SEVILLA

26 – 29 JUNE 2010

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Sevilla is the beautiful capital of the Spanish region of Andalucia. It is the largest town in Southern Spain, the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro.
According to legend it was founded by Hercules on the banks of the Rio Guadalquivir (river) and is one of Spain’s largest historical centres in Europe. The Romans called it Hispalis and to the Moors it was known as Isbiliya. Its high point in its history was following the discovery of America.
Sevilla is famous for the Bell Tower of La Giralda, standing next to the cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and also for the Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure includes Casa de Pilatos, Torre del Oro, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain) , plus convents, parish churches and palaces.
Santa Cruz, La Macarena, San Bartolomé, and Triana (on the other side of the river) are the most famous quarters. The street of Las Sierpes, La Maestranza bullring, María Luisa park and the riverside walks are all representative images of Sevilla.
Ryanair flight left Malta on Saturday 26 June at 13.55 and arrived at Sevilla at 16.45. Immediately outside the airport there is a bus stop from where to take the bus to the city centre. The bus leaves every 30 minutes on weekdays and every hour on Sunday/holidays. However there are extra trips at peak times both on weekdays and on Sundays. The ticket costs €2.30 and the bus stops at Avenida de Portugal. However the point of departure from the city centre back to the airport is Avenida del Cid just around the corner. The trip from airport to centre takes from 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.

I stayed at Hotel Melia Seville, a lovely four star hotel just about 300m from the bus stop in Avenida de Portugal (5 min walk) (http://www.booking.com/hotels/hotel/es/sevilla/hotelmeliasevilla.html?label=gog235jc;sid=883c46fe749ec5326affee1164484378)

This hotel is very close to the Plaza d’espagna, about 10 mins walk to the bus station at Prado San Sebastian and about 20 mins walk from the Cathedral. To reach the Cathedral one could take the tram from Prado San Sebastian to reach the old city by public transport. The tram practically leaves Prado San Sebastian and stops at Plaze Nueva which is just about a 20 mins walk. A single bus/tram ticket costs €1.5 but if one uses public transport frequently, then it is more convenient to buy an unlimited day ticket for €6. There are also carnets of 10 journeys costing €10.

Unfortunately, the transport system is very difficult to understand. It is also difficult to communicate with personnel because very few speak English. It is more possible to communicate in Italian than in English.

There are two important bus routes which perform a circular tour of the city, starting from Prado San Sebastian station. These are C1 which goes south to the other side of the River while C2 goes north towards the Santa Justa Train Station. Both lines cover the same route from opposite directions.

There are other buses which connect with stops on the route but these pass just outside the old quarters. It is advisable to obtain a bus map in order to plan a journey. There is an information office at Prado San Sebastian where staff are very helpful even though they do not communicate very well in English.

To move inside the old quarter and see the monuments and Churches one either has to walk or hire a bicycle. Walking is tiresome especially during the very hot midday hours. Temperatures in Sevilla ranged from 37 degrees Celsius at 14.30 to 34 degrees at 19.00 and 28 degrees at 22.30. Weather is fine and sunny but not so humid and gets dark at around 22.30. It is advisable to protect oneself from the extreme sunlight. However most of the streets outside the old quarter are shaded by trees while in the old quarters the streets are narrow and quite shadowy. The streets connecting Plaza Nueva to Plaza Duque de la Victoria is the main shopping area. This area is shaded by tents hanging from side to side of the buildings, thus providing some shelter during hot hours. Shops, except the large department stores, close for the early hours of the afternoon.

Sevilla is also full of parks. This is quite impressive for there is so much greenery in a city which is really scorching hot. These parks are ideal for relaxation and for moving away from direct sunlight, but be prepared to walk on yellow Sahara sand in all the walking paths of the such parks.

The bicyle is a very popular means of transport in Sevilla. Streets in the centre provide bicycle paths for cyclers thus making it easy to travel around the city on a bike. You may hire a bikefrom near the Torre Del Oro, on the bank of the river.

Sevilla is famous for its tapas, the traditional Spanish snacks. Infact there are many cafes and bars and Cervecerias and less restaurants. And beware that restaurants open around 20.30 or 20.45. Some also open at midday between approx 13.00 and 16.00.

There is a good Italian restaurant “Ristorante San Marco” at Calle del Dottor Pedro Castro just next door to Hotel Melia Sevilla.

Another good Spanish restaurant is “La Raza” at Avenida Isabel La Cattolica.

There are also a number of Restaurants at Calle Betis on the other side of the river opposite the Torre del Oro to the right, crossing the San Telmo bridge towards Plaza de Cuba.

Suggested Tours
You could find a good tour of the old quarter on the following link:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/seville/0065010008.html

Not included in this tour but worth visiting are the Alameda de Hercules and the Ancient Wall of the City near the Basilica de la Macarena.

Sevilla is an excellent place for a short break. To visit all musuems one requires more time. Musuems and attractions such as the Isla Magica Amusement Park are usually closed on Mondays.

Sevilla is connected to the other Andalucian towns such as Cordoba and Granada through the Renfre Train Network which departs from Sta Justa Train Station. A train journey to Cordoba takes about 1hr 15min while to Granada it takes 3hr 15min.