Taking in the many sights of sunny Seville
SPAIN’S second largest city, Seville, is fast becoming a popular tourist destination, thanks to the large number of direct flights that have been added from major city hubs.
It also helps that the city basks in 300 days of sunshine annually.
We flew direct from Edinburgh and arrived to glorious sunshine.
And with a background soundtrack of constant chiming bells, you quickly become aware that you are surrounded by numerous churches that populate the city centre.
We were staying at the Hotel Inglaterra in Placa Nueva, surrounded on all four sides by churches of great historical importance.
And the majority of sights we had singled out were all more or less within walking distance.
Our first day was a lazy day of strolling the streets, checking out the lovely intimate town squares, stopping for tapas and cava and just generally soaking in the locality and all it had to offer.
On day two, we hit the streets like tourists on a mission.
First stop was the Iglesia Colegial del Divino Salvador, the city’s second most important temple, the first being the cathedral. It was impressive – they definitely take religion seriously in this city.
A tour of the Real Alcázar was next up. It is the oldest royal palace in Europe still in use and is occupied by the Spanish monarchs as a residence when they visit Seville.
The Alcázar is a palatial complex built over different periods, its origins dating back to the 10th century.
The buildings all have a significant historical value, however it is the gardens that will blow your mind.
They measure 60,000 square metres and more than 170 species have been catalogued here.
The gardens reflect the different styles of gardening that have developed over the ages, from Renaissance to Naturalism.
King Pedro I of Castile ordered the construction of the Mudejar Palace, the main part of the palace complex.
We recognised quite a few of the rooms as they had recently been used as a location for Game of Thrones.
Real Alcázar is a magnet for movie makers and scenes from David Lean’s 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (2005) were also filmed here.
No visit to Seville would be complete without stopping by to see the famous Seville Cathedral (Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede).
It is claimed to be the largest gothic temple in the world and attracts masses of tourists all year round.
After a hefty morning of visiting two of the major tourist sites, it was finally time to have a relaxing lunch.
We headed to the Hotel