Sevilla, Spain
May 22-27See photos below
While traveling through many cities in constant and short bursts, it is difficult to avoid comparisons. When we arrived in Sevilla, it was easy to notice the upscale nature of the area we were in compared to that of Granada, reflected in the population, prices, and demographic of travelers. It is observations such as these that make traveling such a unique endeavor. With no two towns, cities, or regions being the same, the possibilities to explore are infinite, and can be overwhelming at times. As has been the case with nearly every place we’ve been thus far, we have nothing planned except to walk the city, eat some local tapas, cook some yummy food, swim when it gets hot, and try to meet friendly people along the way. Fortunately for us, we managed to accomplish all of these and had a great time doing it.
After loading up at the grocery store and settling into our latest hostel, we were pleased to find the rooftop area included a pool, bar, and lounge area. Barring any rain, we planned to spend much of our time lounging around up top after long days of exploring. Groceries and bags unpacked, we ventured into the city to shake off our legs from the journey. With no direction or plan, we made our way to the riverfront, watching rowers glide through the water with ease, and small boats chug along without a care in the world. As we were walking across the bridge, however, nature came calling and we had to find a baño ASAP. The first place we saw happened to be a fancy-looking riverside hotel, so we walked in like we owned the place and found the facilities. As we were about to leave, we noticed there was a rooftop terrace elevator button, so we pushed our luck and made our way up. The views of the city were stunning. Instead of leaving right away we decided to hang around up there for a bit and play some cribbage. It was a nice break from the sun and a fun excursion.
Our time in Sevilla proved to be particularly special as we would soon be joined by my good friend Ryan. When he arrived we all went out for some tapas at a packed little restaurant and ordered the works; beer, lasagna, paella, a jamon tostada, and two plates of chicken. Definitely too much food for three, but we still managed to clean all of the plates. We proceeded to walk off the food and made our way back to the hostel. Later that evening after a few hours of rest, Ryan’s friend Erica, who lives in the city, joined us for wine and chicken tacos; Ashley was cooking, so we were all in for a treat. In the kitchen we met two British girls, Meda and Georgia, who we ended up hanging out with for the rest of our time in Sevilla. We all went out for a few drinks in one of the many plazas and met up with one of Erica’s friends. It was a solid group and a fun night of laughs and conversation.
The next day it was finally warm enough for the pool. We hung around all day drinking the bartenders “secret” sangria. It turned out to be just more alcohol including rum and vodka. We followed up this day drinking with a night on the town, similar to the night before. We played some cards as a group, and then met up with a few more friends and sat in a large, secluded square packed with people drinking at the foot of a church. Fitting. We laughed and drank and had a grand old time. When that place eventually closed we made our way to the riverfront and walked into a fine establishment where we ordered a few more drinks for the table. After about an hour we started walking home, passing many orange trees right next to the water, a few of which I launched into the river. We also walked by a churro and chocolate shop and sat for a few minutes while sharing the confections. Finally we made it home for some much needed sleep, as the coming day would be our last.
While we mostly end up wandering around aimlessly wherever we are, we decided on a place that we had to see. We absolutely couldn’t leave the city without seeing the Plaza de España, so on our last, scorching day in Sevilla we walked to the most famous square in the whole city. The walk there felt long, especially after the night we had had previous. The streets were buzzing, and as we entered the gate to the square, we were all blown away. The sheer size of the place is mind-blowing. Walking through and seeing all of the handmade, detailed tile work was incredible. And the tiles are everywhere, from the benches to the small bridges and handrails. I had never seen so much tile until that day. We found shade and slowly walked around the property, climbing a few flights of stairs to get a higher vantage point. Ashley, Ryan, and I took it all in, appreciating the chance we had to be traveling together. Life moves so fast and opportunities like this don’t come around often, if ever. This is why I love traveling so much. The reflections on life while enjoying places and things with people you love is a special opportunity that I will forever be grateful for. We finished off the night with some more sangria, accompanied by our British mates who were on the last day of their two month journey. It was fun being able to send them off. The next day, we said adios to Sevilla and were on our way to Santander in the Basque Country of Spain. There we would kick off our much-anticipated three day trek in the Picos de Europa mountain range.
