Sevilla
Solo Weekend in Sevilla
I arrived in Sevilla late Friday, right after the sun had set. The train felt lonnnngggg, as I was excited to get there and start exploring the new city. My night started off on a good note as the front desk lady told me my Spanish was good, even though all I said to her was “Hola.”
Before I could end the day I wanted to go check out the Plaza de España. There was no one there except for a few wanders and some kids playing soccer. It was the perfect time to enjoy the architecture and all the details around me.
Day II:
My day started with a very loud alarm that I am sure my other dormmates weren’t happy about. I quietly roll out of bed and made my way to the river just as the was sun rosing and there was still a pink hue in the sky. I followed the path along the river along with the other morning runner and the sights from the river had me smiling. But on top of that an older man cheered me on saying “vamos, vamos” as I ran past him, which made me smile more.
JESTER coffee & Juices is where I started me day, for the goal of getting a delicious yogurt bowl, as I was on week three always trying Spanish food. To my surprise I was able to successfully order in Spanish without giving away that I didn’t really know what was being said to me. Next was shopping, even through my bank account screaming NO at me. I did some vintage shopping at Wonder Vintage, Mosacio and Antro Vintage. I then hit up the big dogs: Zara, Pull & Bear, H&M and Bershka. I only made a foul out of myself twice when I stood in the wrong line for the changing rooms and again for checkout.
I made my way to the Gold Tower, “La Torre del Oro,” the military watch tower in Sevilla. The entrance cost 3 euro and allowed me to climb to the top to overlook the river, while also being able to explore the military museum as I climbed back down. There I learned the history of the navy and the expedition to discover America. Christopher Columbus set sail from the port of Sevilla, making him a hot commodity here.
After the Gold Tower I walked along the river to the Maria Luisa Park and the Plaza de España to see it during the day. It was almost unrecognizable, very crowded and loud. People enjoyed rides in horse drawn carriages and slowly rowed through the canal on boats. The park has many hidden ponds and fountains that are great to wander through and take a break in.
At this time it was approaching 2:30 p.m., Spanish lunch time. I walked a short distance from the park to Bar Casa de La Moneda, a tapas restaurant that was recommended to me. People were waiting outside but as a party of one I walked right in. They had a full menu of all classic tapas as well as some I had never seen before. I enjoyed a crispy Coca-Cola Zero, served to me in a glass bottle with a cup of ice and a lemon slice. I settled on croquetas de calabaza asada (pumpkin croquettes) and garbanzos con langostinos (garbanzo with shrimp). I was very happy with my choices and recommend a stop here if you are in Sevilla.
I made my way to the Real Alcázar for my timed-entry ticket that I bought a week before. I was glad I bought the ticket beforehand as the tickets were sold out for this day. My ticket cost 8 euro with the student discount. Upon entry I needed to show proof that I was a student and my college ID did the trick. The Alcázar is the historic royal palace in Sevilla, the designs and architecture of the place show all different people that have used the space. Its appearance is derived from the ancient Romans, Arabs and the crown of Castile. The garden is MASSIVE and you will find palm trees, disco balls and peacocks to just name a few things.
As the sunset I made my way to the Setas de Sevilla, the nickname of the structure given by the Sevillians because it looks like a mushroom. I bought an entry time for 15 euros at 18:45 the week earlier, After taking the elevator to the top, I took in the sights of Sevilla above. I recommend trying to catch the sunset here.
Fun Fact: The name of the Setas is Metropol Parasol and was designed by Jürgen Mayer. It is the largest wooden structure in the world with micro-laminated finished pine and for every tree that was used three were planted in its place.
After a bit of dilly dallying, it was dinner time. One downfall of solo traveling is a solo dinner. I found myself sitting as the bar of a tapas restaurant. I enjoyed my food as I watched the bartender prepare different tapas and people watch. Some many consider it a dinner and a show.
Day III
I enjoyed a morning run again through Maria Luisa Park. This experience was a mix between my first and second experience, as the sun was out but there were no crowds. I made my way to the many churches in the Santa Cruz neighborhood by first walking through the Callejón del Agua, an old aqueduct of Sevilla. At the end of the street you can find the Jardines de Murillo.
The first church I came to was Iglesia de Santa Cruz as I was taking photos of the outside a man swung over the doors and launched a loogie into the street, I guess it was opening time. I then went to Parroquia De san Pedro apostol and hoped to make a stop at Convento de Santa Ines to buy cookies made by nuns, but unfortunately it was closed on a Sunday. My last stop was the Monasterio Santa Paula, these are just a few of the many churches throughout the Santa Cruz neighborhood.
I made the farthest trek yet from the Santa Cruz neighborhood to Mercado de Triana, a huge stall market located in the Triana neighborhood across the river. My favorite part was crossing the bridge to the other side of the river. Since it was a Sunday most of the stalls were closed except for a few serving lunch. I continued to explore the Triana neighborhood. Google maps is great as I would have no idea where anything is and be lost all the time, but at this point I was sick of having to look at my phone at each corner or walkway to make sure that I was going the right way. I put my phone away and went wherever my feet took me. I stumbled upon a Sunday market, filled with different boutiques and vendors. After strolling and searching, I crossed the bridge and sat on the edge of the river for a brief time before the smell of pee and poop had me second guessing what I was sitting on.
End of the day
On Sunday the Catedral de Sevilla did not open till 14:30. I made my way over to the area about 45 minutes before opening and there was already a line starting to form. I joined the others in line to waited till it opened. At 14:30 the line started to move fast and I was quickly inside. I paid 7 euros for a student ticket. I was not able to book tickets ahead of time because they were sold out, but would recommend in order to not wait. Inside the cathedral it was massive, tall ceilings and dark, as the only light was coming from the stained glass windows. Located inside the cathedral one of the main attractions is the Tomb of Christopher Columbus, which is very hard to miss.
To end my time in Sevilla I met up with a girl I know who is living in Sevilla. We went to a tapas restaurant called Bar Baratillo and finished the night at Cinco Jotas with a plate of sliced jamón and a glass of red wine. Two perfect places to end my time in Sevilla.
