Seville on a hot day
We are staying in Don Hermanos, about 10mins by train from the centre of Seville. The weather forecast said it was going to be 26degrees today but it was even hotter, hit 29 degrees at one point... time to hit the shade for a rest.
OK folks this is a long post, so grab a cup of tea and settle in for a bit of a longer read than usual.
Seville is stunning, the architecture, the gardens, the fountains, the sculptures.....it's almost sensory overload. Hold on to your hats for some pics that probably don't show the scale or the intricacies, but here goes.
First stop The Alcazar of Seville, a labyrinth of palaces and gardens and if you see nothing else in Seville, this is the place. It looks rather dull from the outside but once you step inside you don't know where to look.
It is over 1000 years old and is a blend of Spanish and Moorish design. The water fountain courtyards, the elevated walkways with views over the gardens, it's almost too much to take in. We loved the quiet reflection ponds in the marble courtyards, the topiary and knot gardens and the orangery must smell divine when in blossom, magnificent!
You could spend a day just exploring the gardens alone, such a beautiful sanctuary on a hot day. You could picture the ladies in the Ladies Garden and the poet's writing furiously in the Poet's Garden and there are more folly's than you can shake a stick at, we loved every minute there.
The pics on our wee snap happy camera don't do it justice but you get the idea. On to another Seville hot spot, the cathedral.
Seville Cathedral
This is the burial place of Christopher Columbus and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and is of course a UNESCO Heritage Site. Allegedly the architects said "let us build a church so beautiful and so magnificent that those who see it finished will think we were mad". From the outside it is incredible. The scale of it is huge and with modern day measurements of approx 11,500msq, it is said to be larger than St Peters in Rome, but the Italians may of course disagree. The queue was enormous and in the full sun with no seats so we didn't go in, my foot was getting tired so we will save that experience for another time....you can't do everything in a day.
But wait there's more....
Torre del Ore, Tower of Gold
This is a 13th century dodecagonal tower/military watch house on the banks of the Guadalquivir river. Traffic is skirting around it and there it stands, fantastic. It was built to guard and control river access and was used as a prison in the middle ages. Its name comes from the golden shine it's reflection makes on the water.
Plaza Espana
This place is another stunner, it's set in a huge park where I'm sure the Sevillians take their leisure at the weekend, it was quiet today. Lots of gardens and trees and walking paths, loving this city! The Plaza was built in 1928 for an expo and is a blend of Renaissance and Moorish styles. It is the size of 50 football fields at 50,000sqm. Click on the panoramic pic below and you get the idea.
We are staying in Don Hermanos, about 10mins by train from the centre of Seville. The weather forecast said it was going to be 26degrees today but it was even hotter, hit 29 degrees at one point... time to hit the shade for a rest.
OK folks this is a long post, so grab a cup of tea and settle in for a bit of a longer read than usual.
Seville is stunning, the architecture, the gardens, the fountains, the sculptures.....it's almost sensory overload. Hold on to your hats for some pics that probably don't show the scale or the intricacies, but here goes.
First stop The Alcazar of Seville, a labyrinth of palaces and gardens and if you see nothing else in Seville, this is the place. It looks rather dull from the outside but once you step inside you don't know where to look.
You could spend a day just exploring the gardens alone, such a beautiful sanctuary on a hot day. You could picture the ladies in the Ladies Garden and the poet's writing furiously in the Poet's Garden and there are more folly's than you can shake a stick at, we loved every minute there.
The pics on our wee snap happy camera don't do it justice but you get the idea. On to another Seville hot spot, the cathedral.
Seville Cathedral
This is the burial place of Christopher Columbus and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and is of course a UNESCO Heritage Site. Allegedly the architects said "let us build a church so beautiful and so magnificent that those who see it finished will think we were mad". From the outside it is incredible. The scale of it is huge and with modern day measurements of approx 11,500msq, it is said to be larger than St Peters in Rome, but the Italians may of course disagree. The queue was enormous and in the full sun with no seats so we didn't go in, my foot was getting tired so we will save that experience for another time....you can't do everything in a day.
But wait there's more....
Torre del Ore, Tower of Gold
This is a 13th century dodecagonal tower/military watch house on the banks of the Guadalquivir river. Traffic is skirting around it and there it stands, fantastic. It was built to guard and control river access and was used as a prison in the middle ages. Its name comes from the golden shine it's reflection makes on the water.
Plaza Espana
This place is another stunner, it's set in a huge park where I'm sure the Sevillians take their leisure at the weekend, it was quiet today. Lots of gardens and trees and walking paths, loving this city! The Plaza was built in 1928 for an expo and is a blend of Renaissance and Moorish styles. It is the size of 50 football fields at 50,000sqm. Click on the panoramic pic below and you get the idea.
The ceramics in the park are beautiful and no one appears to damage or graffiti them thank goodness.
Metropol Parasol
This is the largest wooden sculpture in the world (490 x 230ft width x 85ft high) and interesting to see this tucked in amongst the old town back streets. It was designed by a German architect, Jurgen Mayer, and now the Plaza is known as Plaza Mayor. Reminds me of flocking birds in flight as they switch and change direction quickly. Stunning contrast to the other experiences of the day.
After a long, hot day exploring we found the Palace of Alfonso XIII, which is now a fancy pants hotel, and we had a cold beer. Great day.
Hard to choose the sculpture of the day as there were several stand outs so I'm including a few.
First up for its beauty and pluck is the Toreador and Flamenco dancer, this is stunning and it's stuck on a traffic round about in a suburb....it's magnificent .
Then my next favourite is from the Igrlesia de Santa Ana ....zoom in on it
A long blog post today after a spectacular day in Seville, if you have stuck with us you deserve another cup of tea.
