A rather pretty town.    Arrive 1.30 pm.   Find hostel.   Pension Fabiola.   Very cute little place and 45E/night.   Three of us in one small room.   Facilities a couple of doors away.  Very hot.   Down to look at some shops.   mum bought a cooler top.   See the Cathedral and La Garalda.   To Plaza del Toro.   Building smaller than I had thought, but interesting.

Monday 4^th

Walk around to shop for breakfast.   Taxi to bus station.   Bus leave at 10.30am for Lisbon.

    Nothing fancies me here except 3 things: the flamenco show, the friends I got to know at Oasis Backpackers Hostel and the Alcazar. The flamenco show was superb. The flamenco dancer was so expressive in her dance moves such that I could feel that she has immersed herself in another world altogether, oblivious to the eyes looking at her and capturing her every moves. Now that is Art!

  Of all the people that I have met at Oasis, the most interesting one was a girl named Karine, sleeping above me. From the first time I tell her, I could tell that she is a natural born leader, aggressive if she needs to and independent. You go girl! Albeit her cold humour, I actually find her a very pleasant and nice person. Most of the travellers that I have met are people who are simply taking things as it goes, making their travels as part of a lifelong journey. Interesting indeed as it reminds me the time of Ibn Battuta.  

Lastly, the Alcazar gardens was indeed beautiful. I wish it was my garden. I wouldnt get pout of the house if indeed it is. All I did in the garden was simply sitting down, admiring the beauty and serenity and of course reflecting.

When I got off the plane, I was irritable, tired and cranky. But that soon all changed with a couple of hours in this city. Granted, the birds seemed to enjoy using me as a pooping target, but maybe that was a good luck charm because I had the most fantastic time here and completely fell in love with the place. The weather was just gorgeous, and I remember breathing a sigh of relief as I got outside and felt the heat hit me, made me think how much I missed warm weather!

The sun set very late and as a consequence I could make use of the hours of night to wander around and check out the sights. In some ways, seeing Catedral y Giralda lit up at night is just as beautiful as seeing it against a backdrop of endless blue sky. The crooked back streets of the city are confusing, but even if you get mildly lost (which I did - lots!) it´s still sort of pleasant. In fact, you probably come across things you never expected to see. Even if you get horrendously lost (yup, did that too), you´ll eventually come across some landmark or helpful local who will steer you in the right direction.

The rooftop terrace at my hostel was perfect for relaxing during siesta, baking in the heat and snoozing in comfy chairs. I ate lots of tapas, which was delicious, and found the city to be fairly affordable. One curiosity is that the locals tend to drop the "s" off the end of their words, made me sort of think I had been speaking Spanish completely wrong (probably I had anyway).

Lots of beautiful squares in this city too, usually with a picturesque fountain as a centrepiece, and the gardens of the Alcazar are not to be missed. You could spend ages wandering in them, they seem to go on forever, in a pleasant way of course! I could spend a month in this city, and I definitely want to go back sometime.

Thursday - February 15, 2007 - After a morning in Cordoba, I looked forward to arriving in Seville - home of the Spanish flamenco and I was quite sure, hot bullfighters! I didn't expect that it is in Seville I will receive my first, along with my other girlfriends and so far my only but hopefully not the last, serenade!

It was unusually warm with the temperature at 17C in the middle of February. We began in Seville's Plaza de Espana for a group picture. It was great spot for a group picture with a large fountain and the circular terracotta-colored building around us. We, then, headed to check in at our hotel - only 10mins walk from the city center! We began walking around the city - looking at stores and familiarizing ourselves with the narrow small streets of Seville and trying some tapas bar before dinner. Even after dinner, a group of us (around 12?) found a place for more tapas and cervezas and chatted until 1am. One topic of conversation that interested a group of older people were our discussion of accents and pronunciations such as "tomato" - (American - 'to-may-to', Australian/British - 'to-mah-to'). Before they left, one of them asked, "So which one is the correct way of saying it?". The question and debate remained unanswered even to this day.

From the bullring to the walking tour of Seville, to the Cathedral and hiking up the Bell Tower and a fantastic view of the city to the city's alcazar and tapas for lunch, then with a serenade and a dance, Seville captured my heart through and through!

We started our day with a visit to the church - which one I don't know - but they have yearly parade of it during Lent and Easter. It was a simple church, but well-visited and attended by Seville's residents and was said to have a statue of the Virgin Mary who cried. I think it was the La Macarena? No, not the dance, but something religious!

At the south of town, we went to the bullring and the museum. Our guide was great as she explained in detail what a bullfight really means. From the selection of the bull to the training of the bullfighter and the sequence of the whole bullfight event. It was enlightening and educational. From there, we began our walking tour. Again, I love walking tours. I get to see stores and restaurants otherwise I would've missed if I chose to walk on well-known and commercial streets. I got to feel the real Seville as we passed by mini-plazas and the patios people have in their homes as you walk along the streets. We were lucky enough that the weather was unusually warm for February so it was an even more enjoyable of a walk than I expected it to be.

After the walking tour, we had tapas for lunch and boy, were we starving! We cleaned out the table pretty fast! And ordered pitchers of sangrias like they were water! Thankfully, no one got drunk because after a delicious lunch, we headed to the cathedral with the every intention of hiking up the bell tower. After admiring yet again great architectural designs in Seville's cathedral, we mustered our energy and legs for the hike. I honestly don't recall how high we were - there weren't any stairs until you reach the last corner where the bells are hung. I think it was 43 ramps in total... Or was it 47? Throughout the whole climb, the wind got stronger and once we reached the top of the bell tower, the strong gusts of wind made it difficult to take photos of ourselves with our hair going in all directions! For fun, we (the girls) even pretended to be models and strike a pose with the wind on our faces! A la supermodels - in Seville! The hike down was quicker and definitely less painful than going up.

We visited another alcazar after liking Cordoba's alcazar. Seville's alcazar is beautiful! I liked it even better than Cordoba's alcazar and Granada's Alhambra. The tilework and colors were fantastic! So fantastic, my friends and I started with our "model"-like poses again that got us a warning from the security patrolling the area! We apologized and walked away giggling. The alcazar in Seville had an attached garden that we were unable to see because it was only open in the morning. It was too bad. According to one of my friends who didn't know it was close and sneaked into the garden - until she was caught, that is - it was very beautiful and serene. From the view that we saw from the bell tower, it looked like an oasis within the structured walls of the alcazar.

We returned to our hotel, only 10mins walk from the center of town, for an early dinner. After dinner and a couple of hours rest, we walked around and found a small tapas bar and had some tapas and cerveza!  We were not in the mood for loud clubs or bars so we continued to walk along the narrow streets of Seville and decided to do some tapas bar-hopping! It was a fantastic idea! I think we went to about 4 tapas bar and it wasn't even oh 10pm yet! By then, we decided we wanted bigger meals. The tapas satisfied our hunger - while we were walking - but now we wanted more. Behind the alcazar and cathedral lay narrow and winding streets that challenged us to venture in. And why not? So we did! And there we found a tapas bar where locals eat and drank! It was a great find! We ordered some paella and 4 other dishes and took pictures of the hanging hams by the bar. Fully satisfied from overeating, we retraced our steps back to the plaza behind the cathedral to the fastest and shortest route back to the hotel.

We stumbled uponn a group of guys in a traditional medieval costume playing some instruments. We decided to stop for a minute and listen when they saw us watching them. Two came up to us and began a conversation. We asked what they were doing and are they performing  anywhere close. One of the guys who speaks English well explained that they were hearsing for their friend's engagement party and the song is an old Spanish serenade song. He, then called out to 3 more of their friends and began singing and playing! Another joined, but this time, he invited one of my friends for a dance! And one by one, he asked us for a dance. Only 3 of us danced with him - the other girls were too shy and used their boyfriends back home as an excuse - boo! on them! Some people -probably on their way home - stopped to watch them perform. When it was over, we applauded them and thanked them for a great performance! (see the mini video clip and photos!) It was a great way to end the night and our last night in Seville!

Saturday October 27 2007

In the build-up to the 1992 Expo I witnessed the beginnings of a radical urban transformation which saw the construction of Santiago Calatrava's iconic bridge, the Puente del Alamillo.

Seville today is a stunning mix of modern architecture and traditional Andalucían, with a nearly completed metro and tram system, and districts whose evocative seediness have been spectacularly eradicated. In line with the rest of Europe it has also been subjected to smoking and drinking laws that have tamed its wild nocturnal side.

Yet for all these changes, it has retained its stylishness, sensuality and exoticism. There are few other cities in Europe that still teach visitors that life is there to be enjoyed, without too much thought given to time or money.

What to see

Casa de Pilatos, Plaza de Pilatos 1

Obviously first-timers should visit the cathedral and Alcázar, but the Casa de Pilatos, largely ignored by tour groups, is an equally enjoyable introduction to Seville. Still lived in by the aristocratic Medinaceli family, it provides a glimpse into the secretive world of the private palaces and closed-order convents that take up so much of the city centre. Its patios and gardens are emblematic of Seville's lushness, while its magnificent mixture of late gothic, Moorish and Renaissance styles (incorporating genuine classical antiques) evoke Spain's Golden Age.

Hospital de La Caridad, c/Temprado 3

Spanish baroque is the essence of Andalucía, and it is seen at its harmonious best in this 17th-century church and former hospital founded by Miguel de Mañara, the dissolute aristocrat who might have served as the model for Don Juan. The interior remains almost as it was conceived, and features a memorable collection of art that includes two of the most shockingly realistic reminders of death ever painted.

San Luis, c/San Luis 47

Attributed to Seville's leading dynasty of baroque architects, the Figueroas, the layout of San Luis was inspired by the great churches of 17th-century Rome. But in every other respect it is gloriously and unforgettably Sevillian. Built out of that typically Moorish combination of brickwork and ceramic tiles, its interior overwhelms with its colour and theatricality. Appropriately it is now attached to the city's main drama school.

Cementerio de San Fernando, Avda. Dr. Fedriani s/n

The trek to the cheerfully white-walled main cemetery is a long one, but is made more than worthwhile by what is surely one of Europe's most moving funerary monuments. The work of Spain's leading early 20th-century sculptor Mariano Benlliure, this portrays a cross-section of society bearing the open coffin of the bullfighter Joselito, whose fatal goring in 1920 led to a funeral attended by thousands. One of the bearers depicted is Sánchez Mejías, whose own death in the ring shortly afterwards inspired a poem by García Lorca with the famous refrain, "At five in the afternoon/ It was exactly five in the afternoon".

La Torre de Don Fadrique, c/Sta Clara 40

My favourite corner of the city is an early 13th-century tower so neglected that it is now usually open only for temporary exhibitions. A few minutes' walk away from the busy Alameda de Hércules, yet almost hidden from sight, this tall, unexpected structure stands in leafy gardens attached to the convent of Santa Clara, offering an incomparable panorama of the Sevillian skyline. In the likely event of its being closed, you'll have to make do with the tantalising view of the tower to be had from Santa Clara's peaceful and enchanting grounds.

What to do

The flea markets

One of the best ways to spend a Sunday morning is to visit the curious art market held in front of the stunning Museo de Bellas Artes. Amid the kind of amateurish works you might expect to see on the railings at Hyde Park Corner in London are genuinely innovative paintings and sculptures by young Sevillian artists.

But if it's a true flea market you're after then your best bet is the Calle Feria on a Thursday morning. The surrounding area has been gentrified in recent years, but the market remains as animated as ever, with a mixture of wonderful antiques and appalling junk.

Convent confectionery

For centuries the best confectioners in Spain have been nuns. The Seville convent of San Leandro is famous for its sweet egg yolk concoction known as yemas. More to British taste, perhaps, are the splendid jams prepared by the nuns at Santa Paola, a convent in an especially quiet part of town. Locals claim that the nuns provide marmalade for the British royal family.

Places to eat

Porta Rossa, c/Pastor y Landero 20 (+954 21 6139)

This is the one restaurant to which I return repeatedly. Its stylishly simple interior does not date; nor does the place rest on its laurels, unlike so many of the city's far more expensive and unjustifiably famous restaurants. And though the food is Italian, the combination of Tuscan and Sevillian owners has resulted in a wonderfully hybrid establishment that is perfectly in tune with this city. It is immensely popular, and I have found myself on at least three occasions sitting next to the legendary local bullfighter Curro Romero.

Casa Salva, c/Pedro del Toro, 12 (+954 214 115)

My Sevillian friends will probably kill me for including this, but I can't believe that this outstanding example of a lunchtime eatery can remain a secret for much longer. Hidden away on a narrow street behind the Museo de Bellas Artes, this small and humbly decorated establishment specialises in traditional Mediterranean home cooking. It is always packed but, perversely, is open only on weekdays, between 1pm and 5pm.

Bar Eslava, c/Eslava 3-5

The best food in Seville is invariably to be found in tapas bars rather than restaurants, and Sevillians constantly complain that these bars are not as good as they used to be. One exception is the justifiably crowded Eslava, where an amazing range of traditional and more elaborate tapas is served with extraordinary speed. If you don't fancy being pressed against the bar, you might find a table in the small room at the back, where the lunchtime menu is one of the best deals in town.

Arenal Sevilla, c/Pastor y Landero s/n, Mercado del Arenal; tel: 954 22 0881

Fish and seafood are an Andalucían obsession, and I know of few places even on the coast where these can be enjoyed so much as in this fisherman-owned bar and restaurant in the heart of the covered Arenal market. Astonishingly fresh (and justifiably expensive) food is prepared here to simple yet elegant perfection, and is served by waiters who display all the wit for which this city is famous.

Dancing

Casa Anselma, c/Pagés del Corro 49

Foreigners hoping to watch flamenco in a non-touristy environment will be disappointed. But locals and tourists alike are drawn to the perpetually crowded Anselma, an intimate institution whose walls are covered in the colourful tiles of the Triana district. Professional performers alternate with spontaneous displays by members of the public. And, if you stay on until around 3am, when things really get going, you are not likely to see many other tourists.

La Sala Malandar, c/Torneo 43

Before the 1992 Expo, which transformed the seedy Calle Torneo, the main reason for coming to this street at night was to go to the intentionally tacky, and now defunct Holy Week-themed bar called El Joven Costalero. Now people flock to La Sala Malandar, currently the most fashionable disco/music venue in town. It is everything that El Joven Costalero wasn't - coolly geometrical, with a sophisticated young clientele.

Late-night bars

El Garlochí, c/Boteros 26

In the late 1980s this was the claustrophobic and decadent establishment where lovers of the night tended to end up at around 5am. It is still memorable for its decor, featuring altarpieces, crucifixes, elaborate floral displays, and all the other paraphernalia of Sevillian fiestas (even the fridge is hidden behind an altar cloth). But the increasingly morbid atmosphere now attracts mainly the curious, who enjoy the idea of drinking the cocktail known as "Blood of Christ".

Carbonería, c/Leviés 18

Seville's most famous and oldest bohemian bar is an atmospherically cavernous place dominated by a massive fireplace, and with what was once a large and lushly planted patio (now covered). Most of the artistic celebrities who have passed through town, from Paloma Picasso to Peter Gabriel, have come to this bar; and I have experienced here some of the best flamenco music I've ever heard.

These days it is overrun with international students; but some of the intellectual traditions have been maintained, as has the Thursday night tradition of giving a platform to up-and-coming young musicians and other performers.

La Caja Negra, c/Fresa, 15

The focus of today's night life is the northern end of the revamped Alameda de Hércules. Just off this is La Caja Negra, by far the most popular and welcoming of Seville's late-night bars.

Though the interior is modern in its architecture, the film and political posters on the walls give it an endearingly older feel, appropriate to the personality of its delightful and warm-hearted owner Rosa, a doyenne of the city's nocturnal and music scenes.

Where to stay

Hotel Simon

Perhaps the best value hotel in the city, this endearing one-star establishment occupies the most traditional of Sevillian buildings, complete with colourful patio. Staying here is like being a guest in a very pleasant and exotic house, with each bedroom furnished as you might do it yourself.

· +954 226660, hotelsimon.com.

Hotel Amadeus

In the heart of the over-prettified Barrio de Santa Cruz, this is a witty and reasonably priced Mozart-themed hotel that manages to avoid the kitsch both of its concept and surroundings. Around its 18th-century tiled patio are individually decorated bedrooms (some with pianos) in a tastefully modern style. The roof terrace, with its views of the Giralda, might well tempt you to hum an operatic tune.

· +954 50 14 43, hotelamadeussevilla.com.

Hotel Casas de los Mercederes

This attractively transformed 18th-century palace is slightly frayed in parts, but - with its lavish and spacious lobby - makes a stunning first impression. The staff are exceptionally friendly, the rooms quiet, and the situation unrivalled: the hotel is not only within easy walking distance of both the cathedral area and the animated bar district of the Alfalfa, but also adjoins what is in many ways Seville's loveliest square - the Plaza del Salvador.

· +954 22 58 58, casasypalacios.com.

Hotel Pasada del Lucero

The most recent of Seville's luxury boutique hotels, this could barely be bettered as a bold, ultra-modern conversion of a 17th-century building. With its arresting mix of classical detailing and uncompromising modernism, this is the new Seville at its sensational and stylish best.

· +954 50 24 80, posadadellucero.com.

Je suis presentement a Seville, tres jolie ville ou les oranges poussent sur chaque coin de rue.

Etant en serieuse overdose de musees et eglises, je me contente a present d'absorber l'essence de la ville en me baladant. Je n'ai malheureusement pas eu l'occasion de voir un spectacle de Flamenco, mais je compte bien me reprendre a Grenade. Pour ce qui est des corridas, je ne suis pas vraiment interesse a temoigner une charcuterie assez cruelle, alors je passe mon tour.

Je me dirrige vers Tarifa cet apres midi, ou j'aurai surement la chance de me baigner dans la mer. Ensuite, le Maroc! J'ai hate j'ai hate!

Je vais a present essayer de vous mettre de belles photos, cependant, mes tentatives precedentes ont ete source de grandes frustrations....

A bientot!

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