Asleep in Sunny Sevilla

What’s this, another blog post so soon? You betcha, we’re stepping up our content game. That, or we’re a bit behind and need to catch up. Whichever it is, that’s for us to know and you to ignore; regardless, we’re back with another chapter of our Spanish adventure, this time reporting from Sevilla!

After Cordóba, we hopped on yet another train and continued our clockwise sweep of the country. Sevilla, the capital of the Andalusian region, is a bustling city known for its flamenco dancing, beautiful architecture, and sweltering summers. In fact, it’s the hottest city in continental Europe! Even though we (thankfully) arrived a few months too early to experience seasonal average highs of 97 degrees Fahrenheit, we did get a respite from the clouds and rain that had been tailing us for a few weeks and finally got to wear t-shirts and shorts!

Although not a coastal city, Sevilla is only a couple of hours from the water and gets plenty of fresh seafood delivered every day. A few hundred years ago, traders and merchants sailed their boats from the Atlantic Ocean directly into the city center via the Guadalquivir River, but nowadays I imagine most people use trucks. No matter the method, it still tastes great!

Something I’ve noticed about Spanish cuisine is that they’re big fans of the single ingredient. Rather than complicate dishes with nonsense such as spices, depth of flavor, or nuance, the Spanish often prefer a heavier-handed approach, like fried fish with nothing but salt or a sandwich made only with bread and ham. Some might call it bland, I’d call it…well, yeah. Bland.

But all hope is not yet lost! At Alcázar Andalusí Tapas, Andrew and I tried a number of delicious, complex dishes. We had grilled eggplant with caramelized goat cheese topped with honey, crystallized herbs, and a sauce made from oranges; seared duck served over peaches with a rich berry sauce; and an orange and chocolate ganache cake for dessert. YUM. We also had fried calamari (unfortunately, a victim of the single flavor mentality, but still pretty good), croquetas (delicious), and drinks, all for under $35! If you find yourself in Sevilla, I can’t recommend it enough.

Besides eating, we didn’t actually do much in Sevilla and instead largely used the week as a much-needed moment of rest. We slept—a lot—and wandered through our neighborhood, soaking in the sights.

One of those sights is the famous Setas de Sevilla, or the Mushrooms of Seville. This massive construction derives its name from its fluid, organic shape and the way it almost appears to grow out of the ground. It was completed in 2011 and is the largest wooden structure in the world. It provides shade, a recreation area (the level below is paved for skating and biking, and has a small playground for children), and something very cool to look at, but the best part is you can walk on top!

Which we obviously did. Although a brief return of calima (reminder: when dust and sand are blown to Spain from the Sahara by strong winds, causing haze and pollution) made the view ever so slightly less impressive, it was still well worth the trip.

And, naturally, there was more fantastic food. I feel like a broken record, but I cannot emphasize enough how much each of our days involves finding where we’re going to eat, getting to that place, and eating. In Sevilla, we temporarily ventured away from Spanish food and had a wonderful dinner at the Indian restaurant Mumbai. Oh, I do love spices.

Andrew and I spent one of our last full days in Sevilla exploring more of the city, including its famous Plaza de España. This beautiful complex was built in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition. It houses a small river (which we paddled a boat down!), a fountain, a large building now mostly used for government offices, and ceramic alters representing each of the 50 Spanish provinces. And, perhaps most importantly, the site of my current favorite Emma-and-Andrew-in-one-photo photo—a rare find!

Overall, Sevilla was a terrific stop and I’m glad we got to enjoy a full week there. It gave us ample time to sleep in really late (I’m pretty sure our record was 2 pm) and still see the big-hitters, although I’m sure there’s a lot we missed. Oh what a bummer, a reason to go back!

Tune in next week (or whenever) for our last stop in Spain before we cross the border into Portugal!

In love and adventure,

E