A day in Seville

Tags

Alcazar, Andalusia, Columbus, Europe, Seville, Spain

We spent a hot day in Seville exploring the streets, visiting the Alcazar, and enjoying a carriage ride.

It promised to be a hot day and it delivered with temperatures over 90f/30c. But we stayed cool, drank a lot of water, and whenever possible stayed in the shade.

Since it was Sunday the cathedral was offering mass all day and not suitable fit sightseeing. Therefore, we started with the Alcazar.

Sherrie and the kids in a Seville plaza on the way to the Alcazar

Sergio, Isabella, and Lucas in a Seville plaza walking to the Alcazar

Building in Seville

The Alcazar was nice but we thought the decoration and architecture were better at the Alhambra. However, the historic events which occurred in the space are amazing.

During the height of Spanish power the Alcazar was the royal palace and where Amerigo Vespucci created the first atlas, Columbus planned his voyage and prayed in the chapel before leaving, and where the new world riches and exploration were administered. It is a significant location in world history.

Sherrie, Isabella, and Aurelia walking into the Alcazar

Isabella and Lucas in the chapel where Columbus prayed and planned in front of the famous painting marking the first European images of native Americans as well as the best portrait of Columbus

Sherrie and kids in the Alcazar hunting courtyard

Sergio, Lucas, and Isabella in the Alcazar hunting courtyard

Dolls' patio in the Alcazar

Alcazar ambassador room

Alcazar doorway

Alcazar courtyard

Isabella and Lucas resting in the Alcazar

Leaving the Alcazar after a few hours we were on the hunt for some fans. However, a hard sell by a horse coach convinced us – albeit with a little bartering. It was a great 45 minute ride through the best sights in Seville, a great thing on a hot day.

Isabella on the coach

Isabella, Lucas, and Aurelia in the coach

Sergio, Isabella, Lucas, and Aurelia in the coach after the ride

Lucas, Aurelia, and Isabella looking at the horses

Aurelia examining the horses and coaches

After the coach ride we went on the hunt for fans. All the kids got a fan and Lucas fit a new hat.

The kids with their fans and Lucas with his new hat

Aurelia on the way to ice cream

We them had ice cream followed by pizza for dinner. The best order of things in my opinion 🙂

Aurelia, Lucas, and Aurelia enjoying ice cream in Seville

During dinner Lucas kept saying “hola” to everyone who passed by hoping for a reaction. Isabella, meanwhile, was keeping watch down the sidewalk and announcing “more customers” to Lucas when people were approaching. It was funny and almost everyone was smiling and laughing.

It was a nice day full of adventure. Seville is filled with friendly people and an interesting amalgamation of architecture spanning a 1000 years and multiple cultures.

Seville cathedral belltower, a converted minaret

La Playa en Marbella

Tags

Andalusia, beach, Europe, Marbella, Seville, Spain

Today we left Granada and headed to Seville with an afternoon stop at the beach at Marbella. Of course, the chance to spend an afternoon swimming in the Mediterranean was too good to pass up.

The kids woke up nice and early this morning giving us a good start to the day. Have I mentioned that it’s been over a year since we’ve used an alarm clock 🙂

It took a little over 90 minutes to reach Marbella which took us through some beautiful countryside.

Thousands of olive groves

Sergio driving to Marbella

Olive groves and mountains

Once at Marbella we found the first accessible beach with parking and nearby restaurants for lunch. As we didn’t bring a beach towel to save space we paid an exorbitant price for one, not knowing they were included in chair rentals – oh well.

We also had lunch at a beach side restaurant that charged 1.90 euros per piece of bread – I did my best to argue with their highway robbery in Spanish but failed. In case anyone I’d wondering what that looks like, it is Sergio gesturing wildly with much eye rolling followed by uttering loudly of broken high school Spanish phrases. In their defence the swordfish was very good.

Sherrie and Isabella at lunch

We then hired a couple of beach chairs and ordered some drinks – more highway robbery occurred at the bar. The chairs, at 30 euros for two, were worth it.

The kids and even the adults then spent the next four hours playing in the surf, swimming, building sand castles, and relaxing. Sherrie even saw a ray!

Sherrie, Lucas, and Isabella relaxing

Aurelia playing in the sand

Sherrie relaxing

Lucas and Bella playing in the surf

The beach

Lucas, Isabella, and Aurelia (behind Lucas) building a sand castle

Aurelia and Isabella playing in the surf

Lucas and Aurelia playing in the surf

Lucas getting sand from the ocean for the sand castle

The kids playing with an elephant statue on the way to the car

We then drove the two hours to Seville where we promptly got lost searching for the hotel and ordered room service which included the best burger Sergio has had in over a year.

Tomorrow, Seville!

Cathedral, Royals and Sacramonte in Granada

Tags

cathedral, Europe, Granada, Sacramonte, Spain

After a late night last night everyone slept in a little.  After brioche, juice, and coffee we tried the cathedral again with much more success. However, coming upon the corpus Christi procession yesterday was by no means a bad thing.

Sherrie and I both enjoyed the cathedral.  It had a unique layout with no transept making the large space more inviting.

Lucas and Isabella in the Granada cathedral

Granada cathedral side chapel with small painting given to queen Isabella from the pope

We then went next door to the capilla real, the royal chapel.  No pictures or video were allowed although I’m sure Sherrie snuck a few in.

In the chapel are several tombs of Spanish nobility, most notably those of Isabella and Ferdinand. Something different about this tomb is the ability to visit the crypt and view the actual coffins. While the above marble effigies are ornate and beautiful, the coffins are plain and made of lead.

The space adjoining the chapel is a sacristy containing some of their belongings such as her missal and crown along with many works of art.

For eight euros, for two adults, it was a short visit. Comparatively,we paid 28 euros for two adults and spent 4 hours at the Alhambra – and would have paid more.

We then began to trek towards the Sacramonte, a series of caves tuned homes which were, until recently, the traditional home of Granada gypsys. It is also the home of flamenco.

To get to Sacramonte we walked along the river and enjoyed another part of Granada. In a small plaza directly beneath the Alhambra and along the river we got lunch.

Along the river in Granada

Sherrie and the kids along the river in Granada

Plaza beneath the Alhambra where we ate lunch

Alhambra view from plaza

Sherrie and Isabella at lunch

Sacramonte

Flamenco bar in Sacramonte

Sherrie and Isabella walking in the Sacramonte district

The day was getting warm and we had already walked awhile so we decided to go back to the apartment to rest before going back out.

Lucas colouring his Alhambra designs

Isabella, Aurelia, and Sherrie resting writing in their travel journals and playing iPad games

We headed back out at 1800 to see a couple of more historic buildings. However, we got lost and even asking for directions never found the places but instead enjoyed a different part of Granada and stumbled onto a nice couple of plazas.

Lucas and Isabella enjoying the mist from a fountain

We enjoyed it so much we stayed for dinner – or maybe it was just the chorros and hot chocolate 🙂

Chorros y chocolate

Aurelia enjoying her chorros and chocolate

For not having spoken Spanish in over a decade and not many spaniards speaking any English we are getting along fine – except for the hot milk I ordered with desert!

So far Sherrie and I rate this as one of the best holidays ever.