My tour guide: Sara Caballero!
Sara met me at 10am to start out my first full day of Sevilla, she had warned me the previous day that I should wear my walking shoes because we would be doing a lot of that. The first stop of the day was La Plaza de España, one of her favorite places which has now become one of mine. The grandeur of the plaza is beyond anything that I could ever hope to share via photos, it’s something you must experience to truly understand. The Spanish have an incredible knack for detail; each little stone on the ground is laid just so, every painting is intricate, and you can’t walk through a park without realizing the great care that was taken in planting even the smallest of shrubs. It doesn’t matter what time you visit this city, it’s always at it’s best and ready to impress.
(Top left: Walking through a park on the way to la plaza. Top right: La Plaza de España. Bottom: Me walking through La Plaza de España)
We walked along some of the parks near the plaza and made our way to la Giralda (the cathedral Santa María), it’s gorgeous and I hope to go in some time next week and climb the tower, I hear the view is worth the hike up the stairs. Sevilla has street performers and vendors everywhere, especially near the center of the city. It’s a great place to snag a deal on a cute scarf or to see some odd performers, I’ll take pictures of some of these guys at some point because they’re fairly ridiculous.
Walking around town, one of the many long streets lined with lots of mopeds and beautiful architecture.
I love the way of life here, it is bustling and alive until the latest of hours, but no one is in a hurry. Sara and I walked as much as we wanted and when we found a place to sit we just chatted and watched people until we felt like leaving. People do things at their leisure, which is a practice that also goes for people who provide services too. If you want a coffee or to refill your phone minutes sometimes you just have to wait until the vendor is done with their conversation. I can appreciate a lifestyle that is as laid back as this, it’s a beautiful trait to find in a city.
Sara took me to one of her favorite tapas restaurant for some lunch, a place called Taberna Coloniales. We shared a plate of queso al Raquefort (it’s like sweet blue cheese with jam on top of toasted bread, SO good!), and I ordered a dish called Solomillo al Whiskey, tenderloin in a whiskey sauce that is heavy on the garlic. It was delicious, as is everything that I’ve had here so far. To make the meal that much more perfect I enjoyed my first glass of tinto de verano (red wine with soda in it), it was much needed refreshment after walking all morning.
(Top: Las Setas from the ground, not too sure why they're there but the view is amazing so I'm not complaining!. Bottom: Proof of the beautiful view, what a great city!)
Our next stop after lunch was Las Setas (translation: The Mushrooms) or Las Parasols (I’ve heard both names), which is a giant modern structure that offers an amazing panoramic view of the entire city. When you’re walking around the city it doesn’t seem that Sevilla is all that big, but that is a deception that is quite evident when you’re sitting on top of this structure, this city is huge! Right now is the perfect time for visiting all of the tourist spots, it’s not very crowded and it’s still cool enough that walking all day doesn’t leave you sweaty. Sara tells me that by June it’ll be so hot that being on top of las Setas would be impossibly miserable, and that by August you’ll melt with temperatures reaching 120ºF at it’s worst.
The River and el Puente de Triana (the bridge of Triana leading to that neighborhood), it's the oldest in the city and is also known as el Puente Isabel II, but it's usually referred to as the former.
Walking back to Trevor and Kelsey's with Sara from the river side, I get to walk by el Torre de Oro every day! This city is VERY pedestrian and bike friendly.
To wrap up the day we strolled by the river Gualdaquevivir where we sat for a good while enjoying the sun, watching kayakers, and talking. Sara is such a great person, she speaks wonderful english and is very patient with my spanish. She loves this city and, although she’ll say otherwise, she was the best tour guide I could have ever wished for. She’ll be leaving in a month to go to school in Germany so I’m hoping to see her as much as possible before that.
That night I had dinner with Trevor and Kelsey in the apartment while we waited for some of their friends from the 2 week intensive course to come over. Quite a few people came, about 15 or so, and I finally got to meet my roommate Jenna! We all sat around playing Kings Cup, eating yummy little sandwiches that Kelsey made (she is quite the hostess), and just having a good time. At around midnight most of the group went out to some of the clubs in town but Kelsey and I decided to hang back. Walking all day had worn me out and I was looking forward to sleeping in the next day, plus I would be moving in with my host family and didn’t want to be too exhausted.
This is Sara, isn't she just precious?! This is during our walk, she was such a wonderful tour guide.
Overall this was one of the most perfect first days that I could have wished for, one that was full of new sights, sounds, food, and friends. I think the world of this city already and the people found within it, I can’t wait to see what other discoveries and adventures are to be had here, I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on them as they come!
¡Hasta luego!
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