Arriving in the first week of May meant that there was still a hint of feria in the air but that the sheer madness of the fiestas had died down. That didn't mean that there weren't any people about though! On our first night we left our things in the apartment and set off to find dinner through squares crowded with people talking and laughing. Out of all the cities I've visited so far this year Sevilla is the only one apart from Madrid where I felt I could have stayed for the year and been happy - the atmosphere is brilliant.
Everywhere you looked there were signs for fresh snails or caracoles in garlic oil and people were picking them out of small bowls to suck them from their shells.
We found some tapas and went home to discover that our hosts not only had a dog called Rufino but also a tiny hedgehog called Tomás who was allowed to run around the patio at night (he lived in the ensuite bathroom during the day).
Next morning we headed to the Real Alcázar de Sevilla (what seemed like our millionth alcázar but Andalucía is full of them!) and spent a couple of hours wandering around the gardens and courtyards.
This next room with the incredible guilded ceiling was inside the Casa de Contratación where all trade and commerce with the new world was discussed at the time of Isabella and Ferdinand. Christopher Columbus met the royals inside the chapel adjoining this building to present the results of his second voyage to the Americas in the late 1400s (let it out fellow history students, let it out - I won't judge!)
Later on when the sun was starting to set and the light turned gold we set off on a quest to find the famous Plaza de España. The city at dusk is just beautiful with tumbling bougainvillea, ornate balconies and the horses stamping in the square - a Spanish dream come true!
It would seem that the Fiesta de Las Cruces was celebrated here too - we returned to this square later in the evening for a delicious meal of crispy grilled sea bream.
By following the sound of a pretty bombastic brass band we finally emerged at the edge of the Plaza de España and stood in awe. I have to say that this is without doubt one of the most beautiful spaces I've come across in Spain. The sunset was casting shadows on the rippling water, the stone was turned fiery orange and the silver-grey mist from the fountains floated on the breeze.
Some girls added to the moment by rowing backwards round the lake unawares...
The last day of our trip was scorchingly hot with temperatures nudging 40 degrees. We unashamedly did absolutely nothing all day but hop from bar to bar in the shade letting the cooling mist sprayed from the awnings wash over us. An air conditioned taxi ferried us to the train station and after a fairly relaxed two hour journey we arrived back in good old Madrid. That night pizza, a film and sleep were in order - we'd seen so much and had a great time but 3 different cities in 6 days requires a certain amount of energy!
In the time it's taken me to post this last section of our Andalucía trip I've actually been lucky enough to go on holiday again. This time I spent a lovely weekend in San Sebastián with Annie and Cat - all our adventures and pictures coming soon!
