We were also keen to see the local Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations that are hosted by each city. Week long street processions draw in crowds of bystanders and curious tourists. The experience provided us with a more cultural insight into traditional Easter celebrations without chocolate eggs or fluffy bunnies.
The Flight
The Easter trip to Spain was well timed to escape London's Spring time weather of -2 degrees. Although drizzly rain turned out to be a regular companion to our adventures on this trip, our plastic travel ponchos were in constant use whilst we explored a millennium of historical buildings and tales of religious conflict between the early Christians and the Islamic Moors. The 6:00am flight time encouraged us to stay at the Premier Inn, Gatwick the preceding night to ensure our pre-flight wake-up time was at a more hospitable hour.
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| Enjoying the local beer |
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| Our travel route through Andalucia |
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| New additions to the magnet collection |
Arriving in Seville
Our first destination was Seville. We arrived around lunch-time and boarded the airport bus to the city centre. Along the way we brushed up on our basic Spanish phrases of 'dos' (2) for everything from bus tickets to beers; and 'gracias' (with a smile) for whenever we were spoken to in Spanish and had no idea what was being said. Seville has a pretty Old Town with streets lined with orange trees, old churches and buildings in the Hapsburg / Bourbon architecture style that we had seen in other parts of Europe.
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| Baroque Europe with a Middle Eastern influence of palm trees |
Un Patio al Sur Hotel
Our hotel, Un Patio al Sur was located in the heart of the Old Town and was centered around a tree-filled courtyard, similar to the Riads in Marrakesh. The receptionists spoke English and were very helpful with providing maps and assistance with locating the key tourist sights, including the route of the local Semana Santa procession - best viewed on YouTube as the day we arrived was washed out due to the rain.
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| The set-up for the crowds watching the procession |
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| The costume of the participants in the procession |
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| Looking towards the Cathedral from a nearby square |
Exploring the Old Town
We spent some time walking around the streets, admiring the Arabic influence in the architecture and noting how a lot of the churches had been converted to mosques then back to churches, as a result of the Reconquista (the re-establishment of Christian rule over the Iberian Peninsula) in 722AD to 1492AD. Due to the Semana Santa celebrations, all the balconies in the Old Town were covered in red and gold banners and several hundred wooden chairs were set up for locals that had booked a seat to watch the processions. All of the festivities concluded at the Cathedral (built in 1403AD)- an amazing UNESCO Heritage Listed building decorated in a Gothic style, built on the site of a mosque and houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
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| Side view of the Cathedral complex |
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| Outside the Cathedral |
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| The high vaulted archways inside |
Alcazar
Across from the Cathedral is the Alcazar (Royal Palace). Unfortunately for us, the site was closed on Holy Friday. The Alcazar chapel holds its place in history as the location that Christopher Columbus met with the Catholic Monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella) to announce his discovery of the Americas. Also iconic to Seville is the presence of hundreds of orange trees that in the light breeze provide a beautiful perfume of fresh blossoms and the risk of getting splattered by a ripe citrus fruit.
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| The Cathedral alongside the high stone walls of the Alcazar |
Restaurant Modesto
Lunch was at Restaurant Modesto, in Cano y Cueto where we had a tasty jamon and cheese platter, deep fried cod and baby squid. Spanish food is one of our favourite cuisines with Olie hunting down a squid ink paella later that night.
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| Plates of jamon |
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| Fried salted cod |
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| Baby squid |
Plaza de Espana
After touring the Old Town, we took a short walk to the Plaza de Espana that had been built for an Exhibition in 1929. It is now used as a public park where tourists can ride horse drawn carriages and row boats in the canal. Additionally it was also used as the filming location for scenes in Star Wars Episode I and Episode II.
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| The tile-work around the building representing the key regions of Spain |
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| View from one of the towers |
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