First Time in South of Spain: The Seville Experience
Go BackFirst Time in South of Spain: The Seville Experience
The Flight Experience:
I flew with the Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling Airlines from Paris CDG. Quite the cheap flight – I paid 65 euros one-way which made the excitement and anticipation of going to Seville that much more.
I’ve read reviews on flight experiences with Vueling and the horror stories of lost luggages and other typical low-cost carrier complaints. I’ve already flown with them a couple times with no hassle to this day (flight and arrival on time/no delayed bags) #KnockOnWood
First Impressions:
I flew directly from Paris where it was cold, damp, and stress levels were high – polar opposite the moment I stepped foot out of the shuttle from the airport to the main city center.
With my bags in hand, I looked around and was immediately enchanted with the architecture on every corner of Seville. There were also countless of restaurants with terrace seating that just sets the ambiance of the city. And to top it all off, the weather complimented the perfect and picturesque setting. It was sunny with barely any cloud in the sky and warm breezy air blowing through. It would be exactly how you’d imagine what south of Spain would look like.
Quite a photogenic little town
The First Picture Taken:
I saw a Filipino beer ad and turned around and was like…. How did this make it all the way over here in Seville?!
San Miguel beer ad
Favorite Food:
The food culture in Seville - just like the rest of Spain - has it’s own specialty that is rich in history and tradition. For Seville, it is TAPAS!!
I usually started my day with chocolate and churros and spent eating tapas throughout the day whenever I pleased (they are so cheap, sometimes as low as $1 per tapa)!! Personal favorites were Spanish tortillas, jamon croquetas, paellas (though not entirely that impressed with the paellas I tried in Seville), tostadas rubbed with tomatoes with cured jamon, chorizos, patatas bravas (crispy wedges of potato topped with aioli).
Fun Facts:
Seville is the birthplace of Flamenco and the famous opera, George Bizet’s Carmen! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google/youtube it and within the first 3 seconds of the music, you’ll recognize it immediately.
One Useful Phrase I learned:
Mi casa o su casa? 😉 #TinderAdventures (I’m kidding).
Biggest Challenge:
Not eating every 20 minutes – like I mentioned above, the food in Seville is super good and super cheap. How are the people here not obesed? (and freaking beautiful…but that’s another topic of discussion…)
On this trip, I tried:
Free city walking tour.
I’ve always seen these type of tours throughout my travels but never had the urge to join one, regardless of whether it’s free or not, at the risk of standing out like a complete tourist. I prefer discovering the city by myself by meeting locals - I find it a very efficient way of learning the culture and history of the place I’m traveling to.
But on this trip, I figured I could give it a try considering I was traveling solo. The tour had multiple guides and was offered in multiple languages. We were taken all around the city (by foot, naturally) and learned some really cool history, mostly on the architecture, food, culture, and history of Seville.
In the end, I was glad I joined one since I met some really fun travelers that made the rest of stay in Seville that much more enjoyable (see most memorable experience below)!
New friends from all over! From left to right: French, French-Canadian, an Aussie, two Canadians, and a Filipino-American.
The Last Picture Taken:
My ride to Madrid – the RENFE high speed train !
My ride from Seville to Madrid
Most Memorable Experience:
Probably meeting the coolest kids during the free walking tour of Seville – Emma (Canada), Kristen (Canada), and Kyle (Aussie). We met the day of the tour and stuck with each other for the rest of the time in Seville. I don’t think my experience in Seville would have been the same without meeting them (we are currently struggling setting a skype date!)
Best Sights to See:
Plaza de Espana (went back twice)
Real Alcazar
Seville Cathedral (In awe of the architecture – quite the sight at night also!)
Torre Giralda (nice view of Seville)
Great neighborhood to visit is Triana !! This is part of the city where flamenco was born.
Insider Tips:
Cross over to the west side of the river and walk around Triana - a vibrant old quarter in Seville. You will find restaurants with impromptu flamenco performances. According to our free walking tour, this was once Carmen’s old stomping grounds 😉
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