Seville, Spain

Day 1

We had an early departure from Lisbon aboard our Gate 1 tour bus with a stop in Zafra, Spain for lunch.  We arrived in Seville by mid-afternoon and got checked into the Novotel hotel. 

A street in Zafra

Rui, our Gate 1 Tour Manager

Lunch in Zafra, Spain

More of Zafra

Since we had some free time, we decided to Uber over to the Metropol Parasol to check it out. We got there as some sort of parade/celebration was passing through the streets. Our timing was perfect to be up on the Metropol Parasol (AKA "The Mushroom") as the sun was just beginning to set. It was a great view over the city of Seville.

In front of "The Mushroom"

We took an Uber back to the hotel where we changed clothes and boarded the bus to take us to the Flamenco Show. The show was great!

Day 2

This morning we joined Gate 1 for the optional city tour which took us by bus past many of the buildings that were erected for the 1929 World's Fair which was held in Seville. We also stopped along the Guadalquivir River where we saw the Gold Tower, a replica of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria ship, and the city's bullring. One of the most impressive buildings we saw on our tour was the Plaza de Espana. This was also constructed for the 1929 World's Fair and has also been featured in many movies (like Star Wars). It was so beautiful with its central fountain, bridges, moat, towers, and more! The final part of the morning tour took us by foot through the quaint winding streets of the Jewish Quarter.

Looking across the river toward Triana

The Seville Bullring

Tower of Gold - constructed during the 13th century

Plaza de Espana

The fountain at Plaza de Espana

The Jewish Quarter

After the tour, we wandered around the Jewish Quarter a bit further before finding a restaurant to try some Tapas. After lunch, we crossed the river to the Triana Market - unfortunately many of the stalls were closed on Sunday. We walked back across the bridge to the Seville Cathedral where we toured the inside, saw Christopher Columbus' tomb, and went up into the Giralda Tower. We then crossed the town square to tour the Royal Alcázar (a royal palace). Although we were tired from so much walking, we finished the day by going back to Plaza de Espana and the neighboring Maria Luisa Park for a few more picture. 

The Seville Cathedral

Inside of the Seville Cathedral