WHY SEVILLE SPAIN?

NO8DO (”Seville has not abandoned me”)  

SEVILLE LOGO

When we were planning our recent trip to Spain we struggled with our destination. Would we relax on the beaches of the Costa del Sol, tour the Pueblos Blancos of Andalusia, or stroll along Las Ramblas? What cities would we visit: Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Malaga? Should we tour one area of the country or several? Or, should we just settle in to one place and simply enjoy the rich culture and history of Spain and have our days saunter by like a beautiful woman?

There was a lot of back and forth over these questions, but early on we knew we wanted to see and experience Spain and not a horde of drunken revelers vying for a Sunday roast and cheap beers and a premier league game on the television at some uprooted sports bar.

THE GIRALDA

No, we wanted to linger over a Tinto con limon or cerveza on a sweltering day, some Jamon Ibérico, or chorizo or sheep cheese tapas after touring some church or palace and learning a bit of history. 

We weren’t traveling to Spain to party, but to live. We only had a week, but we could have stayed a much longer time.

We settled on flying into and out of Seville. It is a very touristed destination and some 2.5 million people visit this historic city yearly. While there we did hear a lot of North American accents in the crowds, but the history and beauty of this city quelled any ex-patriot aversion. Besides, Janet got plenty of appreciative nods with her attempting her rudimentary Spanish. 

Seville is where Queen Isabella okayed Columbus’ journey to explore a western trade route to India. He failed miserably, but he did discover the new world. 

Quite unexpectedly we discovered that Seville is also where the Spanish Inquisition started, and the massive Seville Cathedral that was once a mosque boasts the longest nave of any cathedral in Spain. 

Giralda, the belltower that was once a minaret is now topped by a belfry and a statue symbolizing Christianity’s triumph over Islam.

Seville has enough history to work up a thirst and the thriving tapas bar scene is just what we were looking for in a trip to this country. 

LAS TERESAS SEVILLE

Appeasing my wanderlust, we factored in two days of traveling within Spain. One day we traveled by train to Cordoba and the next we rented a car and drove to Ronda. In hindsight we gave each destination short shrift. The two days felt very rushed for the logistics of travel was time consuming. It might have been better to concentrate on just one city or spend our entire time in Seville.  

NO8DO is a rebus for “No me ha dejado” or “She (Seville) has not abandoned me.” It is found on everything from t-shirts to manhole covers to pillars and street signs, and, now in our hearts as this charming, historical city has left an indelible impression with your favorite traveling knuckleheads. 

Thanks for reading.

Love Janet and greg

© 2023 by Gregory Dunaj