sevilla day 2

My second day in Sevilla was equally jam-packed.  I was so tired from walking yesterday, but I had reservations/tickets for an early visit to the Alcazar, so I was forced to get up and get going.  I stayed at the Hotel Ayre Sevilla, and it was about 30 minutes from everything downtown- very nice and accessible for the train station, pretty easy to find the center from the hotel, and just far enough away to be quiet!    

Real Alcazar

The Real Alcazar, or Royal Palace (Alcazar doesn’t really have a translation), is seriously amazing.  I feel like I’m saying “this is one of my favorite spots in Sevilla” about every place, but the Alcazar is truly phenomenal.  I pre-booked tickets for this too, and I dodged another lengthy line to enter.  Also, I was so glad that I made my appointment for 9:30 am.  I was there right at the opening of the Alcazar, so I was one of the first people in!  Like in the Cathedral, there was significantly less of a crowd, so I felt like I actually got to enjoy it.  So many things in Seville are so big and detailed that I feel like you need to see them multiple times to really appreciate what you’re looking at.  I spent several hours in the Alcazar admiring the ceramic mosaics and the gardens and learning more about the amazing history of the palace.  The Alcazar is also the official residence in Sevilla of the King and Queen of Spain, so when they visit that’s where they would actually stay! 

Barrio Santa Cruz

After touring the Alcazar, I wanted to spend some time wandering the streets in Barrio Santa Cruz, the Jewish Quarter of Seville.  Spain is known for its blend of 3 cultures- Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish- so many cities all over Spain and particularly in the south depict the blend of the 3 cultures in their architecture and customs.  Barrio Santa Cruz is full of unbelievably narrow streets, beautiful white-washed or pastel-painted buildings, and pretty gardens and plazas.  I also found the same vendor who I bought a painting from when I studied in Seville and bought a second painting to match the one I have! 

Los Remedios and Triana

Seville is a significantly large city, but it really doesn’t feel as big as it is, probably because there aren’t major skyscrapers and public transportation isn’t very great so everyone walks across it (which is how I’ve put in close to 100 kilometers of walking in the past 4 days).  Sevilla is divided into several neighborhoods, like most cities, and two of the most famous neighborhoods are Los Remedios and Triana.  Both are located on the other side of the river of the downtown area and are largely residential.  I lived in Los Remedios when I lived in Sevilla, so I crossed the Los Remedios bridge and took a walk down the streets that I walked a hundred times to and from school.  I loved seeing what had changed and what was still the same.

Los Remedios is also the sight for La Feria de Abril, which is another crazy week of parties that Sevilla is known for.  La Feria is exclusive to Sevilla, unlike Semana Santa, and it’s seen as a “break” after all of the Semana Santa processions.  I’m sure it is really stressful ;) La Feria usually follows 2 weeks after Semana Santa, so they were already starting to set up the tents, rides, and traffic control for the fair.  Unfortunately, I’ll be getting ready to head back to the states by the time La Feria comes, but I’d love to see that one day too!   

I found a spot to have lunch in Los Remedios, walked past my old apartment, and headed over to Triana.  Triana is probably the oldest neighborhood.  It’s known for ceramics, and it’s a hub for many of the Semana Santa processions.  I came to Sevilla this time with the intent of buying lots of ceramic things because I wished I’d bought more last time, so I spent awhile in a shop deciding what I wanted.  Many of my friends lived in Triana while we were studying abroad, so I know that part of town really well too.  

The rest of the day…

After waking up early and walking a lot again, I went back to my hotel in the early evening/late afternoon to relax for a little bit.  I ended up going back towards the downtown area for supper- I had spinach and garbanzo beans and goat cheese- and then just coming back to the hotel to go to sleep early! 

The next day would start the Semana Santa processions!