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La Giralda - Cathedral in the heart of
Sevilla
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I have a long connection with Sevilla - having
lived and worked in the city during the 1992 World Expo, returning frequently
since then to visit dear friends, soak up the
environment and undertake further language studies. These days it is easy for
me to slip in to local life, and I don’t feel like a tourist anymore. I’d like
to share with you some of the things I love about the city, and also some of
the things I like to do when I am there, in no apparent order but things that
may not appear in guidebooks.
In my opinion the best time to visit Sevilla is in Spring – mainly since
the weather is generally very pleasant and not too hot - (temperatures in
July/August frequently reach the mid 40s or more). Also the beautiful orange
trees that line the city streets are usually blossoming and the gorgeous aroma
makes walking around the city an absolute pleasure. Spring time
is also when the city’s major feasts and festivals take place.
There is Semana Santa (Holy Week) which is closely followed by Feria
(Spring Fair). The city is vibrant, noisy and full of colour during this time but it may be difficult to find accommodation so just before or after these
dates may be easier.
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| Semana Santa Procession |
Sevilla is a great walking city, so take
along those comfortable shoes! Wander along the banks of the Guadalquivir
River, over the cobbled streets of Santa Cruz, and through the gorgeous Parque
María Luisa and the Alcázar Palace. You could also hire bikes
- the city now has an Amsterdam style bike hire programme which offers bikes at
very reasonable rates.
Excellent bars, cafés and restaurants are all around the city, and for
‘sevillanos’ the majority of socializing is done ‘en la calle’ (in the street) rather than at home. Restaurants that I enjoy are too numerous to
mention,
however it is hard to go past the following in
the city centre: Enrique Becera
at Calle Gamazo, 2 - The tapas section of this restaurant is terrific and well-
priced, the waiters are very professional and there is a mixed crowd of mostly sevillanos.
Follow this link for more information:
Further afield and for the restaurant experience of a lifetime, you
could head off to Sanlucar la Major, some 20 kms from Sevilla. The newly
renovated Hotel Benazuza El Bulli houses the two Michelin star La Alquería,
the place to discover the best original Ferran Adriá’s restaurant from el Bulli
Restaurant. See http://www.benazuzahotel.com
When in Sevilla, I generally attend one of the high quality language
academies to undertake further study. I find that the combination of daily
formal study, of up to 4-5 hours and informal practice after class to be a very
effective way to build language skills quickly, efficiently and enjoyably. My
favourite language centres are CLIC http://www.clic.es and Centro Giralda http://www.giraldacenter.com/. Both offer quality tuition and small class
sizes and both have attractive social and cultural programs. I can comfortably
recommend both.
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Parque María Luisa
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I cannot close without mentioning my favourite weekend market. Out of
the many and varied markets in Sevilla this would have to be the most charming!
Taking place every Sunday from 7am - 3pm in Plaza Alfalfa is the Pet Market,
featuring both domestic and exotic species of dogs, cats, birds, lizards and
much more. Check it
out and other markets in Sevilla at:
There are many, many more things I love to do
in Sevilla. Maybe next time I’ll cover great places to listen to real flamenco,
where to buy that great flamenco dress, best bars to try specialized tapas and
sherries etc etc!
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| Azulejos – decorative tiles found in many courtyards |
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