Sevilla Part 1 (of many)

Streets of the Jewish Quarter

 I’m sitting in the Plaza de Delvira and it is one of the most serene, charming and sensory places I’ve ever been. The white buildings with yellow trim and iron-wrought balconies mark the perimeter of the garden plaza. Although it is a hot day, the lush orange trees create a pergola of cool shade. The fountain in the middle of the center gurgles and trickles water from its red marble basin into an octagonal base. The church bells toll as if celebrating the second coming of Christ. The mosaic tiled benches seat tourists reading maps, a homeless man sleeping and a family just out of church. In the far corner, a man plays opera on a small speaker for his mother in a wheelchair, holds her hand and slowly moves it to the music. When the music stops, he kisses her hand. She doesn’t respond. 

I don’t mean to get all mushy on you or even try to wax poetic (ok, I tried), but I’m desperately trying to capture the absolute joy, serenity, fascination, and love I feel for Sevilla. I’ve never taken so many videos in an attempt to capture the majesty of a place. I’ve never gotten goosebumps so many times just walking around a city. Maybe I’m just getting old and emotional, but this city is incredible. 

I look for a few things when I go to a city:

1. A nearby body of water - in Sevilla’s case, the Rio Guadalquivir 
2. Natural and architectural beauty - just walking the streets of Sevilla is an awe inspiring activity
3. Cool history - Sevilla has pretty damn cool history, from the Tartars to the Romans, Arabs to the Catholics, with tangible evidence. Not to mention that Sevilla is where the exploration of the “New” World began and changed the world forever. 
4. Cultural experiences - there are flamenco tableaus on every street, cafes, bars and restaurants for anyone and every budget and desire 
5. Ease of getting to, from, and around - Sevilla is well connected by train, and all the sights I want to see are within walking distance

Right, so, in conclusion, Sevilla is awesome and I highly, highly recommend a visit. Many people told me this and I was still skeptical about spending four days here, but it was a logical stop between Cadiz and Barcelona (and a cheap and easy train ride) so I booked an Airbnb and train ticket. Now I feel like I could spend a lifetime exploring this place. 

I arrived in Sevilla Saturday afternoon and walked the mile from the train station to my Airbnb in a delightful afternoon rainstorm. The streets were so narrow in places I felt like my big ass backpack scraped the walls as I walked. In some places, I had to duck into a doorway to let cars pass as the sidewalks disappeared.

Calle Sierpes

Once in my little apartment on Calle Sierpes (what luxury!!!), I hopped on Couchsurfing.org and reactivated my account from 2012 and found some travelers going out for a night on the town. After meeting for tapas and sangria, my new Polish friend Katty talked me into going to Club Koko, where we danced until about 3am. Whew, bienvenidos a Sevilla. 

The next day I sauntered around the Jewish Quarter with its narrow streets, two thousand years of history, and cute bars after quaint cafes, came across the Plaza de Delvira where I almost cried I felt so much joy and beauty (I know, I know, eyeroll), and booked a seat at a flamenco show that evening. Then I went back to my luxurious apartment (which is super average and a steal at $50/night but feels like the Palacio Nacional to me) and took a delightful siesta because I’m trying to embrace all aspects of Spanish culture. And staying out til 3am really takes it out of ya. 

Flamenco show yeeow 

Katty joined me for the flamenco show and goddamn, flamenco dancing has got to be some of the most powerful, sexiest dancing I’ve ever seen. I’m not even going to attempt to describe it here. Again, perpetual goosebumps.

La Giralda 

 After the show, Katty and I walked out to the Catedral and there was an opera performance going on in the main square. There was something about watching an opera and listening to that music under the majesty of La Giralda (the Muslim minaret from 1000 AD that was converted into a Catholic bell tower in the 17th century) that again, made me want to cry. From the warm night air and the incredible singing to the visual majesty of the church, to imagining the vibrant history full of love and pain, triumph and defeat… it was a lot to take in. I had to peel off and get a beer at the closest cafe and take a moment for myself. 

I think I’ll leave it at that for now.