After an enforced stay in Tavira, due to a pulled muscle, I finally managed to have 2 days in that famous city. My plan was to go to Cordoba but time was short so had to give it a miss.
However, Seville is just a two and a half hour bus ride which makes it very accessible from Tavira. Before I left I had a skirmish around the Internet and found the addresses of some hostels and did a screen print from Google maps which was invaluable for guiding me to a hostel 100mt from the Cathedral.
There are two bus stations in Seville and I wasn't sure which one I would be arriving at till I got there. After getting my bearings it was simple to find my way through some narrow twisting streets to the Sevilla Inn hostel. As I was only staying for one night, the cost of 16 euros didn't seem too excessive in a 6 bed dorm. (that cost included 2 euros bedding payable for only the first night) Luckily the only other person sharing the room was an Irish English teacher, called Danny, who was temporarily without a flat to live in.
The next place I saw on the first afternoon is the Plaza de Espana which is a semi circular construction built in 1928 for an exposition in 1929. Its in the Moorish Revival style - the many arches and entrances definitely have a Moorish element about them. It was Sunday afternoon and it was crowded with thousands of Spaniards, as well as tourists.
On Monday morning it was time to visit Real Alcazar, next to the cathedral. This place, which is in effect a king's palace, is bordered by extensive gardens. Here again, the Moorish influence is very strong in the design and decoration of the buildings, the later parts are from the renaissance period.
The immense gardens are also very impressive. Although I spent 2 hours wandering through the countless rooms and gardens, I think twice that time would have only just been enough. Fantastic!
I left Seville and headed back to Tavira ready for the journey back to the Czech Republic. It had been two weeks of summer and now I had to go back to the winter.
However, Seville is just a two and a half hour bus ride which makes it very accessible from Tavira. Before I left I had a skirmish around the Internet and found the addresses of some hostels and did a screen print from Google maps which was invaluable for guiding me to a hostel 100mt from the Cathedral.
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| terrace of the Sevilla Inn hostel |
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| The huge cathedral has a bell tower which is obviously originally Moorish in style, very similar to the minarets seen in Morocco. Inside, massive columns support the highly decorated roof and the main altar is encrusted with enough gold to solve Spain's economic woes. The cathedral, or the bell tower are often referred to as 'La Giralda'. |
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| altar dripping in gold |
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| La Giralda |
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| Seville Cathedral |
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| tomb of Christopher Columbus |
The next place I saw on the first afternoon is the Plaza de Espana which is a semi circular construction built in 1928 for an exposition in 1929. Its in the Moorish Revival style - the many arches and entrances definitely have a Moorish element about them. It was Sunday afternoon and it was crowded with thousands of Spaniards, as well as tourists.
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| a bit like Venice |
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| Plaza de Espana, Seville |
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| Alcazar Palace |
The immense gardens are also very impressive. Although I spent 2 hours wandering through the countless rooms and gardens, I think twice that time would have only just been enough. Fantastic!
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| a tiny part of the garden, Alcazar |
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| Moorish water garden, Alcazar |
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