It was great to have a chance to thaw out a bit, the temperature was 21deg (which was a refreshing change from the sub 10deg we've had in London for a few months now). Our hotel room had a great view of the famous cathedral.
You could not turn a corner without seeing a row of orange trees - they were everywhere throughout the city. Here is Sarah trying to steal one of the lower hanging fruits!
Here is a shot of one side of the cathedral - it is massive! Formally Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) it was begun in 1402, with construction continuing into the 16th century. It is the largest of all Roman Catholic cathedrals (Saint Peter's Basilica not being a cathedral) and also the largest Medieval Gothic religious building, in terms of both area and volume - like I said... pretty impressive.
Here is a shot of one side of the cathedral - it is massive! Formally Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See) it was begun in 1402, with construction continuing into the 16th century. It is the largest of all Roman Catholic cathedrals (Saint Peter's Basilica not being a cathedral) and also the largest Medieval Gothic religious building, in terms of both area and volume - like I said... pretty impressive.
After all that though, unfortunately we didn't get a chance to go inside because it was closed for a special religeous service...
We did visit the Alcazar of Seville and it's spectacular gardens. The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar (Arabic for "palace") has been expanded several times. A perfect place for a relaxing stroll in the afternoon...
Of course there was plenty of tapas and sangria to be had. Here's Pete sitting at one of the many bars, with gamon ham hanging in the window.
When in Seville, flamenco is a must. No, those aren't Pete's feet all a-blur above - we went to see a great flameno show in a small outdoor courtyard with live guitar and singing.
It was a great show - lots of passion, flair and stamping!
...more tapas, more sangria, more rioja, etc, etc...
This is the view from our rooftop balcony to the cathedral.
We did visit the bull fighting ring but it is offseason at the moment, so no fights to see - although from what we have heard, it's probably for the best because apparently the fights can be quite intense and horrendous.
This is the stables behind the bull ring.
On Sunday almost everything was closed, except for the bikehire stands. So we 'got on our bikes' and went for an explore of the river.
We did visit the Alcazar of Seville and it's spectacular gardens. The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar (Arabic for "palace") has been expanded several times. A perfect place for a relaxing stroll in the afternoon...
Of course there was plenty of tapas and sangria to be had. Here's Pete sitting at one of the many bars, with gamon ham hanging in the window.
When in Seville, flamenco is a must. No, those aren't Pete's feet all a-blur above - we went to see a great flameno show in a small outdoor courtyard with live guitar and singing.
It was a great show - lots of passion, flair and stamping!
...more tapas, more sangria, more rioja, etc, etc...
This is the view from our rooftop balcony to the cathedral.
We did visit the bull fighting ring but it is offseason at the moment, so no fights to see - although from what we have heard, it's probably for the best because apparently the fights can be quite intense and horrendous.
This is the stables behind the bull ring.
On Sunday almost everything was closed, except for the bikehire stands. So we 'got on our bikes' and went for an explore of the river.
All up we had a great time in Seville. Our second visit to Spain (first being Valencia) and I think we can say that both have left a good impression on us - we'll be back to Spain again...
