Throughout the trip, Cissy and I have enjoyed the intoxicating smell of the Orange blossoms, but this city is the ultimate paradise. All the trees are full of blooms and fruit …and one of the best experiences the city of Seville has to offer you this time of year is to just smell the air around you…whether you’re sitting on a bench in a plaza people watching or visiting one of the MANY historical sites. We have both agreed, next to Sintra Portugal, Seville has the most to offer in one city as far as history.

We hit the jackpot here for lodging. Our apartment faced the Cathedral and Tower. Best view in Seville. Only problem, the elevator broke the day before we arrived and we were on the top (3rd) floor. At first my knee was apprehensive about the climb (45 steps), but we survived it for three days somehow. At night when the Cathedral and Tower were lit up, we had to tear ourselves away from our living room view even to go to dinner.

The Cathedral of the Saint Mary of the Sea is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world…and the 4th largest church in the world, with St Peter’s in Rome being the largest. It served as a mosque from 1178-1248 until the Christians began their rule of the city and converted it into a cathedral. The radiant colors and incomprehensive detail in the hundreds of HUGE stained glass windows were lit up with the west sun when we arrived. It was a jaw-dropping experience. The height of the ceilings was overwhelming… made me dizzy to look up… but looking up was a MUST because the ceilings were all carved and painted to add even more beauty to the entire work of art. They started building this cathedral in the late 1400s and completed over 100 years. The remains of many royals are buried here, as well as Christopher Columbus and his son Diego. It’s impossible to describe how small you feel in this enormous church filled with painting, sculptures, alters and other treasures representing centuries of history. Mind boggling to say the least.

Alcazar…The Royal Palace is another historical site in Seville that’s definitely impressive and worth a visit. During the five hundred years of construction, various architectural styles succeeded one another. It is still occupied by the Royal family when they are in town. The Palace is known for its tile decorations… literally EVERYTHING is tiled! The main entrance to the Alcázar takes its name from the 19th century tile-work inlaid above it, a crowned lion holding a cross in its claws and bearing a Gothic script. Inside the walls you will see Christopher Columbus’ shield and an alter with a beautiful Madonna that he prayed to before every sailing he made.

And now for the eating report….they love to eat in Spain! And their favorite way to eat is tapas. Tapas originated in Seville and there are at least 1,000 little cafes serving all types of food as tapas (smaller portions of food for tasting). The streets of old town are full of sidewalk tables and rooftop bars (with the shingles being acid washed tin providing beautiful pastel colors). Most of the menus involve seafood and any type of croquette you can imagine. Don’t order a hamburger unless you want a ham sandwich (as Cissy quickly learned) and don’t expect pickles… you won’t find them anywhere. But, no worries…there’s ALWAYS olives. And, Local wine is absolutely the best and cheap.

Near the river, sits the oldest bull fighting stadium in the world… Arena of Toros. It’s HUGE! It seats an audience of 12,000 during the season which lasts from April to October every year. Many years ago, Tommie and I attended a bull fight in Madrid, but 30 minutes into the show I had to leave. Cissy & I agreed “not our thing”. If you ever DO decide to attend, remember the brick seats are very HARD, so be sure and take a cushion.

We made a point to have Tea at the famous Hotel Alfonso XIII built in 1929 and recommended by my book “1000 Places To See Before You Die”. It’s reminded us of the detailed tile work in the Alcazar. This is the hotel of choice for Tom Cruise, Madonna, Cameron Diez and other famous Americans. Just Tea and hot chocolate (actually pure melted chocolate) was very expensive …so unless you’re on an unlimited budget, you might wanta stick with the tea😜 P.S…there’s a Starbucks across the street. Also it’s located on Constitution Square, where you can see the Flamenco dancers & lots of musicians performing for tips. Great people watching.

We lucked out one night… after attending a tourist “flamenco show”, we caught a quick dinner at our favorite restaurant, San Marcus and then when we left the streets were packed so tight you could hardly moved. It was the Procession.

It’s been a fabulous trip and we’ve made some unforgettable memories. We are blessed with our friendship and good fortune to have this special time together. It’s back to Texas now & our friends and family. Unfortunately, COVID has hit the USA ….we are sliding in right before they close travel to the US down. Welcome home.😩