Scorching Seville

We were sad to leave Portugal, but very excited to see Seville. The drive south had less impressive scenery once we left the mountains and got onto the motorway which took us over the fairly flat plains. We made good time until we got to the outskirts of Seville which was congested, adding an extra half hour to our journey. When we finally got to our accommodation, the host was waiting for us, and the villa did not disappoint. Maybe it was a little smaller inside than we expected, but it was adequate for our needs, felt very Spanish and had great views from the roof. There was a pool too, but only Summer was brave enough to put her feet in it!

We were keen to explore the city, so we set off the following morning to drive from the village where we were staying to the Metro station, 20 minutes away. The ride into the centre took a further 20 minutes, but it was convenient. All the trains and stations are fully wheelchair accessible with clear signs to show where to board the train for the wheelchair spaces. We emerged in the city centre, not far from the palace ‘Real Alkazar’ and the cathedral. Unfortunately entrance to both was by ticket only and they were sold out for at least two weeks, so we had to content ourselves with looking from the outside and a picnic in the square between the two.

We wandered through the city streets pausing at a cafe which had a fun sign for its disabled toilet!

Our wanderings brought us to Seville’s famous bull ring which was interesting to see. There was a museum area, the stalls for the bulls and stables for the horses, a chapel, and the sturdy gates into the ring itself. A gate to the ring was opened for Racheal. Although she can’t see, I think it helped her appreciate the size and atmosphere of the place.

In the heart of Seville, among all the beautiful old buildings there is (in my opinion) an ugly structure called ‘The Mushrooms of Seville’. Architecturally I’m sure it is impressive, but really the reason we visited was for the views. There was a lift up to the top and two walkways around the lobes of the mushrooms. Only the inner walkway was wheelchair accessible, but from both the views were spectacular. They never look as good in photos though!

As the title of this blog suggests, it got very hot while we were in Seville. The first day had been pleasantly warm; good enough to sit outside for ice cream! The second day we were constantly looking for shade and the heat was tiring.

Our first stop was Plaza de España, an incredible semi-circular palace, lined with an impressive colonnade and surrounding a small canal with rowing boats. Each district of Spain was represented by ceramic wall art and low walls either side of a map showing the location. Ceramics were used to create the balustrades around the canal and the risers of staircases, and ceramic panels decorated the walls. We spent a long time exploring and soaking in the beauty of the palace, it certainly wasn’t a place to rush.

We found a shady spot in the park to eat our picnic, then wandered through it to a café for a coffee by the river. Walking along the embankment we saw more interesting buildings, and a good ramp down to the lower walkway.

We crossed the river to Triana where the guide book promised a covered market. We found the market, but it was very small and most of the stalls were closed. Nearby was the ceramics district, so we explored that instead before finding a restaurant where we could people watch while we had an early evening meal.

The reason for an early meal was that we had tickets to watch Flamenco dancing. It wasn’t easy to get photos as the dancers move so quickly, but it was a new experience which we all enjoyed.

For our third day we set off in the opposite direction for a day at the coast, driving to Punta Umbría. The town has the sea on one side and the river estuary on the other. It was another very hot day, so we didn’t spend too long on the beach, just long enough to pick up some shells which littered the sand and for Summer to enjoy a quick swim. Walking around the town and by the estuary we stayed in the shade wherever we could.

In Portugal and around Seville we saw a lot of storks and their nests. It was fun spotting them on church towers, electricity poles and the platforms on posts erected specifically for them to nest on. We saw more as we journeyed north again en route to Ávila and our next port of call.