a cold soup, spinach tapas, Valencian paella, and a dessert drink. The class was full with 12 people, but we were able to participate in preparing ingredients and watched the process from start to finish.

Both our market guide and our cooking teacher were excellent. I learned several new techniques that I can apply across a wide variety of dishes (including de-boning chicken thighs), along with tips and tricks for creating the perfect paella. Will I make paella at home? Probably not, since you need several specialized ingredients and a paella pan, but it was a fun experience regardless. I do have the recipes for each dish we created though, so that’s a starting point for experimenting. Not that I follow a recipe to the letter anyway. 😉

Meanwhile, Keller and the kids did an electric scooter tour of Seville! They met near the Plaza de Espana and did a two hour tour. It was just the three of them, plus the guide, so it was extra special. They learned more tidbits of information about the Cathedral, University, Alcazar, and the Torre de Oro tower. Everyone had a good time and it made it on Caden’s top 3 list for this trip so far.

They hunted down a tapas restaurant for lunch, picked up some sweets to bring home for dessert, and headed back to the apartment. I met them there shortly afterward.

Later that afternoon Kamy, Caden, and I hiked back to the center of Seville to hunt for a flamenco dress. She picked out a cute top and twirly skirt and a matching flower from another shop nearby. She’s all set now! We finished up with some Amorino ice cream. A good day was had by everyone!

Wednesday

This morning we took it easy. The kids and I went down to two small parks near the apartment — one with a little playground and one larger park with plenty of room to run around. Kamy and Caden thrive when they have some physical activity and can have a longer “tether” to explore. We spent about two hours at the parks before walking back to the apartment. I cooked lunch for us and then it was time for …

Kamy’s flamenco class! She was very excited to go to the class and learn some basic elements of flamenco. The class was at a formal flamenco school where you can take consistent lessons and actually master the class. We took the 90 minute long introduction class with 5 other people. Eva did an excellent job showing us some basic movements and describing the essential elements of Sevillian flamenco.

Flamenco dancing evolved from the fusion of cultures in the Iberian peninsula — Christian, Jewish, Moorish, and gypsy. Professional flamenco is very complicated and largely improvisational, with a 12 count rhythm (3, 3, 2, 2, 2) but we were learning a 4 count rhythm.

By the end of the class we’d learned a short routine and put it all together. Kamy did great and was such a trooper to combine everything together so quickly. We had fun!

Once back at home, we tried an unusual fruit I’d picked up at the market the previous day. It is called a chirimoya, and tastes very sweet. I’ve never tasted anything like it before! It has an usual texture and a sweet, slightly fruity flavor. It reminded me of coconut and mango. It was quite interesting!

After Keller finished work for the night, we all grabbed some tapas from a local restaurant, Ulloa Urrea. The chicken wings were particularly tasty, as was the black rice.

Thursday

Today we were up early to head to the Royal Alcazar fortress and palace. We attempted to purchase tickets online in advance, but the order would not go through with any of our credit cards, so we had to arrive early and stand in line. Advance tickets come with a timed entry, so we had to wait for everyone with a timed ticket to go through before our line could move forward. We were early enough that the complex was not very crowded though. No audio guides time time, we just followed the Rick Steves walking tour.

My favorite space was the Hall of the Ambassadors, which was also the throne room during the Moorish rule.

The gardens were very nice too and the kids loved running around in the maze. There was an underground cavern that had initially been used as an orange tree grove but was later converted into a bathing space.

After the Alcazar, we walked down to Plaza d’ Espana. Everyone else had seen it during the scooter tour on Tuesday, but it was new for me. The central plaza was beautiful — it is easy to imagine it as the focal point for the 1929 Worlds Fair.

We ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant for a change of pace. Nothing particularly new, but it was all competent. We walked up to the market in Triana for a two kilo crate of strawberries. Since they’re in season right now, the strawberries have been a huge hit in our house. I think we can make this batch last for two days, but we’ll see!

Friday

For our last day in Seville, we rented bikes and rode around the 1992 Worlds Fair site. It is a huge complex of buildings — some original, some renovated, and some abandoned. Highlights included the huge globe and fountain complex, the pavilion of the future, and the spirituality building. We were a bit confused about some of the remnants, but we think they included hanging gardens, elevated walking paths, and a gondola system. Pretty neat! We’d still like to visit a World Fair eventually, so we’ll keep an eye on future Fairs and see if our interests line up.

We were in the right part of town, so we decided to return to La Lacanda for one last meal. It was just as tasty and affordable as before! Then it was back to the apartment for work, school, and down time. Kamy, Caden, and I returned to the local park for a bit to run around and play. This time there were other kids there and they were able to join in a game of soccer. Play can transcend language barriers. =)

We’re heading south next! Goodbye Seville!