We had only just stepped off the bus from the airport and started walking to our hotel through the Jardins Murillo when we spotted parakeets flying between the trees squawking!
It was so unexpected and brought a smile to our faces as we walked in the warm sunshine through the gardens.
We lingered a little in front of a huge tiled panel …
… and a monument to Christopher Columbus …
… and even spotted flowers on the way.
These gardens were once part of the Alcazar. Today they are public gardens named for the famous Sevillian painter Murillo who lived in the Barrio Santa Cruz, which used to be the Jewish quarter of the city. This is where we are staying, at the Hotel Murillo, tucked away down a narrow cobbled alley.
It even has a cathedral view from the roof and proved to be a great choice, right in the centre of the old city.
We were soon out exploring the maze of narrow alleys where the tall whitewashed buildings help to keep out the sun, but getting our bearings was impossible and we soon just gave in to just wandering to see what we could find.
We soon stumbled on this small plaza, where people were browsing for souvenirs or lingering over a late lunch in the sun. There were also orange trees, laden with fruit, which like the parakeets, were everywhere we went.
Before long, we came out into Plaza del Triunfo and saw the entrance to the Alcazar …
… and saw the cathedral and bell tower with their intricate stonework thrown into relief by the late afternoon sun.
After the Christians conquered Seville in 1248, they converted the large Almohad mosque into the city’s cathedral, but when the wealth of the city increased, it was replaced with what is the largest gothic cathedral in the world. The minaret is all that remains of the original central mosque, today called La Giralda, named for the weathervane at the top, a Renaissance bronze sculpture called Faith but known as the Giraldillo, and the symbol of Seville.
We passed the Palacio Arzobispal …
… on our way to La Cantina for coffee and cake …
… then I sat soaking up the last of the rays while Chris took photos.
As we were walking we noticed these round stones on many of the corners.
Intrigued, when we got back to the hotel we had to ask and were told they were spent mill stones reused to protect the buildings from damage from C16th horse drawn carriages.
Our first dinner was at El Librero, a family run tapas bar so popular we had to wait outside for a table. It was well worthwhile as we went on to enjoy spiced peppers, spinach and chickpeas, sheep’s cheese and Iberian pork cheeks accompanied by a mellow bottle of red from Cadiz.
Our stroll in Seville has certainly got off to a great start!
Off Travelling Together 