Spain
Trip Report June 2005
Searching for Moors
Sevilla
Searching for Moors
Sevilla
Hotel Amadeus Jr Suite 120€
Be aware, the Hotel Amadeus is on a street that is too narrow for cars, like many in the Barrio. We rolled our bags the necessary 2 blocks & checked into RM 201 - the junior suite - the Mozart - 120€. Strange long & large room with a bathroom - toilet, shower, bidet separated at one end. B was not amused that the sink & Jacuzzi bathtub shared the main room. She likes her privacy at times. Antiques were everywhere in the lobby & the music theme was predominant. The owner & her daughters were great for suggestions, directions etc. Breakfast was 7€ each in your room, on the rooftop, wherever. Note that street breakfasts can be good too & are quite cheap. Some restaurants start opening around 8 AM & there is always the Starbucks beside the Cathedral (I resisted & bought 'bar' coffee). |
Day 6 Granada to Sevilla
An easy drive out from the Alhambra even though I missed the Ronda Sur highway turn (of course) and ended up driving through downtown Granada. Just a minor inconvenience and we were soon back on the highway - A92 - for the 4 hour drive to Sevilla. It started off with mountains all around and gradually flattened out. The ubiquitous olive trees were everywhere as usual. White towns (some with castles) whizzed by and the oleander between the east/west lanes was very pleasant adding color to the burning landscape. And this was still spring! Lots of curves, however and I swear the road is never straight for more than 1 km the whole way, but there were no mountain passes to add trauma to the passenger. A great drive on a hot, sunny day. The convertible top was open the whole way. At the outskirts of Sevilla, A92 turns into busy commercial Ave Andalusia which eventually turns into Ave de Luis Montoyo . . . and heads straight into the Barrio Santa Cruz. I had detailed directions + maps, but they became useless in the Barrio. We got mixed up (of course) and after a few very busy blocks I circled around and found a parking lot. We lucked out by parking in the underground lot at the Avenida de Menendez Palayo (a busy thoroughfare) and Santa Maria la Blanca - which was the parking the hotel used as it turned out. You can not pull over close to the hotel because the street is too tiny for a car. And anything close was simply too busy to pull over because you would block traffic. Park & walk was the plan.
We had lunch at outdoor café - El Cordobés - near the hotel. It was cheap @ 7€ each for 3 courses & a glass of wine. We ran up the bill however by ordering a pitcher of Sangria (because of the heat - wink, wink) which was laden with alcohol - which produced two drunk Canadian in the hot Spanish sun. I had a Spanish omelette & paella - which was just fair. B had her usual ham and a salad. Rowdy kids next door at the carne restaurant kept customers from visiting - much to the annoyance of their father - and to us . . . The bill was 30€s by the time we staggered away for a siesta.
We leaped up around 5 PM and dashed to buy Flamenco tickets for Case de la Memoria at its venue a 2 minute walk from the hotel. 12€ each and we got tickets for the 10:30 show that night - there are two shows nightly - with another at 9 PM. Suffering mildly from a mid-afternoon hangover from the Sangria, we finally headed out at 8 PM in search of food. We had pasta carbonara in an outdoor cafe in the Plaza Santa Maria at the rear corner of the Alcazar. OK food actually but it was still sweltering and an outdoor cafe might not have been the best choice. We walked around the Cathedral area a bit pretending we were tourists. Note: Cathedral square was under construction and the Giralda tower had scaffolding on top which ruined the photo opps here. We stopped in for a pre-show drink at Las Teresas - an old and well-known bar - which got absolutely mobbed by people halfway through our drink just after 9:30 PM. I felt sorry fora pair of English girls trying to eat tapas at the crammed bar. The Memoria's venue was only a block away but we lined up 45 minutes early for the show which gave us front row center seats. There were 3 performers for 1 hour - a singer (he also did rhythm), a guitarist and a dancer in a small Moorish courtyard. Wow. Dramatic and intimate. Just what we wanted. The sound of her heels was thunderous. B got into a conversation in line with an English woman in town for a migrant worker conference. She had been there the previous night and came back because it was so good. The music was exotic - very Islamic - ancient Middle Eastern. The female dancer was awesome. So intense - sometimes her movements were explosive but her arms were lithe like a belly dancer's. Amazing.
An easy drive out from the Alhambra even though I missed the Ronda Sur highway turn (of course) and ended up driving through downtown Granada. Just a minor inconvenience and we were soon back on the highway - A92 - for the 4 hour drive to Sevilla. It started off with mountains all around and gradually flattened out. The ubiquitous olive trees were everywhere as usual. White towns (some with castles) whizzed by and the oleander between the east/west lanes was very pleasant adding color to the burning landscape. And this was still spring! Lots of curves, however and I swear the road is never straight for more than 1 km the whole way, but there were no mountain passes to add trauma to the passenger. A great drive on a hot, sunny day. The convertible top was open the whole way. At the outskirts of Sevilla, A92 turns into busy commercial Ave Andalusia which eventually turns into Ave de Luis Montoyo . . . and heads straight into the Barrio Santa Cruz. I had detailed directions + maps, but they became useless in the Barrio. We got mixed up (of course) and after a few very busy blocks I circled around and found a parking lot. We lucked out by parking in the underground lot at the Avenida de Menendez Palayo (a busy thoroughfare) and Santa Maria la Blanca - which was the parking the hotel used as it turned out. You can not pull over close to the hotel because the street is too tiny for a car. And anything close was simply too busy to pull over because you would block traffic. Park & walk was the plan.
We had lunch at outdoor café - El Cordobés - near the hotel. It was cheap @ 7€ each for 3 courses & a glass of wine. We ran up the bill however by ordering a pitcher of Sangria (because of the heat - wink, wink) which was laden with alcohol - which produced two drunk Canadian in the hot Spanish sun. I had a Spanish omelette & paella - which was just fair. B had her usual ham and a salad. Rowdy kids next door at the carne restaurant kept customers from visiting - much to the annoyance of their father - and to us . . . The bill was 30€s by the time we staggered away for a siesta.
We leaped up around 5 PM and dashed to buy Flamenco tickets for Case de la Memoria at its venue a 2 minute walk from the hotel. 12€ each and we got tickets for the 10:30 show that night - there are two shows nightly - with another at 9 PM. Suffering mildly from a mid-afternoon hangover from the Sangria, we finally headed out at 8 PM in search of food. We had pasta carbonara in an outdoor cafe in the Plaza Santa Maria at the rear corner of the Alcazar. OK food actually but it was still sweltering and an outdoor cafe might not have been the best choice. We walked around the Cathedral area a bit pretending we were tourists. Note: Cathedral square was under construction and the Giralda tower had scaffolding on top which ruined the photo opps here. We stopped in for a pre-show drink at Las Teresas - an old and well-known bar - which got absolutely mobbed by people halfway through our drink just after 9:30 PM. I felt sorry fora pair of English girls trying to eat tapas at the crammed bar. The Memoria's venue was only a block away but we lined up 45 minutes early for the show which gave us front row center seats. There were 3 performers for 1 hour - a singer (he also did rhythm), a guitarist and a dancer in a small Moorish courtyard. Wow. Dramatic and intimate. Just what we wanted. The sound of her heels was thunderous. B got into a conversation in line with an English woman in town for a migrant worker conference. She had been there the previous night and came back because it was so good. The music was exotic - very Islamic - ancient Middle Eastern. The female dancer was awesome. So intense - sometimes her movements were explosive but her arms were lithe like a belly dancer's. Amazing.
Day 7 Sevilla continued . . .
We had a continental breakfast in hotel - 7€ - which was just coffee, juice, croissants, rolls etc.
Since it was Saturday, we bee lined to get bullfight tickets for Sunday night. They were 10€ at the wicket at the Real Maestranza bullring. Tickets were also available elsewhere on the street and from vendors in front of the building - for a premium of course. We also bought some wine to take home at Especialadades a wine store on Arfe in the same area. They had a good selection and the prices seemed great. After a quick drop-off at the hotel, we were off to one of Sevilla's greatest hits: the Alcazar.
It seemed that many others had a similar idea this morning. As it turned out, the large line - well more of a big milling mildly hostile bunch actually - was totally stalled for about 20 minutes and everybody was losing their patience and it got reasonably pushy once the line began to move - especially from the hordes of short old Spanish ladies, all dressed in black. They can be vicious. I pushed back. A bunch of crabby old women weren't going to get the best of me. Once we got in, it was very pretty with lovely fountains and gardens, although it somehow felt like a lesser cousin to the fabulous Alhambra which we had seen just two days before. The tiles and the plaster work were exquisite.
We avoided the cafeteria food at the Alcazar and all of the inviting restaurants that surrounded the square and we hit a cheap swarma place that I had spied near our hotel. Well fueled, we ventured over through the Parque Maria Luisa aiming toward the Museo Arquelógico. I had wanted to go out to the Roman ruins at Italica - north of town - but the oppressive heat (36 C) convinced us to see the collection here rather than in a hot and dusty field tramping through ruins. The heat was truly cruel. We had to pit stop both ways for a sherbet from a vendor in the park because we were getting fried. After some map confusion, we finally found the museum. It boasted free admission and only about 6 people inside. Good Roman artifacts and mosaics from Italica and an interesting Paleolithic area downstairs. And it was far cooler than being out in that scorching sun. On the long hot slog back through the park, we discovered the Plaza de Éspana. It was nice but decrepit. The canals were drained which muted the wow factor, but the tiling was interesting at the many stations around the front of the building. We walked back through the subway construction area on Carlos V with a refreshment pit stop at some anonymous place along the way. We were just blubbering at this point with the heat taking its toll.
After a rest at the hotel, we set out for our first full tapas dinner à la Seville at the Bar Estrella and it was tremendous. It is on a street just a block from the cathedral square and it spilled out into the street when it got hopping. As usual, we were the first patrons for dinner @ 8 PM. The menus were all Spanish and the wait staff spoke nothing but Spanish so we had to translate the menu with our book. We managed OK. Cheese dishes were good but I kept getting egg dishes until I remembered that huevas were eggs. 27€ including a bottle of Rioja crianza - the house wine. A great find.
We had a Jacuzzi later that night (in the tub in the middle of the room), joining in the festive mood out in the alley. I believe that Sevilla won a soccer game and the whole city was partying. It got quite noisy but we didn't mind . . .
Observations: The gardens of Sevilla are a sight to behold. There are oleanders & oranges (rotting) all over. Tiles, tiles everywhere - even on park benches - very picturesque. Streets in Santa Cruz area are extremely narrow with sidewalks barely wide enough for one & often they just disappear & you have to dodge cars & scooters by standing in doorways. Sevilla is very bustling with outdoor cafes where people meet and socialize. Parents, babies, people on the way to or coming from church, tourist, priests - a really great place to people watch.
We had a continental breakfast in hotel - 7€ - which was just coffee, juice, croissants, rolls etc.
Since it was Saturday, we bee lined to get bullfight tickets for Sunday night. They were 10€ at the wicket at the Real Maestranza bullring. Tickets were also available elsewhere on the street and from vendors in front of the building - for a premium of course. We also bought some wine to take home at Especialadades a wine store on Arfe in the same area. They had a good selection and the prices seemed great. After a quick drop-off at the hotel, we were off to one of Sevilla's greatest hits: the Alcazar.
It seemed that many others had a similar idea this morning. As it turned out, the large line - well more of a big milling mildly hostile bunch actually - was totally stalled for about 20 minutes and everybody was losing their patience and it got reasonably pushy once the line began to move - especially from the hordes of short old Spanish ladies, all dressed in black. They can be vicious. I pushed back. A bunch of crabby old women weren't going to get the best of me. Once we got in, it was very pretty with lovely fountains and gardens, although it somehow felt like a lesser cousin to the fabulous Alhambra which we had seen just two days before. The tiles and the plaster work were exquisite.
We avoided the cafeteria food at the Alcazar and all of the inviting restaurants that surrounded the square and we hit a cheap swarma place that I had spied near our hotel. Well fueled, we ventured over through the Parque Maria Luisa aiming toward the Museo Arquelógico. I had wanted to go out to the Roman ruins at Italica - north of town - but the oppressive heat (36 C) convinced us to see the collection here rather than in a hot and dusty field tramping through ruins. The heat was truly cruel. We had to pit stop both ways for a sherbet from a vendor in the park because we were getting fried. After some map confusion, we finally found the museum. It boasted free admission and only about 6 people inside. Good Roman artifacts and mosaics from Italica and an interesting Paleolithic area downstairs. And it was far cooler than being out in that scorching sun. On the long hot slog back through the park, we discovered the Plaza de Éspana. It was nice but decrepit. The canals were drained which muted the wow factor, but the tiling was interesting at the many stations around the front of the building. We walked back through the subway construction area on Carlos V with a refreshment pit stop at some anonymous place along the way. We were just blubbering at this point with the heat taking its toll.
After a rest at the hotel, we set out for our first full tapas dinner à la Seville at the Bar Estrella and it was tremendous. It is on a street just a block from the cathedral square and it spilled out into the street when it got hopping. As usual, we were the first patrons for dinner @ 8 PM. The menus were all Spanish and the wait staff spoke nothing but Spanish so we had to translate the menu with our book. We managed OK. Cheese dishes were good but I kept getting egg dishes until I remembered that huevas were eggs. 27€ including a bottle of Rioja crianza - the house wine. A great find.
We had a Jacuzzi later that night (in the tub in the middle of the room), joining in the festive mood out in the alley. I believe that Sevilla won a soccer game and the whole city was partying. It got quite noisy but we didn't mind . . .
Observations: The gardens of Sevilla are a sight to behold. There are oleanders & oranges (rotting) all over. Tiles, tiles everywhere - even on park benches - very picturesque. Streets in Santa Cruz area are extremely narrow with sidewalks barely wide enough for one & often they just disappear & you have to dodge cars & scooters by standing in doorways. Sevilla is very bustling with outdoor cafes where people meet and socialize. Parents, babies, people on the way to or coming from church, tourist, priests - a really great place to people watch.
Day 8 Sevilla continued . . .
Dueling church bells announced that it was Sunday morning and we got a very slow hung-over start. I walked out for coffee in a bar near the cathedral watching people rushing to church leaving my better half still sleeping. We finally got out around noon for a walk to the Casa de Pilatos, which I had heard about somewhere on the Internet. We got lost in the twisty barrio and ended up taking a taxi to get there. Before entering, we stopped for a snack at a local bar - the Bodegas Extremeña - which was just down the road. 9€s for a couple of really stinky cheese dishes and some Iberico jamon.
Overall, the Casa de Pilatos is a small gem - think of it as a miniature Alcazar without the people. Originally built in the early 1500s - but with much added over the years - it is a mishmash of styles with stunning Moorish tile and plaster work mixed with exotic marble wall plaques and busts and statues and columns. And it all works in a funky way. The gardens were also lovely albeit we were in between flowerings so there was just a lot of green plants. The Pilatos is crumbling somewhat, but well worth the trip. There were also very few people which made it even more pleasant.
We visited the Cathedral on our way back. Free on Sundays and very busy. Cathedrals all seem to pale after San Pietro in Roma . . . It was very ornate with lots of tile and gold and chapels . . . and of course, Cristobal Colon's tomb. Better known as Christopher Columbus, the actual resting place of ALL of his bones remains a mystery but this is the most likely contender. Then it was back to our room for the usual siesta as we waited for the bullfight later in the evening. The weather started to cool a bit and a breeze finally came up!
The bullfight. 7:30 PM Sunday. This was something B wanted to see. Despite our cognizance of the animal cruelty debate, we felt it was necessary because of the long tradition etc. We had a drink in a busy bar behind the bullring to prepare & to kill time. In the arena, our 10€ seats were about half way up on concrete benches. And 10€ seats are in the sun. Here, you pay more for shade. Quite the collection of spectators. Locals who come every week, dressed to kill women, teenagers - a whole smattering of society. The younger man sitting next to me was a Mexican living in London who came to see the sight. He explained the whole ritual to us with help from an old Spanish lady behind him who seemed to be a lifelong pro. The live band that marches in the toreadors and the pageantry was great. The first bullfight was OK (B hid her eyes through the death sequence). The second fight had a reluctant bull. And that was it. Two fights were enough for us. There are a total of six fights or so altogether.
We stopped for dinner at the Cerveceria Giralda in the cathedral plaza. We had a rude waiter - abrupt & bossy. We were not impressed. It was also extremely loud with bare tiles throughout producing a very noisy restaurant despite the lack of patrons at 9 PM. We ended up having only 3 tapas (same tapas selection as Estrella more or less) until we gave up and went for Chinese food next door. I know. Chinese food in Sevilla? Well, let's call it laziness after a long hot post-hangover day.
Dueling church bells announced that it was Sunday morning and we got a very slow hung-over start. I walked out for coffee in a bar near the cathedral watching people rushing to church leaving my better half still sleeping. We finally got out around noon for a walk to the Casa de Pilatos, which I had heard about somewhere on the Internet. We got lost in the twisty barrio and ended up taking a taxi to get there. Before entering, we stopped for a snack at a local bar - the Bodegas Extremeña - which was just down the road. 9€s for a couple of really stinky cheese dishes and some Iberico jamon.
Overall, the Casa de Pilatos is a small gem - think of it as a miniature Alcazar without the people. Originally built in the early 1500s - but with much added over the years - it is a mishmash of styles with stunning Moorish tile and plaster work mixed with exotic marble wall plaques and busts and statues and columns. And it all works in a funky way. The gardens were also lovely albeit we were in between flowerings so there was just a lot of green plants. The Pilatos is crumbling somewhat, but well worth the trip. There were also very few people which made it even more pleasant.
We visited the Cathedral on our way back. Free on Sundays and very busy. Cathedrals all seem to pale after San Pietro in Roma . . . It was very ornate with lots of tile and gold and chapels . . . and of course, Cristobal Colon's tomb. Better known as Christopher Columbus, the actual resting place of ALL of his bones remains a mystery but this is the most likely contender. Then it was back to our room for the usual siesta as we waited for the bullfight later in the evening. The weather started to cool a bit and a breeze finally came up!
The bullfight. 7:30 PM Sunday. This was something B wanted to see. Despite our cognizance of the animal cruelty debate, we felt it was necessary because of the long tradition etc. We had a drink in a busy bar behind the bullring to prepare & to kill time. In the arena, our 10€ seats were about half way up on concrete benches. And 10€ seats are in the sun. Here, you pay more for shade. Quite the collection of spectators. Locals who come every week, dressed to kill women, teenagers - a whole smattering of society. The younger man sitting next to me was a Mexican living in London who came to see the sight. He explained the whole ritual to us with help from an old Spanish lady behind him who seemed to be a lifelong pro. The live band that marches in the toreadors and the pageantry was great. The first bullfight was OK (B hid her eyes through the death sequence). The second fight had a reluctant bull. And that was it. Two fights were enough for us. There are a total of six fights or so altogether.
We stopped for dinner at the Cerveceria Giralda in the cathedral plaza. We had a rude waiter - abrupt & bossy. We were not impressed. It was also extremely loud with bare tiles throughout producing a very noisy restaurant despite the lack of patrons at 9 PM. We ended up having only 3 tapas (same tapas selection as Estrella more or less) until we gave up and went for Chinese food next door. I know. Chinese food in Sevilla? Well, let's call it laziness after a long hot post-hangover day.