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Some Recommended Tapas Bars – Sevilla

admin — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:26:48 +0000

Some Recommended Tapas Bars

"What a pity to eat a normal meal in a restaurant when you can have tapas (snacks)!. The city is credited with their invention and has more than a thousand bars where the choice of food is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage, from vegetable to cheese. The Sevillians actually make a meal of them, moving from bar to bar and trying one dish at a time. In the Santa Cruz quarter, try Bar Giralda, Modesto, Las Teresas and Casa Robles. In Triana, El Kiosco de las Flores, Casa Cuesta and Bodeguita Sanl’car. In Santa Catalina, El Rinconcillo, El Bacalao and Quitapesares (Bar Peregill)."

Getting There

There is now high-speed rail service to Seville from Madrid, reducing the travel time to just a bit over two hours on most runs, with departures at roughly two hour intervals throughout the day. From any other point in Europe, begin your calculations with a trip to Madrid — the Spanish capital is the only practical point from which to get a train to Seville. (Even from Lisbon, which looks so near on the map, the fastest rail route will dog-leg through Madrid.)

The Alcazar – Seville

admin — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:24:12 +0000

The Alcazar: Built by the Moors as a royal palace and fortress, this large building remains one of the most significant pieces of Mud’jar architecture in Seville, though it has been energetically Christianized in many respects. The intricate structure and dazzling decorative features of the Alcazar are as much of an attraction as the significant amount of artwork displayed within. In particular, do not miss the 15th-century dome over the Hall of Ambassadors, which is itself lined with marvelous tilework and is entered through a set of exquisite arched portals. Outside, the extensive Alcazar gardens are considered to be among the most beautiful spots in Seville.

The above is no more than a brief glance at the unforgettable sights and attractions of this historic city; yet you could build a memorable visit on these few items alone. And along with the many riches of artwork and architecture, what you might remember most fondly would simply be the strolls from one to the other, through the wonderful old streets of Seville.

Torre del Oro and Convent de San Leandro – Seville

admin — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:22:00 +0000

Torre del Oro: The name "tower of gold" derives from a belief — not certain to be true — that this 13th-century fortress (and later prison) was originally clad in gilded tiles. Today there is a maritime museum here with an excellent collection of artifacts from the city’s long sea-going history. The high spire pairs with the Giralda to provide the two landmarks of Seville’s skyline which will help keep you oriented in the tangled streets.

Convent de San Leandro: A more peaceful spot than Calle Sierpes to rest the dogs is the lovely little plaza in front of this 16th-century convent; if you’re in luck, you can sit on a bench and savor the convent’s yemas, a sweet treat famous throughout Seville but not always for sale. When inquiring, be sure to take a peek inside at the magnificent altarpiece. Nearby another splendid altar can be seen at the 14th-century church of Santa Catalina, which also displays a remarkable crucifix created of tiles inlaid in wood. Like many churches in Seville it was once a mosque, and the Mud’jar appearance remains in its tower and domed apses.
If you’ve finished your yema and are still peckish, one of the oldest restaurants in Spain is but a few steps away: El Rinconcillo, across the plaza, served its first guests in the 1670s.

Calle Sierpes and Museo de Bellas Artes – Seville

admin — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:18:55 +0000

Calle Sierpes: At some point in your adventures you will settle here, just a side street away from the Plaza Neuva, for refreshment and resting your feet; this lively collection of shops and cafes is a magnet that seemingly draws everyone in search of a cool drink and a shady spot to sit. In earlier times people were drawn less willingly: it was the site of the Royal Prisons. A more solemn atmosphere prevails here during Holy Week, when it’s the site of an important religious procession.

Museo de Bellas Artes: Seville’s most prominent museum of fine art, housed in a 17th-century convent building, was founded in 1838 and offers more than 20 rooms of painting and sculpture. Though there are a few Modern and Romantic pieces, more emphasis is on the medieval and Renaissance eras. If you are a Murillo partisan, his statue in front of the building will give you a hint that this is the place to be: they have nearly two dozen of his works, including the highly-regarded St. Thomas Villanueva. Famous pieces by El Greco, Zubar’n, and many others make this second only to Madrid’s Prado as a repository of Iberian masters.

Giralda Tower – Seville

admin — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:17:23 +0000

Giralda Tower: Soaring just over 300 feet high, the Tower began life as a minaret attached to the mosque, and serves now as a bell tower attached to the Cathedral. It is older than the church, dating from the 13th century, but has been much revised with the highest parts being added after the Cathedral’s completion. A wonderful view of the city can be obtained from the top, if you are energetic enough for the long upward trek (it is a winding ramp rather than a staircase). There is a modest admission charge for the Giralda, which also covers entrance to the Cathedral. Some parts of the Cathedral may require an additional fee.

The Cathedral – Seville – Spain

admin — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:13:16 +0000

The Cathedral: Depending on who you talk to, the Cathedral is not the third largest but the largest such building in the world — its overall surface area, at least, is said to be a bit more than even St. Peter’s if you hold the tape just right. (The Cathedral of Milan makes a similar claim; I haven’t personally measured any of them. I’m usually too busy craning my neck to try and see it all.) Building of the Cathedral was begun at the dawn of the 15th century and finished, mostly, over the next hundred years; many additions have been made since, including some further decoration as recently as the 1920s. Thus there is a mix styles to be seen on the exterior, though the building itself is largely Gothic in design. The site has long been a sacred one: prior to the Cathedral the ground was occupied by the largest mosque in Spain (converted to Christian use in 1248), which had itself been erected upon the ruins of a Visigothic church — the foundations of which were incorporated into the present building. Moorish influence is everywhere; if you look closely, you will even find inscriptions from the Koran on one of the entry portals.

Inside the Cathedral there is a seemingly endless a wealth of art and history, including the tomb of Christopher Columbus (who remains a hero in Spain, notwithstanding any guilty-conscience revisions of the Western hemisphere) and a library containing other Columbian artifacts such as letters and maps.

Masterpieces by Murillo, Goya, Titian – Seville

admin — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:17:21 +0000

Masterpieces by Murillo, Goya, Titian, and many others can be seen in the Cathedral’s several galleries, but you will find that countless elements of the building itself are as stunningly beautiful as the finest works on canvas — the vast, towering gilded altar is almost too much to take in at once glance. There is a rich Treasury which houses a number of exceptional religious artifacts, including a 20-foot tall bronze candelabra.

Strolling Seville – Spain

admin — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:13:11 +0000

Strolling Seville

Seville is, simply put, a great walking town. It’s a good thing, too, because like most old European cities it’s a miserable driving town. Short of having a root canal, I can’t imagine a worse way to spend an afternoon than searching for a place to park in San Bartolem.

But on foot it’s another world. From palaces to plazas, convents to cathedrals, inner Seville’s complex patchwork of narrow streets — with their curious names of half-forgotten origin, their bustling shopping rows, and their peaceful shady parks — invite the pedestrian to discover the town at a pace slow enough to absorb and appreciate it. Seville’s oldest neighborhoods and many of its best-known attractions are for the most part conveniently clustered into a triangular central area bounded by two broad avenues — Menendez Y Pelayo and Passeo Cristobal Coln — and split by a third, the Avenue Constitution. Within this framework lies the maze of old Seville, through which you can easily spend a week or more discovering new and delightful paths.

The 15th-century Cathedral of Seville is the world’s 3rd largest – only those of Saints Peter and Paul (in Rome and in London, respectively) are bigger. Together with its imposing companion, the Giralda Tower, it sits on the Avenue Constitution at nearly the perfect center of the triangle. This location serves well as starting-point, mid-point, or goal for a variety of different walks. There are many guidebooks and maps available that suggest particular routes; here, I’ll just touch on some of the highlights of Seville that lie within strolling distance of this central point. How you set out to find them I’ll leave to you, your feet, and your wanderer’s spirit.