Sangria Safari

Day 2: Sangria Safari

(We don't usually write up day-by-day activities but Seville was such fun and we took sooooo many photos it seems a shame not to share them.)

 

Coffee with Velazquez (1599-1660) Court Painter extraordinaire

Better acquainted now with bus #140, the Motley Crew struggled to make the big red bus again (round 2) getting off in the city heart, El Centro, to have sidewalk coffee and stroll through Calle Sierpo, the best shopping street in Seville.  GS & BCK were tempted by shoes, bags, beads and dresses but a watchful Cap’n kept us focused on sightseeing.

 

Internal Courtyard of Alcazar Palace

After sitting in a leafy square (Plaza Nueva) for a picnic lunch, we continued our tour via several more souvenir shops to find the Alcazar Palace.  We spent hours here enthralled by its magnificence; rooms, gardens, baths, fountains and tile decoration, eventually having fun getting lost in the garden’s maze.  Ever the artiste, Ms BCK found Poets Garden and in a splendid piece of performance art, recited bits from “My Country”.  We were lucky not to be escorted off the premises!

 

Exquisite Fans (on display at the Alcazar Palace)

Next on our list was a flamenco concert.  Somehow our luck changed!  In our “free-form touristing” we happened upon a small theatre in Barrio Santa Cruz and booked for a 7.30 performance. We had no choice except to sit in a nearby plaza taking tapas, sangria and wine.  This is an excellent way to pass time waiting for shows and comes highly recommended…  The flamenco guitar, singing and dancing performances were superb.  GS & BCK were reduced to tears during Mr Two Tone’s passionate performance.  GS took notes and even bought a Spanish guitar CD for the Cap’n (ever hopeful).  Ole!

Flamenco - whirlwind of dance, song & guitar music

BCK suggested a digestive before going home and we finished the night with a dry sherry before strolling along the Rio Guadalquivir with its well-lit Torre del Oro (a 13^th c Islamic watchtower – the Tower of Gold).  We had such a good day we decided to stay for another.

 

Taking in sights (Cathedral's Giralda - bell tower - dates from 1184)

Seville - the last word in Dance